CDS rallies late for Game 1 region win at Tampa Prep
With Carrollwood Day catcher Ashton Brown holding the ball, Tampa Prep runner Dennis Martino doesn’t stand a chance to score, becoming the second Terrapin runner retired at the plate in the third inning of Monday’s Class 2A-Region 3 quarterfinal opener. The Patriots claimed victory in Game 1 of the best-of-3 series against the Terrapins, with game two taking place tonight in downtown Tampa.
By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer
TAMPA – This is the reason best-of-three regional series came to be this year.
In a barnburner of a Class 2A-Region 3 quarterfinal opener Monday night, Carrollwood Day and Tampa Prep brought everything they had – aggressive base running, timely pitching, and plenty of attitude. But to determine the victor, it took the self-belief of Allen Soriano and the discipline of Ashton Brown to flip-flop the lead, then the confidence of Logan Mazur in a pressure-packed seventh inning to secure visiting Carrollwood Day’s come-from-behind 3-2 victory.
“It’s regional baseball time,” said Tampa Prep head coach A.J. Hendrix. “Both teams came to play. Their kids never quit and we competed every pitch, every at-bat.”
Patriots’ leadoff man Steven Vargo (in red) got tangled up with the Terrapins’ Lincoln Bailey and the first base umpire while hustling for a first-inning single.
To eliminate the host Terrapins would have been borderline criminal, but, luckily, there will be a Game 2 on Tuesday back at Tampa Prep.
“I like the three-game series better,” Soriano said. “A lot of teams have one guy who can go out and win one game. But with two or three games, you really see everything about a team and it really shows who’s the better team.”
Terrapins head coach A.J. Hendrix has an incredulous look for the home plate umpire after a first-inning balk that scored Carrollwood’s initial run.
After the sixth-seeded, but District 10 champion Terps (now 16-11) made Dennis Martino’s clutch two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the third inning stand up to this point, Soriano was determined to make up for a scuffling start to his playoffs.
One-out base hits from Steven Vargo and Luke Anderson in the top of the seventh set the stage for the senior, who delivered a base hit to centerfield that scored Vargo and tied the game.
“I really didn’t want to hit into a double play,” Soriano explained. “I was looking for something outside that I could hit to the middle, I got it and that’s what I did.”
Tampa Prep shortstop Kyle Brill has a grip on the ball but Julian Earle beats the tag for a first-inning stolen base.
“Trust yourself, those were the key words I told him,” CDS head coach Tony Brewington said. “You’re going to have your tough at-bats and that’s fine. I told him you’re in that spot for a reason and he came through in a clutch situation, for sure.”
CDS head coach Tony Brewington smiles as his squad takes an early lead against host Tampa Prep.
Senior Julian Earle then drew an intentional walk to load the bases before reliever Kyle Brill struck out the next Patriots’ batter. With victory 90 feet away, Ashton Brown summoned his knowledge of the strike zone to work a walk that forced in Anderson.
“I think our dugout is very loud,” Soriano said. “Every time we hear it, every time it gets loud, good things happen.”
But this game was far from over.
Terrapin first baseman Lincoln Bailey slaps the tag on Ashton Brown for a second-inning pickoff.
In the home half of the seventh, Brill helped himself with a base hit while Liam Akins and Will Futch loaded the sacks with two-out singles.
Facing Martino, who earlier gave Tampa Prep the lead with one swing of his bat, closer Logan Mazur wasn’t going to back down.
“I just get the ball and think about throwing the next pitch,” Mazur said of his mindset in pressure situations. “I’ve never really thrown the ball hard in all four years I’ve pitched, but I know I’ve got a good change-up and I know I’ve got a good curveball. That keeps (the batters) off-balance so my fastball looks a little bit harder.”
Tampa Prep No. 9 batter Luc Thornton singles and later scores in a two-run third inning.
Using his entire repertoire, Mazur got Martino on a swinging third strike to start the celebration for third-seed Carrollwood Day (16-8).
“My boys are chirping, the other team’s chirping, their student section is chirping … I live for that moment,” Mazur said. “But I’m just worried about my next pitch.”
Patriots starter Nick Riedel only yielded multiple base runners in an inning once of the 4 1/3 innings he threw.
With that being the only three 1-2-3 half-inning on the night, both CDS starter Nick Riedel (4 1/3 innings, five hits, two walks, three strikeouts) and Terrapins’ counterpart Erik Skiendziel (5 1/3 innings, two hits, five walks, two hit batters, five Ks) had to battle out of some jams.
Tampa Prep sidearm starter Erik Skiendziel allowed nine base runners in his 5 1/3 innings of work but key plays from himself and his defense limited CDS to only one run.
The Patiots broke through in the first when Vargo singled, stole second, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a balk, but Skiendziel fought back with help from catcher Grant Brooks. Making a pair of failed bunt attempts hurt, Brooks rifled throws behind Carrollwood base runners to pick them off while adding a seventh-inning caught stealing.
Riedel himself along with leftfielder Anderson helped limit the third-inning damage by setting up successful plays at the plate that could have lengthened Tampa Prep’s lead.
Terrapin 8th grader Luc Thornton slides past lunging catcher Ashton Brown to give Tampa Prep the lead in the third inning.
After Monday’s excitement, both head coaches were in lockstep as to the key to victory on Tuesday.
“We’ve got to come out, be our best, and score more runs,” Hendrix explained. “That’s what it comes down to.”
And for Brewington: “We’re looking to be more aggressive at the plate. We’ve got to be more aggressive.”
After ending Game 1 of the Class 2A Region 3 quarterfinals with a strikeout, CDS reliever Logan Mazur had some words for the Tampa Prep student section.
⚾ Class 2A-Region 3 ⚾
Carrollwood Day 3
Tampa Prep 2
C 100|000|2 – |3|6|1
T 002|000|0 – |2|9|0
W – L Mazur (2-2); L – Brill (2-2)
2B – Brill (T). Records – C (16-8); T (16-11).
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Carrollwood Day third baseman Allen Soriano can’t elevate high enough to pull down this throw on Will Futch’s third-inning steal …
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… But Patriots leftfielder Luke Anderson saves the day by throwing Futch out at the plate as Ashton Brown looks to apply the tag.
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Carrollwood’s Luke Anderson lays down a perfect fifth-inning sacrifice bunt.
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Patriots’ teammates Luke Anderson (left) and Matt Porta take celebrations to a new level after Anderson scored what would prove to be the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning.
