Harman’s blast powers Bulls over Plant

By Jarrett Guthrie
Editor

VALRICO – When Dawson Harman was nine years old he smacked his first-ever home run giving his father Chuck a birthday present he’ll never forget. Seven years later – to the day, Harman’s birthday message to his father before Tuesday’s game against visiting Plant was a promise.

“(Seven) years ago, when I was nine – same thing happened, I hit a home run on his birthday,” Harman said. “I told him before the game, ‘Don’t worry, Dad. I got you.’ I had to give it to him.”

Harman delivered on his pledge smashing a first-inning, three-run home run and pushing his team into the lead as Bloomingdale defeated the Panthers, 6-4 in a battle.

“Plant is a fighting team, so I knew they would battle back in this one,” Harman said of the game. “Every time we play them … we know it is going to be a dogfight until the end.”

Plant (11-4) also started things off with some fireworks as senior Conley Strayer unloaded on a fastball from Bulls starting pitcher Jack Owens in the first, sending it over the wall in the deepest part of the field dead-center to give his team a brief lead.

The Bulls quickly responded with a big inning as senior Drake Harman took a walk from Plant starting pitcher Mike Hawks, followed by a groundball single by Owens which set up the younger Harman to smash his three-run shot over the wall in left field.

Bloomingdale (9-6) would stretch its lead to three in the first as Carlos DeJesus dropped down an RBI sac bunt back to the pitcher.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect offensively,” Bulls coach Kris Wilken said. “We started to swing it pretty well last week, but to see a better arm than we’ve seen – I was really happy how we swung the bats. I was really happy with how they came back and threw a big punch in the first inning.”

Owens settled in for a pair of scoreless innings, while his offense would pad its lead behind an RBI sac fly from Bobby Rossi (1-for-2) and a run-scoring single from DeJesus.

“We struggled early to find roles for different guys,” Wilken said. “And Bobby has been one of the guys who has been the most consistent, and he continued to give us good at-bats tonight.”

The Panthers however, were not going to go away without a fight chipping back a run in the fourth when Thomas Bolton’s double was paid off on a groundball from Hawks.

Equally, the Panthers got a big lift on the mound from freshman righty Dominic Woodward, who took over for Hawks in the third and got the final out on one pitch, before finishing the final three innings yielding just two hits.

Plant cut the lead in half in the fifth as an error and a wild pitch allowed Cash Strayer to score, but Owens finished his fifth inning, earning the win and recording four strikeouts.

The Panthers had the tying run at the plate when Bloomingdale turned to reliever Trey Wilson with two men aboard. Conley Strayer (2-for-2, two walks) went to third and scored on wild pitches, before Wilson got a ground ball to second for the final out and his second save.

“In that moment, you just have to bear down and throw strikes,” Wilson said of refocusing after the wild pitches. Adding: “Nothing you can do about it, but compete and throw as many strikes as you can.”

Bloomingdale will travel to Spoto on Thursday, but will give Plant a quick runback as the Bulls travel to South Tampa on Friday.

“We wanted to play each other twice in one week, because we felt like it gives us a better gauge of where we are actually at,” Wilken said. “You can’t throw the same guys and it will be a completely different game on Friday.”

Bloomingdale 6
(3) Plant 4

P 100|110|1 – |4|5|1
B 402|000|x – |6|7|3
W – Owens (3-1); L – Hawks; S – Wilson (2)
2B – Bolton, Gilbert (P); HR – Con. Strayer (P); Daw. Harman (B). Records – P (11-4); B (9-6).