Futch ends 12-inning marathon with walk-off dinger
Tampa Prep senior Will Futch sees his 12th inning, three-run home run clear the net in right field sending the Terrapins to victory, 6-3 over Berkeley Prep on his first career high school dinger. Futch had five RBI in the win and had a huge game defensively as the Terrapins won for the fourth time in five days.
By Mike Camunas, Creative Director
TAMPA – Well … Futch.
That’s what most were saying – amongst other things – when Tampa Prep’s senior right fielder, Will Futch, picked up arguably the biggest hit of his high school career, which couldn’t have come at a better time.
A three-run bomb over the right field wall. For the walk-off win – a 6-3 victory over Berkeley Prep in a nearly 4-hour, 12-inning marathon at Hinks and Elaine Shimberg Field on Tuesday evening.
And on top of all that … it was Futch’s first high-school career homer.
“You know, first career home run – and it was a walk off!” said Futch, out of breath, but proudly wearing the Terps’ elaborate homerun chain.
“You know, (a walk off by) Evan Longoria, Game 162 (in the 2011 season to clinch a postseason berth) – just seeing hits like that while growing up watching the Rays,” he said, “… really, I just felt like it was my time.”
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After a perfect throw in from rightfielder Will Futch, Tampa Prep C Grant Brooks tags out Berkeley Prep’s Lucas Farrar at the plate in the first inning …
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… and Terps 2B Luc Thornton is there to congratulate Futch (#8) on his throw to end the top-half of the inning.
Now, the Terrapins (11-10) have had one long week of baseball.
They’ve played five games in that span, with three of them going into extra innings. In all, Tampa Prep has 51 innings during the stretch (4-1), outscoring opponents 20-7.
“It’s been a week for us,” coach A.J. Hendrix said with a laugh, “because here were are that we’ve played 51 innings in five games in seven days … but so proud of these guys, so proud of the pitching staff, which has kept us in every one of these games, which has been key and, of course, the defense and a clutch hit there like the one from Will.”
Tampa Prep’s Jordan Della Rocca was 2-for-4 at the plate and scored twice.
Having quite possibly one of his biggest games, Futch, who leads the team with 16 RBI, was 1-for-5 with five RBI, two HBP – plus his defense was also on point, with three outfield assists: a throw out at home in the first and third innings, and a 9-6 double play in the 10th.
“He’s been battling at the plate,” Hendrix said, “but he made a huge double play there in the (10th inning) – just made a huge double play because that ball was hit hard, (he) comes up with it and makes the short throw to get him.
“Nice to have him on our side.”
Langston Sallis drops down a sacrifice bunt in the 12th inning.
The Buccaneers (16-5) got out to a 2-1 lead in the third inning, which, despite that, also saw coach Richie Warren get ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Assistant Stephen Hunt would coach the final 9 ½ innings.
In the third, starting pitcher Parker Mitzel and Jett Walters each drove in a run, but Tampa Prep picked one right back up in the bottom of the inning when Futch was hit by a Mitzel pitch with the bases loaded.
Berkeley Prep junior Parker Mitzel struck out nine across six innings, while allowing just one run on two hits and two walks.
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Buccaneers pitching coach Stephen Hunt (center) congratulates starting pitcher Parker Mitzel as he walks off the mound after his ninth strikeout ends his sixth and final inning on the mound.
Despite the bean balls thrown by Mitzel, the junior righty was dealing against the Terrapins, throwing 94 pitches over six innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out nine.
“Mitzel,” Futch admitted, “(is a) great kid. He throws in the low 90s, and he got me on a strikeout, and (he) kept them in the game, but (our starting pitcher) Erik (Skiendziel) did the same thing and kept us in the game.”
Terrapins sophomore RHP Erik Skiendziel pitched 6 2/3 innings in a no-decision, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks, and finished with six strikeouts.
Indeed, Skiendziel did.
The side-arming sophomore went 6 ⅔ innings, struck out six and give up two unearned runs. At just 15 years old, he was pulled due to pitch count rules after 95 pitches.
“Erik Skiendziel,” Futch added, “has pitched phenomenal games tonight and against (Calvary Christian: 6 ⅓ IP, hit, ER, 4K). Just great outings from our pitching that has kept us in these (extra-inning) games.”
The view of how the ball is hidden by his body at the start of Erik Skiendziel’s side-arm delivery.
In the bottom of the seventh, Futch would hit a fielder’s choice RBI to tie the game 2-2.
But Berkeley Prep, in its fourth extra-inning game (2-2) this season, was looking to end it early – specifically Walters, who was now on in relief for Mitzel. On a 3-1 count, Walters launched his first homer of the season over the leftfield wall for a short-lived lead.
Berkeley Prep sophomore Jett Walters is fired up heading toward third after his eighth inning home run to left gave the Buccaneers a brief lead.
A bases loaded walk issued to Langston Sallis, in the bottom of the eighth, tied the game 3-3.
Tampa Prep and Berkeley Prep would exchange strikeouts (29 total) and hits (18) for four more innings, with the Bucs leaving nine on base, and the Terps a whopping 16.
“(These extra-inning games are) hard on your pitching staff,” Hendrix said, “but you have to hit the ball earlier, come up with clutch hits and hits with runners on base. We left a lot on the bases, too, because we had our chances.”
Bucs sophomore JD Haughey steals second, getting in under the tag of Terps SS Dennis Martino in the seventh inning.
But it was in the bottom of the 12th, with an 0-2 count when Futch finally sent everyone home with a no-doubter that he still watched all the way, and celebrated all the way around the diamond.
“I was just sitting fastball and then (reliever Noah Palmer) just grooved one inside and I took it over the fence,” Futch said. “We know how to get it done – we never give up the fight.”
Hendrix agreed.
“It was a great ballgame, but, again, so proud of how our guys never give up,” he said. “(Futch is) a high school senior, to get that walk-off (homer) is a great memory for him and that’s what high school is all about – making memories.”
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#15 Tampa Prep 6
#4 Berkeley Prep 3 – 12 innings
B 002|000|010|000 – |3|11|0
T 001|000|110|003 – |6|9|0
W – Brill (1-1); L – Parmer (2-1)
2B – Warren (B); Martino (T); HR – Walters (B); Futch (T). Records – B (16-5); T (11-10).
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Parker Mitzel singled in the first for Berkeley Prep.
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Then went six strong innings on the mound for the Bucs.
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Erik Skiendziel was excellent in counter for the Terrapins, working 6 2/3 innings.
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BPS junior 2B Ben O’Brien was 1-for-3 in the game.
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Freshman Mason Warren takes a lead off second base in the third inning. Warren was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
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Buccaneers junior Riley Ziboner (1-for-3) scores a run in the third inning.
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Tampa Prep C Grant Brooks shows the home plate ump his glove after applying the tag on Josh Herrmann, on one of three outfield assists from RF Will Futch.
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Terrapins junior Liam Akins was 1-for-3 with two walks, a HBP and a run scored.
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Koy Fogg struck out a pair and allowed one run in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
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Lucas Farrar pitches in front of the backdrop of downtown Tampa Tuesday night. The Berkeley Prep sophomore struck out five in 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
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Senior Kyle Brill worked 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, holding Berkeley to just two hits, while striking out five and got the win.
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Terps SS Brett Batoff throws for an out in the 12th.
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Dennis Martino started off the Terrapins rally in the final inning with a double. He was 2-for-5 and would score the deciding run on Futch’s three-run homer.
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