Sheffield blasts extra-inning homer as Jesuit tops Naples

Clutching Jesuit’s home run jacket, Noah Sheffield fist-bumps a member of the Tigers coaching staff after the team’s walk-off win.

By Chuck Frye, Staff Writer

TAMPA – It’s a true sign of how deep Jesuit’s roster is that three players that weren’t even on last year’s state championship roster stepped up to power the Tigers forward in this year’s tournament, and in dramatic fashion, too.

In a Friday rematch of the 2022 Class 5A final four battle, visiting Naples rebounded after a 40-minute lightning delay to draw even and force extra innings.

To view a few more pics from last night’s game, click here.

That’s when senior reliever Derek Westfall, who was cut from the squad last year, took the ball from head coach Miguel Menendez and retired the seven batters he faced, three by strikeout and all without any balls leaving the infield. Then, with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, sophomore and 2022 JV player Vincent DeCarlo hustled out an infield hit to set the stage for teammate Noah Sheffield (who transferred from Tampa Prep prior to the start of this school year). After blasting a ball into the football stadium but foul, the junior teed off again two pitches later, driving a ball over the left-centerfield fence to give Jesuit an emotional 4-2 walk-off victory.

“I knew (reliever and Florida-bound senior Reilly Witmer) was going (to pitch me up) and try to get me to chase, so I was just going to drive it but I ended up pulling that one foul,” Sheffield said of his third, and biggest, home run of the season. “I stepped out of the box, stayed in a calm approach, and magic happened after that.”

“Early in the year, if Noah had a couple of strikeouts and was not having good at-bats, he would have been done for the rest of the game,” explained Menendez. “But to his credit, he bounced back in the biggest moment and put a really good swing on the baseball and came through.”

He also added an epic bat flip before circling the bases.

But none of the Florida State commit’s heroics would have happened if DeCarlo hadn’t turned an infield dribbler into a single.

“Everyone doesn’t really think I can run but, off the bat, I knew I was going to have to get going,” the 185-pound North Carolina State commit said. “I love these guys so much that I put everything I had in me out there and ran as fast as I could. It worked.”

Despite Naples first baseman Johnny King’s stretch, Jesuit sophomore Vincent DeCarlo legs out an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

It appeared Friday’s contest would follow last year’s script where Jesuit (now 25-4) took a solid first-inning lead that Naples (20-8) couldn’t overcome.

This time it took luck and patience for the Tigers to grab a 2-0 advantage. Starting pitcher and leadoff man Wes Mendes (3ip, one hit, four walks, six K’s) reached on an error with junior courtesy runner Jackson Thomas moving to second on a passed ball. Jake Kulikowski (single and hit by pitch) drew a five-pitch walk and Grant Jordan followed with an opposite-field base hit to drive in Thomas. With runners on the corners, Menendez sent Jordan slowly to second, drawing a throw to the bag. Looking to get in a rundown, the senior crept slowly back to first and finally drew a throw. Jordan just beat the tag while Kulikowski broke for home on the toss, sliding in safely before the ball got to the plate.

“It’s funny, we actually did it in practice (on Thursday),” Menendez said. “With the two pitchers we knew we were going face in (lefty starter Johnny) King and Witmer, we knew that runs were going to be at a premium.”

Jesuit starter Wes Mendes struggled through three innings but kept Naples scoreless, stranding six runners while striking out six.

That was true as King, a Miami commit, didn’t allow another run while striking out nine over 4 1/3 innings. After the lightning break, Witmer was just as dominant, fanning five. This allowed the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles to jump on middle reliever Wilson Andersen for a pair on a balk and senior Sevyn Williams’ second hit of the evening, a two-out, opposite-field double down the rightfield line.

Enter Queens University commit Westfall who came in, shut the door, and set the stage for some hero ball on the home side.

“”I really stick to two pitches,” Westfall humbly said. “I don’t really pay attention to who’s up (at the plate). I leave that to Coach (Menendez) – he knows what to call – and my catcher (Josh Hines). I trust them and I throw it where they want me to throw it.”

Jesuit closer Derek Westfall retired the seven Naples batters that he faced, allowing his Tigers to come back for a regional semifinal victory.

Now the top-seeded Tigers will hold an edge when they host the winner of the suspended game between No. 6 Island Coast and No. 2 Osceola. The game was halted Friday at the top of the fifth inning with the teams tied 4-4 and will resume in Seminole at 3pm on Saturday.

“Because of the (weather delay), we decided to play the pitch count game a little bit,” Menendez said. “Now (Mendes, Andersen and Westfall), who we feel are our three best pitchers, will be available on Tuesday.”

• This story has been corrected. In the original posting, we incorrectly listed Noah Sheffield as a Jesuit JV player a season ago rather than noting his All-813Preps First Team season at Tampa Prep. 

With water flying in the air, Noah Sheffield is engulfed by his Jesuit teammates after his game-winning home run.

⚾ Class 5A-Region 3 Semifinal ⚾

Jesuit 4, Naples 2 (8)

N 000|002|00 – |2|4|2
J 200|000|02 – |4|6|1
W – Westfall (0-0); L – Witmer
2B – Williams (N); HR – Sheffield (J). Records – N (20-8); J (25-4).

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