Mohammed seals Jesuit’s win over Plant

Greeted by Christian Sheffield (left) at the plate, Louisiana State commit Samir Mohammed (25) turns to celebrate his key fifth-inning solo homer with his teammates …

By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer

TAMPA – Samir Mohammed perfectly encapsulated how special Jesuit’s rivalry is with Plant.

“We’re two of the best teams in Tampa,” the Tiger junior explained. “(Plant is) scrappy, they’re going to throw everything they have at you, especially when we have the J on our chest. We’re going to get everybody’s best, but especially Plant’s.

“They’re a couple of miles down the road (five miles, to be exact), it’s not far. To play ball, you either go to Plant or Jesuit, it’s one of the two. We’re the baseball schools.”

… who literally jump for joy for the clutch insurance run and 3-1 lead.

In another classic matchup of the perennial powers Friday night at Hyer Family Park, Mohammed delivered the momentum-changing blow when nobody expected it, lifting error-prone Jesuit to a 4-1 victory over an opportunistic Panthers squad.

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One strike away from coming up empty in the bottom of the fifth inning, clinging to a tenuous 2-1 lead, Mohammed got the pitch he was looking for.

“I was just looking for something up where I could hit a line drive gap-to-gap,” Mohammed said.

What he got was a pitch he lashed over the left-centerfield fence for a solo home run that provided a much-needed cushion as the Tigers (now 4-1) found out in the top of the seventh.

Plant (2-3) touched up reliever Hector Rivera for back-to-back lead-off singles from seniors Brody Vermette and Desan DeCamp, a situation that could have been much more dire if not for Mohammed’s round-tripper.

“If it’s only a two-run game and (the Panthers) get their first two guys on, they probably bunt those guys over (into scoring position leading to the top of the order),” Jesuit head coach Miguel Menendez said. “Chasing three runs instead of two is huge, and that’s what (Mohammed) gives you. He can change the game with one swing of the bat.”

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After ringing up a strikeout, the Tigers shook off its second-straight multi-error game with a gem of a play. Junior No. 9 hitter Jackson Kravitz lashed a hot grounder between first and second base.  Mohammed, the Tigers first baseman, couldn’t get to the grounder but second baseman Hudson Rivera miraculously did. Hector Rivera did his job, breaking off the mound to grab his brother’s throw and tag first a half-step before Kravitz arrived for the key second out. After Jordan Olivia was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Urban Ellis lined out hard to Mohammed to end the game and start the celebration of a three-game head-to-head streak snapped.

“What can you say? The Rivera-to-Rivera is there,” Menendez said. “That was a tremendous play.”

With help from a dazzling defensive play by his brother Hudson Rivera at second base, University of Tampa commit Hector Rivera worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning to hold Plant scoreless and earn the save.

Almost enough to soften the blow of a two-inning, three-error skein that garnered Plant its lone run.
With two out in the third, catcher Olivia walked with courtesy runner Logan Cucchi stealing second and forcing a throwing error to move to third. Ellis got the Panthers’ first and only hit off of starter and Florida State commit Kaden Waechter, a single to bring home Cucchi.

Florida State commit Kaden Waechter was dialed in, giving up an unearned run on one hit in his five innings of work.

Ellis almost scored himself on another throwing error, but a perfect throw from rightfielder Griffin Boesen (two hits including a double on offense) saved Jesuit’s bacon and its 2-1 lead at the time.

“I know it said four (errors) in the box score (for Thursday’s 10-8 loss to Bradenton IMG) but I think we made six,” Menendez said. “Then three tonight (with a fielding error in the fourth) … luckily, with Kaden on the mound, we were able to overcome some of those early problems and we found a way to win.”

Waiting for Plant runner Urban Ellis to arrive, Jesuit catcher Brady Marshall tags out his counterpart trying to score in the third inning.

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Panthers catcher Jordan Olivia slaps the tag on Jesuit’s Griffin Boesen trying to score in the first inning.

“I was doing a great job of expanding the strike zone, trying to get chase,” said Waechter, who struck out five and walked two over five innings. “At the end of the day, it was trust in my guys and my defense to get those quick outs.”

Ironically, a shaky start by Plant allowed the Tigers a first-inning lead they would stress over, but not lose.

With the first three batters on base, Mohammed blasted a deep sacrifice fly to bring home Ben Burke (single) and Christian Sheffield lined a double to centerfield to score Bryce Besece. Only a perfect relay from Rhett Dixson to shortstop Gio Benitez to Olivia kept the deficit at two.

Baylor commit Bryce Besece scores Jesuit’s second run on Christian Sheffield’s first-inning double.

It still was too much.

“When you’re facing some pitching like we saw (Friday) … you can’t have that inning,” Plant head coach Dennis Braun said. “I think 1-0 obviously keeps the game a little more manageable, but 2-0 … that kind of put us behind right out the gate.”

After a high-volume, between-inning motivational monologue from Braun to starter Truman Mayer, the junior found himself, scattering three hits before Mohammed’s forceful blow that knocked him from the contest.

“Outside of that first inning, I thought Truman threw a helluva game,” Braun said.

Junior Truman Mayer shook off a tough first inning to work into the fifth for the Panthers.

In relief, Dixson yielded a seventh-inning insurance run on a Burke RBI ground-out. For Jesuit, senior Eric Knowles worked a clean sixth before Hector Rivera earned the save.

Johns Hopkins commit Eric Knowles worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning in relief to preserve Jesuit’s lead.

“Obviously, we’ve got things that weren’t perfect (Friday) but anytime you beat Plant …that one really matters to our guys,” Menendez concluded. “They’ve owned us the past couple of years, so it was nice to be able to get some payback.”

Plant jumps right back into action Saturday morning, sending senior Coy Keller to the bump on the road against host Riverview. Mohammed will draw the start for the Tigers on Tuesday when they travel to Pinellas County to face St. Petersburg Northside Christian.

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#1 Jesuit 4
Plant 1

P 001|000|0 – |1|3|0
J 200|011|x – |4|9|3
W – Waechter (1-0); L – Mayer (0-1); S – Rivera (1)
2B – Sheffield, Boesen (J); HR – Mohammed (J). Records – P (2-3); J (4-1).

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Plant shortstop Gio Benitez rifles the ball for the first of two second-inning assists.

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Jesuit second baseman Hudson Rivera watches helplessly as a third-inning throw sails to the outfield, allowing courtesy runner Logan Cucchi (21) to advance to third after his stolen base. 

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Plant’s coaches and players line up for the National Anthem.

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Jesuit starter Kaden Waechter flips the ball to first for a first-inning out

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