Scott’s first-inning homer sparks Seffner Christian in win


Seffner Christian senior Addy Scott connects on a three-run home run in the first inning, putting the Crusaders ahead quickly. Scott is pacing Hillsborough County with four home runs now. 

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

SEFFNER – In his two previous varsity seasons, Seffner Christian outfielder Addy Scott has been a solid hitter and a tough out. But the only “out” that maters for the Crusaders’ senior’s early season is putting it out – of the ballpark, that is – something Scott has now done a county-leading four times in his first 16 at-bats, including Tuesday afternoon’s shot over the fence as Seffner Christian defeated the visiting IMG Ascenders-Silver, 5-2.

“So far this season, he’s just tearing the cover off the ball,” said Crusaders head coach Sal Giardina, who reached 100 wins with Seffner Christian with the victory. “He’s sitting back. He’s made some adjustments in the offseason … he’s always had this, what he’s doing. But he’s made the mental adjustments to make it work.”

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After SCA senior Ethan Duncan sat down IMG in order in the top of the first, he followed up teammate Colin Patten’s single with a ground ball hit of his own. Following a strikeout, Scott stepped to the plate, fell behind in the count, before pulling in his hands on an inside, 2-1 pitch and depositing it over the wall in left-center and giving his team a three-run cushion.

“When I get up there, I just tell myself to do damage,” said Scott, who is hitting .438, with nine RBI. “Get those runs in. Single, double, whatever, I’ve just been pushing them out and getting runs in. It’s been great.”

Seffner Christian right fielder Asher Stoltzfus makes a catch in the third.

Duncan, an All-813Preps First Team selection and the FACA District 15 2A Player of the year last season, said a big fly from Scott is bordering on expected now, and with two aboard in the first: “It felt like there’s going to be a three-run home run.”

“He gets up there, he’s been living left-center, right-center and he’s staying inside that ball really well,” Duncan continued on Scott. “It feels like every time he gets up there, he’s going to drive the ball and bring in runs.”

Ethan Duncan (#15) greets Addy Scott with a helmet bump after his fellow senior gave Seffner Christian a first-inning lead with a three-run homer. 

With the lead in hand, Duncan worked fast on the mound through his five innings. He finished his work allowing no runs with just one single and two walks (one, he quickly erased with a pickoff to first base). Duncan would finish with five strikeouts, and improve to 2-1 on the mound.

“I just wanted to pound the strike zone,” Duncan said. “When I’ve run into issues, is when I’m trying to strike everyone out. But these guys in the field have my back, and I just lived down in the zone, and every time there was a groundball there was someone stepping up to make a play.”

Senior Ethan Duncan worked five scoreless innings for Seffner Christian, improving to 2-1 on the year.

Seffner Christian (4-1) added on to its lead in the third when Patten walked, senior catcher Garrett Morgan slapped a two-out, groundball single into left field to move him to second, and Patten advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch. Patten would again factor in on the Crusaders’ final run, dropping a fly ball into left and bringing Jenuel Ortiz in to score from second.

Senior second baseman Colin Patten tosses the ball to the shortstop covering the bag for the final out of the top of the fourth. Patten was 2-for-2, with a walk, two runs and an RBI.

Morgan, who made two excellent plays on foul pops behind the dish, was happy to support Duncan with both the quality AB and the defensive plays behind the plate. But also said, Duncan has been sharp on the mound his last two games, bouncing back from a tough season-opening loss against reigning 2A state champions Lakeland Christian, 11-1, with a win against Bell Creek last week and Tuesday’s start.

“He trusted his stuff, he trusted what Coach Sal was calling, and he trusted the bond between me and him,” Morgan said. “He got over early on their hitters, it was effective, and it showed on the scoreboard and on his stat line.”

Crusaders senior Garrett Morgan hauls in one of two foul pops he caught in the win. 

Senior righty Austin Trimble took over for the final two innings on the mound, retiring the Ascenders in order in the sixth, but found himself in a little trouble in the final frame.

After a leadoff walk and a Frank Thomas Jr. single put two aboard, Trimble worked IMG down to its final out before Quincy Kerr burned the left fielder with a two-run double. But that was all the drama, Trimble would allow finishing the game off with his second strikeout.

Crusaders head Coach Sal Giardina wears a smile, and the contents of the dugout water cooler after reaching the 100-win mark at Seffner Christian.

The win was sweet for Giardina, marking the 100th at Seffner Christian for he and longtime friend and assistant coach Bill Highsmith.

“Eight years of players have contributed to this moment,” Giardina said. “This is pretty awesome. Coach Highsmith has been here with me since Day 1. We’ve been together coaching for 29 years – it was really cool to do this with him today.”

To read more on Coach Giardina’s milestone, click here.

Up next for the Crusaders is a visit to Sumner on Saturday to begin the Saladino Silver Tournament.

Seffner Christian 5, IMG Silver 2

I  000|000|2 – |2|3|0
S 301|010|x – |5|5|0
W – Duncan (2-1); L – Montjoy
2B – Kerr (I); HR – Scott (S). Records – I (2-4); S (4-1).

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