Patriots ace Riedel delivers shutout against Sickles
Patriots senior Nick Riedel pitched his third complete-game shutout, dealing a decision against Sickles on Tuesday afternoon to book Carrollwood Day a spot in the Saladino Gold Division semifinals.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
TAMPA – County strikeout leader Nick Riedel had no problem taking advantage of calm winds along the Hillsborough River on Tuesday. Though he certainly made the most of his strikeout opportunities in a pool-play finale to decide a spot in the Saladino Gold Division tournament against Sickles.
The Carrollwood Day (10-5) ace upped his lead among Hillsborough County pitchers to 53 Ks, but also capitalized on Sickles inability to handle his curveball as the senior earned his second win of the tourney in a tidy, 2-0 decision in the afternoon game from Tampa Catholic.
Lots more flicks just a click (here) away.
Nick Riedel takes the sign from his catcher.
The head-to-head victory advanced the 2-1 Patriots (which lost a heated, 11-inning 4-3 decision to Tampa Catholic late Monday night) to tonight’s Saladino Semifinal, just one season removed from CDS capturing the Bronze Division title.
“These kids have proven themselves to what I believed they were prior to the season,” Patriots head coach Tony Brewington said. “Now we are all clicking, and that’s why we wanted to be in this gold bracket. They wanted to see how we compete with some of the top teams around the city, and I think they’ve earned every bit of this spot.
“We may have small numbers, but they’re the right numbers and we feel like we can go out and compete with anybody right now.”
Of the 21 Sickles (11-4) outs in the game, five were strikeouts and 11 were fly balls, leading Sickles first base coach Bob Shaw to repeatedly question his hitters from the coaching box, “who is going to be the first to make the adjustment?”
Sickles veteran assistant coach Bob Shaw is a bit frustrated walking back to the first-base box after addressing his dugout during an offensive inning.
The answer wouldn’t come until the fourth inning, when Riedel’s opposing pitcher Jake Taylor, ground a hit through the right side to lead off the home-half. But a pop fly and a turned double-play erased the hit.
“That’s definitely not Nick’s game, he’s more of a strikeout pitcher,” battery-mate Ashton Brown said of the fly ball rate from Riedel. “But today the wind was in our favor and we just pitched to that. We went right at them, he didn’t throw too many balls and we knew that with no wind, we were going to keep it in the ballpark.”
Senior Steven Vargo starts his swing on a first-inning leadoff infield single.
But by the time the Gryphons picked up that first hit, Riedel had all the support he would need. The Patriots started the first with a leadoff infield single off the bat of Steven Vargo, who moved around the bases and scored the deciding run on a single to left by Allen Soriano.
“Allen has been showing up early to practices, getting in extra swings,” Riedel praised his fellow senior. “He’s been working really hard on his swing path and it’s great to see how he’s been producing lately.”
Allen Soriano follows through on his RBI single in the first inning.
Not just producing, Soriano has been on a tear of late, going 9-for-18 in his six-game hit-streak, which has included two homers, 10 RBI and three runs scored.
He said he felt pleased to come through to support Riedel on the mound.
“With all (Nick) does, we know we need to have his back,” Soriano said. “I try to help him out as much as possible. The way I’ve been hitting lately, I felt like if I put a good swing on it today, it would find a way to get through.”
Allen Soriano pads the Patriots lead with this line drive RBI double.
Soriano would add to the lead in the fifth, this time hooking a double over the third base bag and into the bullpen down the leftfield line for a double and launching senior Christian Clarke (1-for-3) into action, scoring in a flash from first base.
“He was really moving,” said Soriano, admitting he caught a glimpse of the Princeton committed Clarke rounding second base.
CDS senior Christian Clarke slides home, scoring from first place on Allen Soriano’s double.
Riedel (now 4-2 on the mound this year) worked around a fifth inning Zach Dial (2-for-3) single, another hit from Taylor in the sixth, and stranded two aboard in his final inning (Dial’s second single, preceded by a Braden Ross single). Riedel also earned the win in Saturday’s Saladino opener, pitching five scoreless innings in a 6-2 win against Armwood.
Sickles junior lefty Jake Taylor struck out six in his seven innings.
In counter, Taylor (5-1) was impressive in his seven innings on the mound, allowing one earned on five hits and finishing with six strikeouts. The Sickles junior lefty hit a pair of batters, but didn’t issue a walk in the loss.
“He was really good today and his curveball was on point,” Riedel said of Taylor, “and he was able to get a couple of us out front with that.”
SS Steven Vargo makes a catch.
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Carrollwood Day C Ashton Brown catches a foul pop.
The Patriots played mistake-free defense in support of their pitcher, with standout play from Vargo at shortstop, who turned a double play, and Brown behind the dish, who popped from his crouch on a deadened chopper in front of the plate and fired a strike to first base to end the third and made a nice catch in foul territory in the fourth.
“Those pop flies are a big part of my game,” said Brown. “That’s what I work on every day of the week, making sure we get those free outs.”
Nick Riedel brings in a high pop fly in the sixth inning.
Riedel even showed of the PFP with a recovery and throw on a bunt in the third, and a catch on a skied pop fly in front of the mound in the sixth.
Sickles CF Zach Dial brings in a pop fly.
Along with his two hits, Dial was solid in centerfield for the Gryphons, running down a ball in the left-center gap to save an extra-base hit; and second baseman Charlie Martz made a great play up the middle and shoveled an off-balance throw for a force out at second in the fifth.
Charlie Martz gloves a ball up the middle before flipping it to force and out at second base.
Carrollwood Day will face the tournament’s top seed Bloomingdale from Lennard High in Wednesday’s 7 p.m. semifinal; while Sickles will have a consolation bracket game with Alonso at Tampa Catholic at 4 p.m.
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Carrollwood Day 2
Sickles 0
C 100|010|0 – |2|5|0
S 000|000|0 – |0|5|2
W – Riedel (4-2); L – Taylor (5-1)
2B – Soriano (C). Records – C (10-5); S (11-4).
Carrollwood Day RHP Nick Riedel
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Sickles SS Gavin McCaffrey throws toward first base.
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Steven Vargo heads down the line toward the plate, scoring the game’s deciding run.
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Sickles C Emilio Salgado
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CDS 1B Evan Mazur catches a throw from Riedel on a bunt.
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Patriots C Ashton Brown fires a ball to first after a chopped ball in front of the plate.
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Gryphons 3B JJ Nazar moves off the bag as Allen Soriano slides in after advancing on the throw home off his RBI double.
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One of Jake Taylor’s two singles on the day.
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Zach Dial singles in the seventh inning for Sickles.
