Satin deals no-hitter as Plant defeats Lakewood Ranch
Senior Robert Satin struck out nine in his no-hitter performance in Plant’s Class 7A Region 2 semifinal win against Lakewood Ranch.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
TAMPA – Neat and tidy – Plant senior Robert Satin has been outstanding and frugal on the mound this season. The lefty carried a 10-win streak to the bump in Monday’s Class 7A-Region 2 semifinal game, and stoically mowed through visiting Lakewood Ranch’s offense turning in a 72-pitch no-hitter as the Panthers advanced to Tuesday’s region final behind a 7-0 victory.
“I thought about it there in the last inning, and I was hoping he’d get it,” Plant coach Dennis Braun said. “I think the last one we had was (2015 Plant alum and current St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jake) Woodford (against Wharton in 2014), so it’s always an awesome thing to be a part of, and that was exactly what we needed him to be tonight.”
Click here for more photos from this game.
Postgame Satin continued not giving up much, calmly admitting he was still processing the outing and said he wasn’t thinking at all about the hit total while on the hill.
“I wasn’t really thinking about a no-hitter,” Satin said. “I just was trying to continue to give my team a chance, just like every time I go out.
“I haven’t really processed (the no-hitter) yet.”
Of Satin’s 11-0 mark on the season (tied for the lead in the state), nine of his starts have seen the University of Florida signee go the distance and his 99 strikeouts rank in the Top 10 in Florida.
The Panthers ace retired the first 14 he faced, before a throwing error allowed a Lakewood Ranch (19-8) baserunner. He’d build another six-out streak before a Plant fielding error allowed a second base runner.
“That was amazing,” junior second baseman Tanner Swank said of his starting pitcher. “He may be the most dominant pitcher I have ever seen. Every time he is on the mound I know we are going to win.”
Senior Jack Meade dropped down this bunt base hit that moved a runner to third in the Panthers’ five-run fifth inning.
Swank had a bit of a rough going at the plate this season, but has broken out in three post-season wins for the Panthers. The junior kept that going from the 9-hole in the order on Monday, plating the deciding run by working an eight-pitch, bases-loaded walk to score Trey Freeman (leadoff double in the fifth). Swank would cap the night’s scoring with an RBI double the very next inning.
“We’ve been talking a lot lately, and he’s started to get some hits and walks these last few games,” Braun said of Swank. “We’ve been trying to keep him positive and things are starting to turn the corner for him, and that’s good because we need him. He was big for us last year.”
Plant junior Tanner Swank makes the wide turn, headed to second on his sixth-inning RBI double.
In between Swank’s RBI, the Panthers added five other runs – with two-run singles by Cash Strayer and Rocco DeMarinis, and one on a passed ball.
The rough fifth-inning spoiled an equally impressive start from Lakewood Ranch pitcher Alex Vaillancourt, who retired the side in order for three innings and worked around a leadoff single by Strayer in the fourth. The junior righty was tagged with the loss departing after Swank’s base-on-balls, and allowing four runs on three hits and had three strikeouts.
Panthers junior Rocco DeMarinis takes a cut on his two-run single in the fifth.
The Panthers sent four flyballs to the fence in the first three innings, but saw Mustang outfielders track them down – including a smash to right off the bat of Satin that Lakewood Ranch rightfielder Carter Sprague leapt for against the black – but the dugout was confident they’d eventually find success.
“I knew we were piecing him up, so I felt like at some point we’d get to him,” Swank said. “I had a good at-bat with the walk, then when we built on four more runs, and then I felt after that we had it. We were going to win this one.”
Lakewood Ranch starting pitcher Alex Vaillancourt.
Originally this game was slated for Saturday, but it was rained out and moved to Monday.
That means Plant (19-7) will get right back to it on Tuesday, as the Panthers host Windermere at 7 pm in the region final, after the Wolverines defeated Durant, 10-4 in a game that was halted mid-game due to weather and finished on Sunday.
Plant won a 2-0, two-hit thriller at Windermere in last season’s region final to earn a state semifinal berth.
⚾ Class 7A-Region 2 Semifinal ⚾
Plant 7, Lakewood Ranch 0
L 000|000|0 – |0|0|1
P 000|052|x – |7|5|2
W – Satin (11-0); L – Vaillancourt
2B – Freeman, Swank (P). Records – L (19-8); P (19-7).
