Jefferson takes Saladino nail-biter over East Bay
Jefferson third baseman Kaleb Cherry holds his tag on East Bay’s Berni Encarnacion, thwarting the courtesy runner’s seventh-inning steal attempt.
By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer
TAMPA – A second-inning unearned run was all host Jefferson needed to take a tense 1-0, Saladino Gold Division victory from East Bay in Saturday’s late afternoon game.
East Bay’s David Reyes slides under the tag of second baseman Isiah Fernandez for a fifth-inning steal …
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… Then beats Kaleb Cherry’s tag to steal third base.
Senior Isiah Fernandez delivered a shallow sacrifice fly that brought home sophomore Kaleb Cherry (base hit), and the mound tandem of starter Ethan Savinon and Kaiden Johnson made the run stand up.
“(Savinon) has some of the best mechanics I’ve seen from a 16-year-old,” Dragons head coach Spencer Nunez said of the sophomore, who scattered four hits over five innings, with seven strikeouts and no walks. “He went out there and competed for us and I expected nothing less.”
efferson assistant coach Ramses Gonzalez talks shop with starting pitcher Ethan Savinon as he comes off the field at the end of his first inning of work.
Savinon gave way to the emotional Johnson, who yielded just one base runner in his two innings of work, fanning a pair.
Expressive reliever Kaiden Johnson picked up the save for Jefferson, working two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
“Kaiden’s a guy that will vocalize everything and it’s really a good thing because we need that vocal leader in the clubhouse,” Nunez said. “When he gets on the mound, his teammates understand that he wants it really bad.”
Jefferson sophomore Kaleb Cherry is greeted by a coach after scoring what would be the game’s lone run in the second inning.
East Bay also got some dazzling mound work from junior Cameron Cook, who went the distance and gave up four hits, striking out three and walking three.
East Bay starter Cameron Cook pitched well enough to win the Indians’ Saladino Tourney opener, allowing no earned runs and four hits while striking out three.
Strong defense from catcher Nate Brewer also helped the Dragons’ cause as he threw out two potential base stealers.
Rory Beauford Jr. propped up the Indians’ offense with two hits, including a double while adding two stolen bases, but East Bay couldn’t find the key hits when it needed. Three times in the late innings, the Indians had runners in scoring position, twice pushing someone 90 feet from the plate, but couldn’t cash in the opportunities.
Jefferson rightfielder A.J. Lee had no trouble snagging Eddie Smith’s fourth-inning liner.
“The thing that’s good is that I don’t think we’re anywhere near peaking,” Nunez concluded about his now 8-4 squad. “We’re in a good spot record-wise, we’re in a good spot in the clubhouse … we’re just trying to go out and compete each game, win by one run, and not really worrying about tournament-style baseball. We’re just trying to keep things simple for our young team.”
Jefferson will host Bloomingdale (home) on Monday night at 7 pm in a game between tournament unbeatens, while East Bay will take on Gaither from West Tampa at 4 pm.
Jefferson’s Logan Galban fist-bumps first base coach Jose Figueredo after his second hit of the game, a fifth-inning double.
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#13 Jefferson 1
East Bay 0
E 000|000|0 – |0|4|0
J 010|000|x – |1|6|2
W – Savinon (2-0); L – Cook (4-1); S – Johnson (1)
2B – Beauford (E); Lee, Galban (J). Records – E (7-6); J (8-4).
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Battling a tough breeze, East Bay shortstop Ethan Cunningham grabs a tough second-inning popup with leftfielder David Reyes (left) and third baseman Max Mathis (right) supporting.
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Indians leftfielder David Reyes draws a bead on a second-inning fly ball.
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A third-inning seeing-eye base hit from East Bay’s Rory Beauford falls in between (left to right) leftfielder Logan Galban, third baseman Kaleb Cherry, and shortstop Jaylen Watts.
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Neither East Bay centerfielder Rory Beauford (left) or shortstop Ethan Cunningham could come up with Logan Galban’s third-inning Texas League tweener.
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Dragons’ A.J. Lee easily beat East Bay’s throw to complete his fourth-inning double as shortstop Ethan Cunningham crouches to catch the throw.
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Jefferson starter Ethan Savinon chat with the home plate umpire during a fifth-inning break.
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After flagging down a high-hopping grounder, East Bay second baseman Rowland Ruiz Jr. fired to first for a fifth-inning out.
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East Bay third baseman Max Mathis throws to first to retire a Jefferson batter in the sixth inning.
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Dragons catcher Nate Brewer threw out a pair of East Bay runners in a 1-0 Saladino Tourney victory.
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Jefferson’s Kaiden Johnson is all business, being replaced at first base by courtesy runner K.J. Sampson (2) in the sixth inning …
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… Before heading to the bullpen to throw a softball in preparation for the top of the seventh inning.
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A good crowd in the makeshift leftfield bleachers for Saladino Tourney play at Jefferson High.
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