Jesuit offense thunders, lightning forces early end to Game 1

Jesuit offense thunders, lightning forces early end to Game 1

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

TAMPA – Countryside held Jesuit’s offense in check for three innings of the opening game of the Class 4A-Region 3 semifinals, but the Tigers’ bats thundered to life in the fourth, pouring on nine runs on eight hits – including two homers and four doubles to pull away from the visiting Cougars.

For more photos from this game, click here.

But it was lightning that put the game away, as a nearby strike just moments after the Cougars turned a double-play in the home-fifth paused the game – and continuous resets of the detector pushed the restart out by 30 minutes each time. Both coaches met just shy of 10 pm and called the game, reverting to the top of the fifth, and a Tigers win, 9-0.

Jesuit junior RHP Wilson Andersen struck out eight, improving to 8-3 on the season with five shutout innings.

Jesuit (22-9) junior righty Wilson Andersen worked around a single in each of the first four innings – two apiece from senior captain Braeden Callahan and junior Chase Hilldreth, but fired in strikes all night issuing one walk in the fifth, while finishing off his eight win of the season with eight strikeouts.

Countryside senior pitcher Cody Hollenbeck fields a bunt in the third inning.

Countryside senior Cody Hollenbeck worked around a baserunner in each of the first three innings (a walk, an Andersen single, and a hit batter) and had three strikeouts – but the fourth inning spiraled on the right-hander after one out.

Jesuit senior Robby Santana sent a double into left field in the fourth.

Senior Robby Santana lined a double to left and took off at the crack of the bat, scoring the game’s first run on a single from sophomore Bryce Besece, and then the hits stacked up for the Tigers.

“Right before that inning, Coach (Menendez) pulled us aside and said that we needed to stick to our approach and go to the opposite field, to stay calm and we did that,” Besece said. “We started that rally, double (then) single and it got us going. Once we start scoring, it’s hard to stop us.”

Bryce Besece singles into right to drive in the game’s first run.

Andersen, who got a healthy dose of sliders in his first at-bat against Hollenbeck was ready for one in his next, and on the next pitch sent a two-run shot in a straight line over the wall in left.

“We all build off each other because we love each other,” Andersen said. “I think we are the best team around, if we play the way I know we can play. I think we have shown that (late in the season), and it’s been a lot of fun.”

Wilson Andersen (#3) is greeted by Bryce Besece (#22) and Samir Mohammed (#25) after his two-run homer.

The next at-bat saw sophomore Samir Mohammed take the count full, even thinking he’d gotten a free pass before the umpire called strike two – he made the most of the sixth pitch of his at-bat, demolishing a pitch and sending it screaming out in a hurry for a solo home run – his team leading fifth of the season.

“It was late in the AB and the (at bat) before, late in the count he threw me a curveball and I watched it for a strike,” Mohammed said. “So, I knew he was probably going to go back to that in that situation. I was looking for something up high that I could drive and it ran right into the barrel with a hanging curveball.”

Samir Mohammed watches his no-doubter solo home run in the fourth inning.

After a second out, a hit batter and an error extended the frame and Kaden Waechter and Vincent DeCarlo made that hurt with RBI doubles, followed by an RBI hit for Santana and a run-scoring double by Besece to finish out the onslaught.

“I trust the guys in front of me and I trust the guys behind me,” Besece said, “but when I came up in that situation I felt like I had to do my part in that first at bat to get the scoring going, and in the second (at bat) I just had to keep it simple and keep it moving.”

Kaden Waechter smashes a ball into the ground for an RBI double through the left side.

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Senior Vincent DeCarlo watches his line drive double go to right field.

Cougars senior Jake Riba finally stopped the Tigers offense with a strikeout to end the fourth.

Mohammed doubled leadoff the home-fifth, and was replaced by a pinch runner and the Cougars erased that threat with a double-play flyout to left and strong throw from Pierce Yosuico to third base to get the tagging runner before play was halted due to lightning.

Tigers senior C Vincent DeCarlo

Jesuit also had a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play to end the top of the fourth with DeCarlo firing a strike from behind the plate to catch a stealing runner at second base.

The two teams square off again tomorrow from Jesuit at 7 pm, and if necessary would play a deciding third game from Countryside on Thursday.

⚾ 4A-Region 3 ⚾
Jesuit leads series 1-0

Jesuit 9
Countryside 0

C 000|00x|x – |0|4|1
J 000|0xx|x – |9|10|0
W – Andersen (8-3); L – Hollenbeck (5-1)
2B – Santana, Waechter, DeCarlo, Besece, Mohammed (J); HR – Andersen, Mohammed (J). Records – C (20-9); J (22-9).

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In his first season as head coach, Mike Eby has led Countryside to 20-plus wins for the first time since 2011 and a region semifinal berth for the first time since 2001.

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