Hillsborough pitching shuts out Pinellas in Senior All-Star Game

Alonso alum Daniel Despaine (single) slides home on Rory Beauford Jr.’s RBI single in the fourth inning, as Hillsborough County defeated Pinellas, 4-0 from Dunedin’s TD Ballpark.

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

DUNEDIN – Even after he was pulled from the game, recent East Bay grad Rory Beauford Jr. was all-in for his team as the senior all-stars from Hillsborough County battled Pinellas County from TD Ballpark, the home of the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Click here for more than 200 photos from this game.

In the late innings of Monday afternoon’s game, Beauford was leading the lively Hillsborough dugout chatter. But before that the Arkansas-Pine Bluff-signed Beauford made his impact on the game with hustle and aggression, driving in the first run with a fielder’s choice to shortstop, then hacking at an elevated fastball, spinning it off the bat for an infield single to third driving in his second run as Hillsborough defeated Pinellas, 4-0.

“Everybody has different backgrounds and everybody has different mindsets,” Beauford said, “but we were able to come together, built a fast connection and it worked for us.”

East Bay’s Rory Beauford with a stolen base after driving in the first of his two runs in the win for Hillsborough County.

The annual event, which has historically been hosted at Tropicana Field, was in danger of not happening when the Trop roof was torn off during Hurricane Milton. Fortunately, the Dunedin Blue Jays stepped up to host, though rainy weather delayed the game’s start for 45 minutes.

Both pitching staffs were formidable, but Hillsborough’s offense found ways to move runners across, while the 813’s pitchers were stingy the whole afternoon.

Northside Christian RHP Ronald Causby

After Northside Christian’s Ronald Causby and Tampa Catholic’s Dominic Woodward (two Ks) worked a scoreless first inning, Hillsborough’s offense got to work in the second inning.

Tampa Catholic righty Dominic Woodward

Sickles Brandon Gonzales reached on a single, smashing a ball that deflected off Countryside pitcher Cody Hollenback. After an out and a walk, Beauford’s ground ball to short put the visitors on the board.

“I was just trying to see if I could bring a guy home,” Beauford said. “I was looking to do a job and score a run any way I could, and it happened.”

Hillsborough High’s Adriano Parral had two strikeouts.

Hillsborough High’s Adriano Parral struck out a pair in the home-second and Jesuit lefty Ryan Thompson gave his team a scoreless third – stranding Clearwater’s Eduardo Alfredo (single, two stolen bases) and a Luke Anderson (BB) on the bases with two strikeouts in the inning.

Beauford sends a back-spinning ground ball toward third base for an RBI single int he fourth inning.

The 813 squad put the game away in the fourth when Alonso’s Daniel Despaine singled and moved to third on a hit-and-run fielder’s choice, before Beauford took a hack on a ball that he thought he’d popped up. Instead, the ball with some serious backspin rolled toward third base driving in a run and allowing Beauford to reach with a hit.

Bloomingdale’s Vinny Dinzeo Jr. sent an RBI double down the line in rightfield.

He’d steal second before Bloomingdale catcher Vinny Dinzeo Jr. stretched the lead with an RBI double to rightfield – the game’s only extra-base hit.

“I was just looking for a pitch that I could handle and I got a nice slider over the fat part of the plate,” Dinzeo said. “I was able to keep my weight back and drive the ball down the rightfield line.”

Patriots shortstop Steven Vargo singled and scored the 813’s final run of the game, and also had two stolen bases in the game.

Steven Vargo (two stolen bases) lined a single to left to start the eighth inning, moved to third on a hit-and-run single by Gonzales and scored the final Hillsborough run on a wild pitch.

Newsome’s Aiden Dolan worked around a hit batter for a scoreless fourth – aided by Sickles 3B Jaden Nazar’s hard charge and throw to first on a soft ground ball; Lennard’s Pablo Lopez struck out a pair and hit a batter in the fifth, but Durant C Brantley Hayward ended the inning with a strong throw to second to catch a stealing runner. Then Hayward hosed another stealing runner in the seventh as well.

“One was on a two-out scenario and one was on a one-out scenario,” Hayward said, “but one (or) two outs – it was nice to get my team out of trouble.”

Durant C Brantley Hayward watches as a foul ball drifts out of play. Hayward threw out two runners trying to steal second base in the win.

