Crusaders roll to second win defeating Tampa Prep, 6-1
Crusaders courtesy runner Jonathan Hall (8) just beats the tag of Tampa Prep pitcher Erik Skiendziel to score on a third-inning wild pitch.
By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer
TAMPA – Championship-driven programs love to challenge themselves early and often. For nine-time state champ Tampa Catholic, Week 1 has been a case of so far, so great.
Putting his new pitching staff to the test with a rugged three-game-in-four-days kickoff, head coach Paul Russo Jr. has rolled out nothing but aces so far for the No. 8 Crusaders. Led by senior Talan Miranda, who continued his string of dominant performances against the visiting Tampa Prep Terrapins, Tampa Catholic is now 2-for-2 with a 6-1 victory Thursday night.
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“Last year at their place, Talan threw a no-hitter into the sixth inning and we lost by one,” Russo explained.
After an opening-day winning effort on the mound, Tampa Catholic junior DH Ty Fraga delivered a single, double, RBI and two runs scored in a Game 2 victory over Tampa Prep.
Miranda repeated the no-no part, giving up just a hit batter and a walk in his 4 2/3 innings of work while striking out nine.
“It felt good, honestly,” the South Alabama commit said of his first start of the year. “Fill up the zone, trust my teammates to make some plays when I needed it, but yeah, it felt really good.”
Tampa Prep second baseman Brett Batoff (2) leaps to snag a high throw on Brayden Beauchaine’s second-inning stolen base, his first of two on the night as Tampa Catholic had seven thefts in the win.
And even better, TC staked the righty to a four-run lead along the way.
After junior clean-up hitter Ty Fraga got the Crusaders on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the first, some sloppy Terrapins defense gave the hosts some valuable extra outs which set up a big third frame.
Tampa Catholic starter and South Alabama commit Talan Miranda worked 4 2/3 hitless innings with nine strikeouts to earn the victory.
Central Florida commit Cole Bitman’s misplayed, one-out infield popup was compounded by a throwing error on the play. A force out moved Bitman to third and he scored on a wild pitch that moved Fraga (fielder’s choice, stolen base) 90 feet away from the plate. Blake Brown followed with a two-base walk, sprinting past first over to second base without drawing a throw.
With shortstop Luc Thornton (12) backing up, Terrapins third baseman Liam Akins tries to corral what would be a Cole Bitman third-inning base hit.
Junior Jayden Mera followed with the key blow, a line single to right-centerfield that delivered Fraga and Brown.
“Jayden hit well in the four-hole on Tuesday (a 7-2 win at IMG Silver), then goes to the six-hole (Thursday) and gets a big two-out hit for two runs,” Russo said. “A lot of our hitters pitch, so (our lineup is) definitely going to be fluid.”
Terrapins catcher Grant Brooks slaps a tag on Jack Smythe (25), thwarting Tampa Catholic’s attempted third-inning suicide squeeze bunt.
Then Fraga put his stamp on the victory by lashing a fifth-inning double deep to the leftfield fence and coming home on Mera’s infield out.
“My approach is just to drive the ball into the outfield, trying to get on base,” Fraga explained. “I was seeing curveball right there and I just sat back on it. I figured he was going to throw one right there.”
Tampa Prep junior Erik Skiendziel battled through 3 2/3 innings, yielding two earned runs on three hits.
The Crusaders came out with its typical aggressive approach but achieved mixed results. A double-steal, three thefts in the first inning and seven for the game helped get TC going, but the hosts also saw two runners get caught stealing at third base, suicide squeezes in the third and sixth innings come up empty, and runner get doubled off second after a dazzling fourth-inning catch by Prep leftfielder Dennis Martino.
“Yeah, we need to clean things up as we made some mistakes on the base paths,” Russo said. “(Tampa Prep’s) pitchers (junior starter Erik Skiendziel, freshman Andrew Bush, and sophomore Dennis Martino) did extremely well tonight, but we took advantage of a couple of defensive mistakes where we took some extra bases and we got some big hits with two outs.”
Crusaders senior Ayden Popielarcheck (17) stands on the plate after scoring a sixth-inning run as backup catcher and 8th grader Bergen Ray retrieves the wide throw home.
And Tampa Catholic’s bullpen backed it all up.
Junior Finn Fluker followed Miranda and worked into the seventh, allowing the Terrapins’ lone run when Luc Thornton’s two-out single in the sixth brought home Langston Sallis (lead-off base hit). Barry University commit Christian Serralles stepped up on the hill with two runners on in the seventh, got a savvy play from shortstop Fluker for a key caught stealing, then induced Sallis to fly out to end the contest.
Senior and Barry University commit Christian Serralles closed out Tampa Catholic’s second straight win to start the season.
“(The pitching staff) had a great fall and they’ve continued it into the spring,” Russo said. “(Assistant coach) Tripp (Russo) has done a great job with all the pitchers and calling pitches. That’s his area and I let him go with it. He’s the head coach of the pitchers and he’s done an outstanding job.”
For Tampa Prep (now 0-2), third baseman and Rollins commit Liam Akins joined Martino with some eye-popping defense in the fifth inning.
While still airborne after grabbing a high fifth-inning throw, Tampa Prep third baseman Liam Akins (3) snaps the tag down to just catch pinch runner Gavin Delgado attempting to steal.
Ranging far to his left, Akins executed a 360-degree spin and rifled out a Crusaders batter-runner, then leapt for a high throw and slapped a tag down for a caught stealing to end the frame.
Both teams return to action Friday night as Russo will send junior Jack Giovenco to the hill for TC to face visiting IMG Blue, while Tampa Prep travels for an afternoon tilt at Bell Creek Academy.
Finn Fluker scattered five hits over his two innings on the mound.
⚾
#8 Tampa Catholic 6
Tampa Prep 1
TP 000|001|0 – |1|4|2
TC 103|011|x- |6|6|0
W – Miranda (1-0); L – Skiendziel (0-1)
2B – Fraga (TC). Records – TP (0-2); TC (2-0).
