Crest's Tweedy sticks to game plan, blanks Sickles

Crest’s Tweedy sticks to game plan, blanks Sickles

Strawberry Crest senior Brisen Tweedy (State College of Florida signee) fired strikes and let his defense support him, needing just 69 pitches in a complete-game shutout at Sickles.

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

CITRUS PARK – If you want the strike zone filled, Brisen Tweedy is your guy.

In his last start, the Strawberry Crest senior held Plant City to a single hit (in the Chargers’ six-inning, mercy-rule win) striking out 10.

And though the punchout skills are there, that’s not necessarily Tweedy’s game plan. In Saturday’s breakfast game, in front of more than 50 scouts in attendance, the lanky righty put on a clinic of pounding the zone, tossing a complete-game, 69-pitch gem as the Chargers defeated Sickles, 2-0 in a tidy, 89-minute game.

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“Tweedy is a sinker-heavy pitcher and gets a ton of ground balls,” Strawberry Crest head coach Eric Beattie said. “… He has a game plan and he has bought into it. That game plan isn’t about strikeouts, not that he can’t strike guys out, but his plan is to let his defense work, induce weak contact, and let our defense execute.”

Tweedy’s game included just one strikeout, but his precision against a swing-heavy Gryphons offense worked incredibly well.

How well?

“He didn’t throw a ball until eight outs,” Chargers catcher Toby Highsmith said, “that’s the man, right there.”

Working around a leadoff error in the home-first, a double and another error in the field in the third, Tweedy wasn’t called for a ball until the 10th batter he faced.

“In order to go all seven, you can’t just go out there and get strikeouts every time,” Tweedy said. “The key part of that is letting the defense do their work.

“I trust the guys behind me and they’ve been doing it all year.”

Strawberry Crest SS Nico Cappucci’s throw on the first ground ball of the home-first pulled the first baseman from the bag, but after that he was outstanding defensively, making plays and throws for eight outs and turning an inning-ending double play in the sixth.

The State College of Florida commit has been firing in fastballs in the mid-90s this spring, drawing plenty of scout attention, on display in the large contingent who were at the stadium before the Chargers even arrived on Saturday. But Tweedy, who allowed five Gryphons hits and one walk, said he doesn’t focus on things he can’t control, instead just staying on his routine.

“I don’t really notice the scouts in the stands, I try not to pay any attention to that,” he said. “If I start thinking about that instead of the game, then I’m going to lose focus. I just look at Toby, whatever he calls, I try and throw it there for a strike.”

Junior Connor Bly struck out eight in his six innings for the Gryphons.

In response, junior righty Connor Bly was up for the challenge, and had no problem notching K’s into the scorebook for Sickles. Bly took the bad side of the decision, allowing both runs on just four hits and two walks, while striking out eight in his six innings.

“This was probably the best I’ve ever seen him throw,” Sickles coach Eric Luksis said. “He’s been really good out of the gate. He was a guy coming in that we were trying to figure out exactly what his role would be, but since we’ve started inner-squads he’s been one of our best guys.

“He got the nod today and we didn’t expect him to go six (innings), but the way he was throwing, it was hard to go get it (the ball) from him. He was outstanding today and hopefully he can build off this one for his next one.”

Yovanny Parra lined a hit to right in the third inning.

Two of the hits off Bly came in the third inning, first Yovanny Parra lined a single into rightfield, followed by Highsmith who sent a chopper toward third base and hustled out and infield single for his first hit of the season. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Chase Conti patiently took a walk allowing Parra to score.

Chase Conti shouts into his dugout after drawing a bases-loaded walk.

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Strawberry Crest catcher Toby Highsmith holds up the ball in his glove as the home plate umpire calls Zach Dial out on a F9-2 double-play.

In the home-half, Sickles (4-3) looked poised to tie the game as Bly belted a double to right, burning Strawberry Crest (4-2) outfielder Matt Hall. Zach Dial (running for the pitcher) took third on a bad pickoff attempt from Tweedy, but Hall redeemed himself with the play of the game – fielding a flyball in the middle of the rightfield grass and firing home to Highsmith, who dropped down a tag to keep the game scoreless.

“When I saw it go up in the air, I thought I really had the chance to throw that guy out,” Hall said. “We’ve been working on that at practice day-in, day-out. So, as soon as that ball goes up I’m thinking about throwing for the out.”

Strawberry Crest senior RF Matt Hall (middle right, #13) celebrates the win with 3B Chase Conti, with Reuben Vasquez (#1) and Dillon Knight (#12) on the outside.

“That was a huge play,” Beattie said. “He got behind the baseball, a routine fly ball, and threw a dime-piece to Toby, who did a great job catching it up and putting the tag on.”

Highsmith said his belief in all the Chargers outfield arms is strong, but he couldn’t help but beam with confidence when he saw it go Hall’s way.

“I saw the ball go up in the air and right to Matt,” Highsmith said. “All of our outfielders have great arms, but I really trust Matt. So, I tossed my helmet to the side and saw him firing it home. I knew we had him out right out of his hand.”

Hall deflected the praise to his teammate.

“Toby and I communicate where he wants me to throw the ball,” Hall said. “I try to do my best to do that. I make a good throw and I trust him to do the rest.”

Brisen Tweedy tips his cap to Matt Hall in rightfield after his double-play catch and throw.

Dillon Knight doubled to start the Chargers sixth and quickly stole third base. Chase Conti stepped in at the plate and popped the second pitch of his at bat high and toward the Sickles dugout, where Gryphons catcher Emilio Salgado (who caught two stealing runners in the game) settled under for the catch. Salgado walked the ball back to the pitcher after he assumed he’d called time out by motioning to the home-plate ump, but apparently it wasn’t granted and Knight smartly stretched his lead out and scurried to a vacant plate for an insurance run.

Dillon Knight steps on a vacant plate, scoring an insurance run after a foul pop out.

Ben Durda pitched a clean inning of relief for the Gryphons in the seventh, before Tweedy returned to the mound to finish off his complete game, despite singles from Brandon Gonzales and Bly (2-for-3).

“I try and pick his (Tweedy’s) brain about how he goes out with the same mindset, the same intensity, every time out,” Hall said. “He just says he has a killer’s mindset.”

Strawberry Crest 2
Sickles 0

SC 001|001|0 – |2|4|3
Si 000|000|0 – |0|5|1
W – Tweedy (3-1); L – Bly (1-2)
2B – Knight (SC); Bly (Si). Records – SC (4-2); Si (4-3).

Sickles senior SS Jordan Yost was another player drawing in the scouts on Saturday. A dynamic defensive player and one of the best hitters in the county, Yost was 1-for-3 in the game, and is hitting .478 this season.