Jacquez tosses complete game shutout as Sumner tops Alonso

Sumner senior Anthony Jacquez held Alonso to one hit and one walk, while striking out six in a complete-game shutout win.

By Lily Belcher, Staff Writer

RIVERVIEW – Sumner senior Anthony Jacquez grunted as he hurled his final pitch into the mitt of junior catcher Daniel Dugarte. Alonso senior Landon Nunez could only watch it fly over the plate as Sumner claimed a 3-0 victory over the Ravens Thursday night.

It was Jacques’s second complete-game shutout of the season, his first came in a 4-0 victory over Steinbrenner in March.

“I love the kid to death,” Sumner head coach Kennedy Duran said. “I love what he brings everyday: leadership [and] maturity. I can’t ask for a better kid to have on this team, and I have a whole bunch of them.”

The uncommitted pitcher threw over 90 pitches finishing with six strikeouts, and gave up just one hit. Needless to say, Duran was proud.

“Anthony is one of those kids that you absolutely love when he’s on your team and hate when he’s on the opposite team,” Duran said. “He’s such a nice kid off the field and becomes a competitor and an animal on the field.”

Sumner’s Isaiah Welch heads toward the plate, scoring the Stingrays second run on a two-run double by Daniel Dugarte in the second inning.

This is Jacquez’s first season with the Stingrays (11-5). He transferred from Riverview, where Sumner has been on the receiving end of his dominating pitching.

Sumner senior Anthony Jacquez

“(The) fastball was definitely there. I was able to hit the spots,” he said. “Slider had a few innings where it wasn’t there, but we at least fought back, came back [and] made adjustments.”

But a shutout isn’t possible without some offense.

“I’m always going to trust my offense and my defense no matter what,” Jacquez said.

For Sumner, a three-run second inning was plenty to give the Stingrays the edge over the Ravens (10-10).

Senior Riley Stevens led off the second with a walk and made his way to third before an RBI single by senior Zach Hutchinson drove him in. The Stingrays loaded the bases for Dugarte, who sent a two-run double into the outfield, adding some insurance runs for Sumner.

“Tonight, we came out with a good energy,” Dugarte said. “We stayed together through the whole game. We had a great team win tonight.”

Duran said the key to piecing together the three runs was consistency and understanding Alonso’s next move.

“It’s very tough in high school to make very big adjustments like we did tonight,” he said. “I’m very, very proud of these guys, the way they’re playing and staying together.”

Next up: Sumner will travel to Brandon on Tuesday, while Alonso travels to Plant.

⚾

Sumner 3, #9 Alonso 0

A 000|000|0 – |0|0|0
S 030|000|x – |3|0|0
W – Jacquez (3-1); L – Nunez (1-3)
2B – Dugarte (S). Records – A (10-10); S (11-5).

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