Crusaders rack up runs in district game at Tampa Prep

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Junior Jake Owen, running for the catcher, stole second and eventually scored a run in the fifth inning for Tampa Catholic.

By Mike Camunas, Creative Director

TAMPA — They’re on a crusade for runs and hits.

And the Tampa Catholic Crusaders (3-1) are racking up both of those quickly.

Click here to view our photo gallery from this game.

Following a 9-2 win over district opponent Tampa Prep (1-2) on Wednesday evening in Downtown Tampa, the Crusaders are now outscoring opponents 37-5 and have, ironically, 37 hits, but according to coach Paul Russo Jr., the team is just getting warmed up.

“I mean, if you look at the starters, offensively, they have just 10-12 at bats, so they’re still getting comfortable in the box,” Russo said. “So even though we’ve had hits, more will come.

“Guys are just starting to get into the swing of things (at the start of the season), and we’re swinging the bats well so far in three games, but it’s also a process so they’ll all come around.”

The bats came around just fine facing the Terrapins, as the Crusaders racked up eight hits, though only one off Tampa Prep starter, senior Emilio Miranda. The southpaw, however, would last just three innings before giving up three runs, just one earned, but did strike out three.

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Tampa Prep starting pitcher Emilio Miranda pitched three innings, striking out three and allowed one hit, but took the loss allowing three runs (one earned).

Alex Sotiropoulos got Tampa Catholic on the board first, when the senior scored on a wild pitch in the third inning, and the Crusaders extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth thanks sac fly by Lucas Cinnante, scoring Jake Owen, and a RBI single by Daniel Smythe, scoring Dominic Woodward.

Cinnante started the game for Tampa Catholic and also pitched three innings, while striking out three and walking a batter.

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Junior righty Lucas Cinnante earned the win, pitching three innings, allowing no runs on just two hits and one walk. 

The Crusaders cruised to a 6-0 lead by the top of the fifth behind RBIs from Woodward, Carson Arnold and Cinnante, respectively. However, in the bottom of the fifth, the Terrapins got two back thanks to a Kyle Brill two-RBI single.

TC’s Carson Arnold stares into the plate from third base.

Tampa Catholic tacked on three insurance runs in the top of the seventh, while relievers Trevor West and Ruben Ledo combined for three innings and four strikeouts, and Vito Arena worked the seventh inning.

Crusaders’ senior Ruben Ledo struck out two in his scoreless inning of relief. 

As well as the Crusaders are playing out the gate this season, their lone loss was Feb. 23 to always-tough and perennially-highly-ranked Calvary Christian, but held their own, only losing 2-0.

“They had a perfect game through the first five innings, then the (four) hits came,” Russo noted.

Tampa Prep’s Kyle Brill (2-for-4) dives back into first base after singling in both the Terrapins runs.

However, up next for Tampa Catholic is the always hotly-contested rivalry with nearby Jesuit (1-2), which is coming off back-to-back losses. The teams meet Friday evening at Hyer Family Park.

Though Russo is making sure that, no matter the opponent, nothing changes for his players, so the hits, and runs, keep coming at the same pace.

“The biggest thing I preach is that you can’t play Jesuit any differently than you play Tampa Prep or Berkeley Prep or Calvary,” Russo said. “You have to stay even keel, no matter who you are playing, because the dugout energy has to be the same, the approach at the plate has to be the same — it has to be the same every game.

“It doesn’t matter who you are playing, you have to be the same team, game in, game out.”

With Downtown Tampa in the background, Crusaders senior Vito Arena delivers a pitch.

Tampa Catholic 9, Tampa Prep 2

TC 001|230|3 – |9|8|0
TP 000|020|0 – |2|4|1
W – Cinnante (1-0); L – Miranda (0-1)
2B – Frame, Woodward, Arnold (TC). Records – TC (3-1; 2-0 in 3A-5); TP (1-2; 1-1 in 3A-5).

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