Plant pitching stays stellar as Panthers blank Durant
Plant junior Nick Townley struck out five, working into the sixth inning as the Panthers defeated Durant 8-0.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
PLANT CITY – During fall scrimmages longtime Plant head coach Dennis Braun was unsure of his team’s spring prospects. He felt confident in his hitters and felt his defense would be sound, but on the mound? He had more than a few concerns.
His solution was to gather his pitchers and lay out the facts: throw strikes and let the defense work, or you won’t see the field.
Challenge accepted.
For more photos from this game, click here.
Plant’s pitching staff has been electric posting a team 0.77 ERA, and with junior Nick Townley’s six-plus scoreless innings in Monday night’s 8-0 pool-play Saladino Gold Division victory against Durant, the Panthers have delivered six-straight shutout wins.
Durant 2B Aidan Junttila dives for a throw as Plant’s Desan DeCamp slides safely to second with a stolen base.
“When we came out in the fall we didn’t throw a lot of strikes, we walked a lot of guys, weren’t very quick to the plate, people were running all over us and it certainly didn’t look like it has lately,” Braun said. “We made some adjustments, I told them we have to throw strikes or you aren’t going to pitch.
“I think they’ve done a good job of understanding that our defense is good, and if they just throw the ball over the plate, good things are going to continue to happen.”
Durant senior Jackson McClellan does his job with a sac bunt to advance a runner in the second.
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Plant 3B Bo Allen fields then throws to first base for an out on the sac bunt.
For Townley, who like his team’s average also holds a 0.77 ERA, Braun’s mantra resonated.
“I think it’s pretty simple, we throw the ball over the plate and let the defense do the work,” the righty said. “We’ve been able to get a lot of weak contact, a lot of roll overs, and a lot of pop flies.”
Starting the seventh, Townley allowed a Cooper Hughes single – just Durant’s third hit of the game – recorded an out and issued his third walk before giving way to fellow junior Adler Brun who picked up a quick fielder’s choice and ended the win with a strikeout.
Plant reliever Adler Brun.
Offensively, the Panthers started Townley out with all the support he would need in the first inning. After two quick outs, senior Danny Cerelli’s bat stayed hot (batting .512 after his two hits on Monday) smashing a ground ball single to left, followed by a Jordan Olivia walk, and both scored on a deep fly-ball double off the bat of senior Jackson Cucchi.
“For us it’s all about punching first,” Cucchi said. “You come out here on the road, there is going to be high energy playing in this tournament against a team at home. As Coach Braun always says, ‘punch first, and punch every inning after that.’”
Senior Danny Cerelli watches his single go into left in the first inning …
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… shortly before Jackson Cucchi lined this low curveball to the wall in center for a tw-run double.
Durant found little luck at the plate as Cash Strayer ran down the first out of the home half, followed by the first two of Townley’s five strikeouts.
Plant senior leader Cash Strayer was superb in centerfield on Tuesday.
Strayer, a Florida signee and four-year varsity starter, was stellar on defense covering a wide swath of the grass and running down what looked like a sure extra-base hit with a runner aboard in the sixth. Offensively, he doubled and scored in the win and had an RBI sac fly in the sixth.
Durant senior Jack Brooks was touched up for seven runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks, but did finish with seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, and had one of his team’s three singles (along with Hughes and Shawn Graves).
Durant senior RHP Jack Brooks had seven strikeouts.
But Plant’s offense was just too much, and a lot of that damage came from junior catcher Wyatt Patterson, who reached on three singles in the game before giving way to the speed-up runner Desan DeCamp, who created some havoc on the bases. DeCamp stole two bags and score twice (once on a passed ball and once on a wild pitch).
“I was confident and went up there not really trying to think too much,” Patterson said. “I was just trying to hit something hard to the pull side.”
Wyatt Patterson collected three singles in the win.
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Plant’s Desan DeCamp made his presence known on the bases while serving as the speed-up runner for the catcher Patterson. DeCamp stole two bags and scored twice.
After DeCamp scored his first run in the third, Townley admitted the stretched-out lead put him at ease.
“It’s really nice having that (early) advantage,” he said. “You can feel more comfortable, just throw and not worry about letting up one run here and there.”
He worked his fastball and a strong slider for strikes and battled out of a few three-ball counts, earning praise from his catcher.
“He just threw strikes,” Patterson said. “It’s really hard to lose when our guys are making good pitches. They do that and let the other team get themselves out. Inning after inning, we (the offense) have fed off of that.”
Braun said that so far in the Saladino (including Saturday’s 5-0 opening win against King) the offense has done its job, and he’s pleased with the way the team is supporting each other through the first half of the season.
“I did feel like coming in, we had a chance to be a good-hitting team,” Braun said. “I think it is very important in this game that these kids understand that everybody gets their turn.
“And you have to be happy for them when that happens, even when that night isn’t your turn. And that’s happened for us so far.”
The Panthers have another go with Newsome (which Plant defeated 14-2 in the season opener) today at 4 pm, while Durant wraps up its pool-play against King tonight at 7 pm – both games at Durant High.
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#1 Plant 8
#7 Durant 0
P 210|022|1 – |8|9|3
D 000|000|0 – |0|3|3
W – Townley (0-0); L – Brooks (0-0)
2B – J. Cucchi, Strayer (P). Records – P (12-2); D (8-4).
No need for words, Jackson Cucchi did his talking with the bat, giving Plant all it needed with a two-run double in the first.
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Plant 2B Brody Vermette fields a groundball.
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With the “sailor’s delight” sky behind him, Plant’s Nick Townley delivers a pitch.
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Panthers 1B Danny Cerelli takes an underhand toss from pitcher Nick Townley for an out.
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Cash Strayer squares up an RBI sac fly …
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… and Bo Allen tags up and scores on Strayer’s sac. fly.
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Durant RHP Lonnie Coburn
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Durant RHP Tanner Gosner
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Plant skipper Dennis Braun takes the ball from Nick Townley in the seventh inning.
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Townley is congratulated by his replacement on the mound, Adler Brun who picked up the final two outs.
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Plant RHP Adler Brun.
