King fighting to extend season, tops TBT 11-1
King senior Jonathan Williams worked three innings on the mound, striking out five and holding Tampa Bay Tech to one run on two hits. Williams, one of six Lions celebrating Senior Night on Tuesday, also went 1-for-3 at the plate with an RBI triple.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
TEMPLE TERRACE – The first 15 games of King’s season featured teams that halfway through the final week of the last regular week have winning records, it was a meatgrinder and the Lions took some lumps going 4-11.
But it battle-tested a collection of upper and underclassmen, who have since won six of the last seven including an 11-1 Senior Night (click here for a few free Senior Night photos on us) victory over Sligh Avenue neighbor Tampa Bay Tech on Tuesday.
Click here for a few more photos from this game.
King (10-12) has seen its stock rise in the FHSAA Class 3A region power rankings (currently ranked 11th in the region with eight teams making the state tournament), but still likely needs a strong showing in next week’s district tournament to extend the season for its six seniors, and of course for 50-year veteran Lions head coach Jim Macaluso. The challenge isn’t lost on senior pitcher Jonathan Williams, and he’s not taking it lightly.
“I want this worse than I’ve wanted anything else in my life,” Williams said. “Just to do this for Coach Mac, to do this for this group of players, would be really amazing.”
Senior Jonathan Williams and King head coach Jim Macaluso share a hug during the pregame Senior Night ceremony.
After setting down the first two Tampa Bay Tech batters he faced by strikeouts, a hit batter and a wild pitch got Williams into a bit of trouble as Titans senior Luke Jones gave his team a first-inning lead with an RBI single dropped into shallow rightfield.
Tampa Bay Tech senior Luke Jones sends a flyball single to right field to drive in the game’s first run.
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Titans sophomore Christopher Rojo Jr. was hit by a pitch in the first inning and scored on Jones’ RBI single.
But from there it was all King.
The Lions jumped out with four runs in the home-half, Xavier Gori’s RBI sac fly tying the game before King loaded the bases up for the first of two Martin Galo RBI singles to give his team the lead for good.
“It was really crucial to answer and put up runs right away,” Galo said. “Whenever you have runners in scoring position, you have to get them in to win ballgames.”
Nicholas Brown singled and scored in the first inning for the Lions
Galo, a junior, echoed Williams’ sentiments about the importance of finishing this week strong with Thursday’s regular season finale at home against Brandon, and competing well in next week’s district tournament.
“We’re using it as fuel,” Galo said. “We know this is (Macaluso’s) last year and we want to give him the very best we’ve got, that is what drives us to be better.”
Martin Galo watches his RBI single in the first fly out to centerfield.
King would add runs in the first on a Torey Thomas bases loaded walk and a productive out from Gabriel Guillot, and Williams would return to the mound bolstered by the support and work through two more innings, issuing one walk and having one reach on an error, finishing with five strikeouts.
“For sure, (the early runs) really made me want to go back out there and win for those guys,” Williams said. “Every single pitch was about going out there and competing for them after they did what I needed them to do for me.
Xavier Gori tied the game in the first inning with this RBI sac fly.
After he finished his third inning, the Lions salted away the victory with a seven-run offensive half.
Though the night began celebrating the team’s six seniors it was a Lions’ freshman, Thomas, who made a huge impact, starting the bottom-third off with a line drive over the second baseman that split the defenders in the outfield and he motored around the bases for a triple leaving his left shoe between first and second in the process.
“It was a linedrive to second and I didn’t know if he was going to catch it, but once I saw it get by him I had to turn on the wheels and came out of my shoes,” Thomas said with a chuckle. “It was tiring, I couldn’t breathe when I got to third.”
Torey Thomas goes sock-first into third base after losing his shoe on his leadoff triple in the third inning.
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Jonathan Williams connects on an RBI triple in the third inning …
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… scoring fellow senior Cooper Messenger.
Guillot then adjusted with an 0-2 count, doubling to centerfield to drive in the run, took third on one wild pitch and scored on another. Williams got in on the action with an RBI triple, Gori added an RBI single, Nico Brown and Galo provided more support, and Thomas’ RBI single into right field put the Lions up by 10.
From there seniors Caden Harrier and Michael McQueen pitched one no-hit inning apiece, both striking out two as King got the five-inning mercy-rule win.
King senior RHP Michael McQueen.
Tampa Bay Tech will wrap up the regular season with a trip to Newsome on Thursday, while King finishes its homestand with a visit from Brandon on Thursday.
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King 11
Tampa Bay Tech 1 – five innings
T 100|00x|x – |1|2|3
K 407|0xx|x – |11|9|1
W – Williams; L – Hartman
2B – Guillot (K); 3B – Williams, Thomas (K). Records – T (2-20); K (10-12).
TBT junior Cameron Davis had his teams second hit, a single lined to right in the first inning.
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King senior 2B Copper Messenger
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King’s Levi Dunlop, serving as the speed-up runner for the pitcher in the first inning, scores the Lions first run.
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Tampa Bay Tech senior RHP Joseph Hartman
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Titans 2B Mekhi Johnson
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TBT 3B Cameron Davis
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King SP Jonathan Williams
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TBT SP Joseph Hartman
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Xavier Gori rounds third and heads home in the third inning.
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King senior RHP Caden Harrier
