McDonald homers to walk-off against Jefferson

Sickles senior Caden McDonald celebrates after scoring on his walk-off, three-run homer.

By Mike Camunas, Creative Director

TAMPA — In a span of barely two weeks, there have been some big hits for Caden McDonald.

And it all started with being hit, then coming up with a big hit.

“This was the perfect way to end this (game), against those guys — the same ones that knocked him down the last time he faced them,” Sickles coach Eric Luksis said. “For him to hit a miracle home run there — I’m at a loss for words.”

Click here for our photo gallery from this event.

That miracle home run gave the Gryphons a come-from-behind, walk-off win, 6-4 over Jefferson on Monday evening, keeping Sickles perfect in 2023 Saladino Tournament Pool B play.

Down 4-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Gryphons (6-1) scraped back to make it 4-3 thanks to a pair of fielder’s choice RBIs by Rueben Sostre-Rosario and Connor Vance.

With two outs, and the Yost brothers at the corners — sophomore Jordan at third, and senior Hayden at first following a walk — up stepped McDonald with a chance, at the very least, to tie the game.

But Sickles third game of the season was weighing on everyone involved.

In that game vs. Jefferson on Feb. 28, McDonald was hit in the head on a liner in the second inning on the third pitch to Alliuq Troupe, knocking McDonald down hard.

He would leave the game, however, suffer no concussion, though did have a fractured bone under his ear, as well as had blood drained from said ear.

“I wasn’t thinking about that,” McDonald said. “I just wanted to do enough in that spot.”

McDonald would do more than enough, sending the ball over the left field wall on a 1-2 count.

“It’s an incredible feeling” McDonald said, “and I’m just happy we won.”

“It was amazing, and there was definitely an angel on his side tonight,” Luksis added. “If you didn’t believe in angels, tonight should change some minds.”

Jefferson junior Alliuq Troupe, who was 2-for-4 in the game, heads to the plate. 

The Dragons (6-2), which were the visiting team despite “hosting” the game, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third thanks to a single-walk-single sequence by Troupe, Cameron Mallo and Jayden Vazquez, respectively.

JaMarques Benton driving home Troupe and Alejandro Aguilar driving home Mallo and Vazquez on a two-RBI single put the Dragons up.

Jefferson senior Jayden Vazquez cruises into third. He was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Jefferson starter John Valle would keep Sickles at bay until the fifth when Luke Fikar scored on a passed ball. Valle would pitch six-plus innings, striking out six, walking five and allowing three hits over 98 pitches. He was charged with three earned runs from the seventh inning.

“Their starter was great,” McDonald said. “He held our lineup, one of the best, to just (three) hits and that’s saying something.”

Jefferson staring pitcher John Valle struck out six in his six-plus innings of work. 

Mikey Marroquin would throw 15 pitches in relief, picking up two of the three final outs before giving up the homer to McDonald.

“There’s not much of a bigger moment (with a walk-off during the Saladino Tournament),” Luksis said. “We know this is our opportunity to see how we are against everyone else (in the county) and it gets you playoff ready. … And to be down the whole game and come back with the last swing of the bat, with just one out to go — ultimately a game like this is just going to prepare us for late in the season.”

Cameron Guise and Thomas Bly would combine to pitch six innings for the Gryphons. Jefferson would add an insurance run in the seventh thanks to Joseph Fritz driving home Mallo, while Guise allowed three runs over five hits. Fikar would move to the mound with two men aboard, and strike out his lone hitter to keep the Dragons lead at three runs.

The Dragons struck out just five times in the game.

Ultimately, even as Jefferson did enough to win this Saladino matchup and picked up a 4-3 win vs. Robinson on March 11 in the first round, the team was just on the wrong side of a big hit.

“(Tough way to lose), especially on your field,” Dragons coach Spencer Nunez said. “And our message to our team (after the game) was that games like this happen — that’s just baseball. There might even be a time later this year where we’ll be on (the other) end of that, but it sucks to be on this end.

“However, I think we’ve shown in the past two games that we can hang with any team in the county. I’m very proud of my guys, of how they do things around here, how they can execute and play the game right.

“They did their jobs and did enough to win tonight.”

#2 Sickles 6, #3 Jefferson 4

J 003|000|1 – |4|8|2
S 000|010|5 – |6|3|3
W – Fikar (1-0); L – Marroquin (2-2)
2B – Copple (J); HR – McDonald (S). Records – J (6-2); S (6-1).

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