Bolton carved through Windermere in Plant’s region final win
Plant senior Thomas Bolton allowed just two hits, going the distance with seven strikeouts as the Panthers claimed the 7A-Region 2 title (813Preps file photo).
By Jarrett Guthrie
Editor
It had been four weeks since Plant’s Thomas Bolton had stepped on the mound in a game, but with Michael Hawks turning in a complete-game effort last Friday and junior lefty Robert Satin still feeling some arm fatigue from his last start, Plant’s biggest game in the last decade fell on the shoulders of the senior. And what a performance Bolton turned in Tuesday on the road at Windermere, baffling the Wolverines’ hitters allowing just a leadoff triple to Blake Cyr and a single as he went the distance with a complete game shutout as the Panthers won the 7A-2 region championship game 2-0, and advance to the state final four in Fort Myers.
“He was the man today,” Plant coach Dennis Braun said. “He just carved through them and did his thing. The slider and the change(up) all day kept them off balance.”
Bolton, who himself had been feeling some shoulder fatigue, told his coach this weekend that he was ready to go when he was needed.
“He was well-rested and I talked to him and he told me he was 100 percent good to go,” Braun said. “But on the mound or on the field (at shortstop) he’s been out jackknife. Without Thomas Bolton, I don’t think we are where we are at.”
Plant took the lead in the second as Bryce Pelleriti was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and worked his way to third on a Satin single, and a ground ball out from Mike Hawks, finally scoring as Tanner Swank singled through shortstop to drive in the deciding run.
Satin upped his team RBI lead to 29 with a line drive single to center in the sixth for some added insurance.
“I’ve had Satin in the six-hole for a few weeks, and I keep thinking I should move him up – I almost did it today,” Braun said. “But my assistants told me not to. I guess they were right.”
Plant junior Robert Satin (813Preps file photo).
Bolton gave up just one more hit – a third inning leadoff single from Mason Mojica – while striking out seven and not issuing a walk in the win.
“I’m just really tired right now,” Bolton said over the phone immediately following the afternoon win. “But this means everything to us. We weren’t ranked coming into the season, we were doubted, and we have worked so hard to get here.”
Asked how long he and his teammates will revel in the win with the fast turnaround for the state semifinal on Friday – where the Panthers will face Palm Beach Gardens at 7 p.m. from Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers – Bolton replied: “We’ll enjoy it for at least the rest of the day, but we’ve got early batting practice in the morning, so we’ll get right back to work.”
⚾ Class 7A-region 2 Final ⚾
Plant 2
Windermere 0
P 010|001|0 – |2|5|0
W 000|000|0 – |0|2|0
W – Bolton (5-0); L – Feazell
3B – Cyr (W). Records – P (23-6); W (25-4).
