Berkeley’s Kurland holds CDS hitless in region semi opener

Berkeley Prep senior Rivers Kurland reacts after finishing his 99-pitch complete-game no-hitter against Carrollwood Day in Game 1 of the Class 2A-Region 3 semifinals.

Mike Camunas, Creative Director

TAMPA – For Berkeley Prep, postseason success will run through Rivers Kurland.

Never was that more on display than Monday evening, when the senior southpaw threw a no-hitter in Game 1 of the Class 3A-Region 3 semifinal series with Carrollwood Day, as the Buccaneers defeated the Patriots 4-1 at Carson-Cone Field.

For more photos from this game click here.

“What hasn’t he done in his four years here at Berkeley Prep?” said Bucs coach Richie Warren, who is in his 11th season at the helm. “He’s one of those guys who you can sit back in a chair and just watch… You know, we give (pitch call) suggestions, but he is masterful in choosing calls in his own game and he can throw and pitch in any count and it’s … pretty tough to hit.”

Junior 2B Ben O’Brien throws for an out early in the game. O’Brien led off the second with a single and scored a run.

CDS (17-9) had a tough time against the FSU signee, who struck out eight en route to his seventh win of the season. Kurland didn’t walk a batter and allowed just two baserunners via a pair of errors. Steven Vargo was able to score Carrollwood Day’s lone run, via one of those and a stolen base.

“I’ve seen this team so many times, and they’re good, and they beat me last time with walks,” Kurland said, referring to the 5-4 loss on April 15 when he walked three Patriots. “I just knew that I had to go straight at them (tonight) and, as always, the defense played wonderful behind me and when they do that, everything goes better.”

Parker Mitzel started things off for the Buccaneers in the first inning with a solo home run – his seventh of the season.

The Buccaneers (22-8) got the scoring off quickly thanks to a two-out homer by junior Rice commit Parker Mitzel, his team-high seventh of the season. Berkeley then added three more in the second behind a Jackson Haughey RBI fielder’s choice, an RBI single by Josh Herrmann, who would then go on to steal home for the Bucs fourth run.

Berkeley Prep’s Jett Walters drops down a bunt for a base hit in the second inning. Walters was 2-for-3 in the win with a run scored.

From there, Kurland would deal despite Vargo — who leads the team with 29 runs scored and 23 stolen bases — scoring an unearned run in the fourth after reaching on an error. Kurland, who leads the team (and county) with 109 strikeouts and has allowed just three earned runs all season, is now 27-5 with a 1.35 ERA and 378 strikeouts in his Berkeley Prep career.

“I mean, when you look at the game (tonight), that’s what we were expecting from them,” he said. “A close, tight game — but it’s awesome to have this rivalry. I was excited to play them, even though I’ve seen them so many times in my career, it’s always fun and never fails to excite.”

Lucas Farrar congratulates teammate Josh Herrman (1-for-3, RBI) after the junior stole home in the second inning.

This was the third meeting between the Patriots and Bucs, with Berkeley taking the first game 2-1 on March 28 and the previously mentioned game on April 15 going the Patriots way.

“Rivers is meticulous,” Warren said. “He went back and looked at every pitch (from April 15) and there were lead-off walks and I think his goal tonight was to limit those and to pitch to contact and did a great job and even still did a great job of limiting (those to) Vargo, who is the guy who makes them go.

“That was the key for us, was to make sure we can take their strengths away.”

Carrollwood Day senior Steven Vargo burns down the line and would reach on a two-base error, steal third and score the Patriots only run of the game on another Berkeley error.

The Patriots opted to go with fellow southpaw Evan Mazur to start the game, as the senior SUNY Plattsburgh commit would give up four hits in four innings, strike out two and walk three over 75 pitches before giving way to his brother, Logan, who would allow just one hit over two innings in relief.

Carrollwood Day left handed senior Evan Mazur allowed four runs over four innings in his start.

Carrollwood Day coach Tony Brewington said he decided not to go with senior ace and Newberry College signee Nick Riedel (6-3, 1.27 ERA, 80K) knowing that not only was there a Game 2, but the Patriots would need to find a way to get hits off Kurland and give run support to either Mazur or Riedel in either game.

“It’s baseball and we have (more) games (with them) and I had every bit of confidence in my lefty tonight, Brewington said. “We’ve just got to produce offensively, and it’s playoff baseball … he’s a good pitcher and we’ll go into the next game the same way we did tonight, with confidence that we can do what we do.”

Kurland now has a county-leading 109 strikeouts this season, which has him in a tie for fifth in Florida.

For Berkeley, however, the team, according to Warren, wasn’t so much surprised Riedel didn’t get the Game 1 nod, but like any other team in the state is adjusting to the move of a best of three series in the regional rounds.

“We’ve seen teams all do different things across the state this year (in the postseason),” Warren added. “For us, Game 1 is given to Rivers, without a doubt, but I don’t know if we were surprised, though. We are expecting Nick to pitch at some point this series.”

⚾ 2A-Region 3 ⚾
Berkeley Prep leads series 1-0

Berkeley prep 4
Carrollwood Day 1

C 000|100|0 – |1|0|3
B 130|000|x – |4|6|2
W – Kurland (7-1); L – E. Mazur (2-2)
HR – Mitzel (B). Records – C (17-9); B (22-9).

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