Hayward, who hit .319 this season with 17 RBI and five home runs for the Cougars, said he enjoyed the experience of catching four new pitchers.

“It’s amazing because you don’t see these guys every day,” he said. “They just go out there and throw and all I had to do today was catch it.”

Dinzeo, an Indian River State signee who caught the game’s first five innings, said the experience was unique and was good preparation for next season in college, where he’ll have to learn how to catch a whole new staff in a hurry.

“Everybody is pretty much universal with the same pitches and numbers,” Dinzeo said. “But I enjoy catching different guys. This is what it’s going to be like in college, catching a bunch of different pitchers and learning how different guys work.”

Patriots RHP Nick Riedel is all smiles just prior to striking out the second batter of his inning on the mound.

Bloomingdale’s Hayden Porter (two Ks) and Gonzales (one K) worked around hits in scoreless frames, and Patriots righty Nick Riedel retired the side in the eighth with two strikeouts, needing just 12 pitches. Gaither’s Anthony Linares ended the game with a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out one.

Gaither’s Anthony Linares worked a 1-2-3 inning to close out the game’s final inning. 

Northeast’s Connor Weldon, Indian Rocks Christian’s Hunter Maddox (one K), Palm Harbor’s Smith Wortham, Tarpon Springs Danny Scott (one K) and Countryside’s Ethan Hawkins gave Pinellas scoreless innings on the mound.

Tarpon Springs righty Danny Scott

East Lake’s Dylan Taft, IRC’s Cooper Ryan and Countryside’s Braeden Callahan had singles for Pinellas. And the 727’s first-base tandem turned a pair of double plays in the game, the first when Northside Christian’s Elijah De La Concha snagged a line drive and stepped on the bag for an out, and the second when Hollins’ Teagan Davies fielded a ground ball and started a 3-6-3 double-play in the sixth.

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Wharton’s Justis Meadows reached on a fielder’s choice in the first.

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Sickles 3B Jaden Nazar had the game’s first hit.

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East Lake’s Dylan Taft lined Pinellas’ first hit to left field.

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Countryside RHP Cody Hollenback

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Sickles’ Brandon Gonzales led off the second with single and scored the game’s first run.

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Hillsborough High’s Adriano Parral and Bloomingdale C Vinny Dinzeo have a chat.

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Sickles RF Brandon Gonzales runs down a fly ball.

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Northeast RHP Connor Weldon

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Largo RF Brady Ahlers charges in for a catch

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Jesuit lefty Ryan Thompson

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Alonso SS Daniel Despaine throws for an out in the third inning.

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Seminole RHP Austin Duffy

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Bloomingdale’s Vinny Dinzeo celebrates his RBI double.

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East Lake 1B Teagan Davies catches a foul pop.

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Palm Harbor RF Cannon McGuire makes a catch.

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Sickles 3B Jaden Nazar throws across the diamond for an out.

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Newsome senior Aiden Dolan

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Indian Rocks Christian RHP Hunter Maddox

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Lennard RHP Pablo Garcia

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Gaither 2B Angel Hernandez waits on a throw from Durant C Brantley Hayward …

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 … and drops down a tag on a stealing runner.

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Northside Christian 2B Luke Anderson throws for an out.

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Bloomingdale RHP Hayden Porter

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Tarpon Springs P Danny Scott and East Lake C Dylan Taft go over signs.

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Gaither 3B David Pina (BB) heads to third on a single by Steinbrenner’s Austin Liss.

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Austin Liss takes his lead off first base.

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Sickles RHP Brandon Gonzales

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Durant C Brantley Hayward

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Steven Vargo singles in the eighth inning.

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Sickles 1B Braden Ross singles.

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Steven Vargo slides home for Hillsborough’s final run of the win.

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Countryside 2B Braeden Callahan catches a pop fly.

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East Lake pitcher Dane Wright

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Nick Riedel delivers a pitch in the eighth inning.

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Gaither 2B Angel Hernandez catches a fly ball.

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Countryside RHP Ethan Hawkins

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Clearwater SS Eduardo Alfredo catches a ball in the ninth.

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Gaither’s Anthony Linares closed out the game.

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Hillsborough County’s head coach Spence Nunez (Jefferson) congratulates his team after the win.