Eight-run first is just enough as Berkeley wins region at LCS
Berkeley Prep junior James Hankerson watches his first-inning grand slam sail out to right field as the Buccaneers defeated Lakeland Christian in the 3A region final.
By Jarrett Guthrie
Editor
LAKELAND – After erasing any memories of three previous losses with last weekend’s region semi win over Calvary Christian, Berkeley Prep came out swinging and jumped out to a commanding eight-run lead in the first inning of Tuesday’s Class 3A-Region 2 final at Lakeland Christian. With a shot at just the program’s sixth state final four appearance, the Buccaneers looked poised to cruise to a region title against the Vikings. Luckily the big inning, was just big enough as the Buccaneers held off Lakeland Christian’s comeback attempt and Berkeley Prep heads to Fort Myers and the state semifinal next week with an 8-5 victory.
“We tell our guys often that winning is hard and it comes in a lot of different ways,” Berkeley Prep head coach Richie Warren said. “Tonight, we were blessed to hit the ball early, and it was just enough.”
That just enough for the Buccaneers though, was incredible as Cade Kurland and Anthony Castillo led off the game (which was started about 40 minutes late due to lightning in the area) with singles and Owen McElfatrick was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Junior James Hankerson then stepped into the left batter’s box, trying not to do too much but admitting after the game he was well aware of the short porch in right field. Working the count full, Hankerson gave the baseball a soaring trip over the wall at Lakeland Christian for a grand slam.
“You get excited as a lefty when you see that,” Hankerson said of the with a smile. “But you can’t think about it too much, or else you’ll roll over on it. I swung at a couple of pitches I shouldn’t have and got behind, but with bases loaded I was just trying to make sure I got someone in.
“I just happened to hit it over the fence.”
Not just over the fence.
“Man, did he hammer that ball,” Warren said. “That was one of the farthest balls I’ve seen one of our guys hit, and he’s done that as a big part of our offense all year.”
Berkeley Prep (27-3) batted around in the opening inning, with Wyatt Ewanowski adding two more with a homer to right-center and Kurland came around for his second at-bat of the frame and belted his county-leading 12th home run to deep center for a two-run shot.
Berkeley Prep’s Wyatt Ewanowski approaches the plate after his two-run home run in the first.
That ended the night of Lakeland Christian (22-6) starting pitcher Daniel Hartley, who would give way to junior lefty Anthony Schatz, who put on an outstanding performance striking out 10, and allowing no hits in 6 1/3 innings of relief while working around five walks.
“He was pretty darn good – he no-hit us,” Warren said. “Obviously, us coming off seeing (Calvary Christian lefty) Hunter Dietz three times in the last couple of weeks, who is pretty special as well, (Schatz) really mixed his pitches well and kept us off balance.”
Lakeland Christian relief pitcher Anthony Schatz.
Cade Kurland, whose homer sealed the win and who was also intentionally walked in two plate appearances, said the big first was a fortuitous start before Schatz took over in relief.
“Frankly, we are really lucky it worked out this way,” Kurland said. “I don’t think we’ve scored eight in a first inning the whole season, but we’ll take a great team win.”
Bucs junior Cade Kurland connects on his two-run homer in the first, it was the second hit of the inning for the Florida-signed slugger and his county-leading 12th home run.
On the mound for the Buccaneers, a long wait to throw his first pitch may have played into a somewhat shaky start for Berkeley’s Andrew Jergins. The Georgetown-signed senior walked the first two of six hitters in the opening frame, but strung together three scoreless innings on the night. Jergins worked out of jams in each of his early innings, while striking out eight in 3 2/3 innings of work.
“Every time I was thinking about going to get him, he struck the next guy out,” Warren said. “We were trying to get as many outs as possible from him as we could, and he did his job.”
Lakeland Christian finally got to Jergins in the fourth as two walks gave Zach Lester’s double to the game in left-center some impact, and Virginia Tech commit Brody Donay unloaded on a mammoth two-run home run one pitch later to chase Jergins from the game.
Zach Lester celebrates his two-run double in the fourth inning.
However, not before he had done enough to earn his ninth win of the year.
“I gave up those (runs) in the fourth inning, but I know with these guys supporting me however it goes on the mound, we are going to be okay,” Jergins said. “We are brothers and we’ll do anything to get a team win. It’s huge to have an inning like that to start the game, but I did get a little antsy.”
Berkeley Prep senior pitcher Andrew Jergins.
Freshman Rivers Kurland’s breakout season continued as he picked up his sixth save of the year, with 3 1/3 innings of relief allowing just one run in the seventh and a total of three hits, while picking up five punchouts.
Asked after the game if he had any other freshman who he’d feel so comfortable turning to in the biggest moments, Warren said he could think of only one in his career, now in his seventh year at Berkeley and also including six years as the head coach at Jesuit – where he won the 2014 state title with the Tigers.
“He’s in the big leagues,” the coach said. “(Former Jesuit standout and Houston Astros starting pitcher) Lance McCullers is the guy who used to get the ball late in games for me as a freshman, and that is the same way Rivers is treated.
“We’ve held him for the end of games because he is just a strike thrower and he competes every time out there.”
Berkeley freshman Rivers Kurland.
At the time of publication, the FHSAA website had not yet updated the Class 3A bracket, but Berkeley Prep is slated to play in the state semifinals on Tuesday, May 24 from Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. The Buccaneers return to the final four for the first time since 2016, and have one state title in program history (Class 1A – 1976).
⚾ Class 3A-region 2 Final ⚾
Berkeley Prep 8
Lakeland Chr 5
BP 800|000|0 – |8|7|1
LC 000|400|1 – |5|6|0
W – Jergins (8-0); L – Hartley (4-4); S – R. Kurland (5)
2B – Lester (LC); HR – Hankerson, Ewanowski, C. Kurland (BP); Donay (LC). Records – BP (27-3); LC (22-6).
