“Back from the dead” – Bishop McLaughlin one win from Final Four
Bishop McLaughlin junior Jacob Boyd tied the game in the second inning with a two-run single lined to leftfield. Boyd drove in four runs as the Hurricanes picked up the win in Game 1 of the Class 2A-3 Region Final series.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
TAMPA – When Berkeley Prep capitalized on an aggressive diving attempt in centerfield, which resulted in a Carson Binder triple, followed by a run-scoring error and another on a base hit – Bishop McLaughlin found itself in an early hole to the host Buccaneers in Monday’s opening game of the Class 2A-Region 3 final.
But from that point on, the Hurricanes stepped up to every challenge thrown by Berkeley Prep, answering a deficit twice and then holding off a Buccaneers’ late rally for a 5-4 victory.
For more photos from this game – click here.
“We have something no one else can match and that’s grit,” Hurricanes starting pitcher Steele Thalleen said. “We know what it’s like to lose and have everyone count us out. We know what it’s like to come back from the dead, and we are going to show other teams what that feels like.”
Hurricanes senior Aiden Fox dives home in the second inning, just ahead of the swipe-tag from Berkeley Prep catcher Carson Binder.
That “grit” showed itself after Bishop McLaughlin dropped a one-run decision to Tampa Catholic in extra innings of the district semifinals, and the Hurricanes players thought that might be the end of the line with an 11-13 record. But after the region playoff announcement gave the ‘Canes new life as the region No. 8-seed – the players have made the most of it and now find themselves one win away from a trip to Ft. Myers and the FHSAA final four.
“We thought our season was over and when we heard we got another chance we knew everything had to go,” senior Aiden Fox said. “We have to put everything we have left into this, nothing should be left on the table.”
Berkeley Prep’s Carson Binder motors around for a triple after driving a ball to center.
After Binder’s triple, Parker Mitzel (reached on an error) and Lucas Farrar drove in runs first for the Bucs, but Bishop would answer right back, taking advantage of a Buccaneers error putting runners on the corners, before Jacob Boyd would step to the plate and line a two-run single into right and tie the game.
From there the Hurricanes defense would stand strong for Thalleen, and his offense would step up.
“It was a shaky first inning and we knew this was going to be a struggle,” Thalleen said. “This was a huge game for us obviously, but we went into the dugout and talked after the first and said we have to lock it down. We all had each other’s back and we knew it.”
Buccaneers junior Parker Mitzel drives an RBI double down the line in leftfield in the third inning.
Berkeley Prep (23-9) regained the lead in the third, on a Mitzel RBI double, but the Bucs junior would be tagged out trying to stretch the hit to a triple, before freshman third baseman Connor McGuire would make the first of a series of impressive defensive plays – running down a ball in foul territory.
Bishop McLaughlin freshman 3B Connor McGuire applies a tag to Parker Mitzel – caught between second and third.
Elvys Quezada (2-for-3, two runs) and Fox (2-for-3, two runs, four stolen bases) singled in the fourth, and scored when Boyd hit a hard ground ball to second, which was misplayed and allowed the Hurricanes to regain the advantage and never let it up.
“I felt like he threw exactly what I was looking for both times – a fastball away,” the seven-hole hitter, Boyd said. “I felt like I had the advantage because I think they looked at it like we were weaker at the bottom of the order, but when he threw what I wanted, I was ready for it.”
Hurricanes senior RF Aiden Fox makes a late adjustment to catch a fly ball in the fourth inning. Fox was 2-for-3 in the win, scoring twice and stealing four of Bishop McLaughlin’s seven bases.
Bishop McLaughlin (16-15) added an all-important insurance run in the fifth when Chris Bell led off with a double, advanced on a Jadin Soto sac bunt and scored on a Keith Jacobs single in to center.
Chris Bell books it down the line on his leadoff double in the fifth inning.
The fifth-inning run would be the only earned run of the night against Berkeley Prep ace Rivers Kurland, who gave up seven hits and three walks, while striking out four in his 5 2/3 innings.
Josh Herrmann started off the home-fifth with a lined single to right …
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… and Carson Binder followed with a single driven to right. But the Buccaneers would come up empty in the inning thanks to strong defense from the Hurricanes.
Josh Herrmann and Binder (2-for-3) singled to start the fifth, but the Hurricanes defense nipped that rally there when Soto covered an impressive amount of ground charging from centerfield and making a running catch at the wall in right. The runners moved up on a double-steal, but McGuire gloved a rocket line drive and won a footrace with Herrmann back to the bag at third for a double-play.
Bishop McLaughlin junior RHP Steele Thalleen earned his third-straight win in the postseason.
“The plays at third base were great,” Thalleen said, “the guy’s a freshman and made huge plays when we needed it. That really fired us up.
“And Soto, our centerfielder, running it down – I don’t think there was another player on this field as fast has him. He just has elite speed to get to any ball, anywhere.”
Kurland returned to the mound for the sixth, yielding a one-out single to Fox, struck out one, but issued a pair of walks to load the bases before departing the game. Jett Walters got a groundout to end the bases-loaded threat.
Bucs senior LHP Rivers Kurland
The loss was just the second of the season for Kurland (7-2) and the first since the Buccaneers season-opening loss to Tampa Catholic. The FSU signee has a 0.36 ERA and a county and Class 2A leading 113 strikeouts.
Walters took a two-out walk in the home-sixth, before an error put two aboard and setup a JD Haughey RBI single to bring the game within one, but Thalleen avoided further damage finishing off his sixth inning.
Berkeley Prep’s JD Haughey turned on a fastball and drove in a run on an infield single to deep shortstop.
Thalleen won his third-straight decision of the postseason, and has a 1.52 ERA and 62 strikeouts over his 13 appearances.
Quezada moved from shortstop to the mound for the final inning and got a groundball out and two flyballs to Jacobs in left field to end the game and earn the save.
Elvys Quezada moved to the mound from shortstop, working a 1-2-3 seventh inning and earning the save.
The two teams return to Berkeley Prep for tonight’s Game 2 – Bishop McLaughlin attempting to book its third trip to the state final four (two semifinal appearances in 2015 and 2017) and Berkeley Prep looking to even the series and force a deciding Game 3 on the road on Thursday in an effort to reach the final four for the seventh time, and the first time since a state runner-up finish in 2022.
Hurricanes senior leftfielder Keith Jacobs settles under the game’s final out.
⚾ Class 2A-Region 3 ⚾
Bishop McLaughlin 5
Berkeley Prep 4
BM 020|210|0 – |5|7|2
BP 201|001|0 – |4|7|2
W – Thalleen (3-1); L – Kurland (7-2); S – Quezada
2B – Bell (BM); Mitzel (BP); 3B – Binder (BP). Records – BM (16-15); BP (23-9).
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Berkeley Prep junior RF Parker Mitzel runs down a catch in the first.
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Steele Thalleen catches a pop fly toward the first-base line.
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Buccaneers head coach Richie Warren congratulates Carson Binder on his first-inning triple.
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Lucas Farrar sends a groundball, RBI single into centerfield in the first inning.
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Bishop McLaughlin shortstop Elvys Quezada throws for an out to end the first inning.
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Senior Aiden Fox hustles around the bases, scoring on a Jacob Boyd single in the second inning.
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Riley Zinober (speed-up runner for catcher Carson Binder) scores from first on a Parker Mitzel double in the third inning.
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Jacob Boyd sent this hard groundball to second base, which ran up the defenders arm and into the outfield to score a pair of runs.
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Jett Walters singles in the fourth inning.
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‘Canes RHP Steele Thalleen delivers a pitch.
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Jadin Soto moves a runner with a sac bunt in the fifth inning.
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Bucs SS Lucas Farrar throws for an out.
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Berkeley Prep 2B Ben O’Brien
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Berkeley Prep senior Rivers Kurland
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Buccaneers C Carson Binder
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Bishop McLaughlin 3B Connor McGuire had a standout defensive game.
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Right-hander Jett Walters worked the final four outs for the Bucs, not allowing a base runner.
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Hurricanes LF Deuce Jacobs holds up the No. 1 after recording the final out of Bishop McLaughlin’s Game 1 win in the region final best-of-three series.
