Lockdown relief extends game, sundown ends it
Cambridge Christian 2B Mason Mirza came off the bag to catch a throw from Lancers C Gavin Lopez to catch Bell Creek’s Euriah Benoit attempting to steal second.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
RIVERVIEW – The afternoon sun saw Cambridge Christian and Bell Creek go back-and-forth with two-lead changes and a leveling run. Unfortunately, it was the inability for the players to see in the burgeoning twilight that resulted in an unsatisfying 2-2 tie-ending to Thursday’s affair after nine innings.
Bell Creek senior Evan Booker pitched six innings in a no-decision, allowed one earned and struck out three.
For more photos of this game, click here.
Both starting pitchers minimized damage. Bell Creek’s Evan Booker went six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with three strikeouts. Countering for the Lancers, Zach Uhl went five, allowed six hits and struck out three, while also allowing two runs (one earned).
Cambridge Christian senior righty Zach Uhl pitched five innings, allowed one earned run and struck out three.
“They did a really good job spinning the baseball, keeping us off-balance, kind of getting us into those pull-side swings,” Lancers head coach John DiBenedetto said. “And (Bell Creek) played really good defense today, eliminated the freebies, and I thought both pitching staffs were awesome.”
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Cambridge Christian (4-3-1) caught an early break as leadoff Jayden Jardine reached on a dropped-third-strike throwing error on the catcher, allowing the senior to move on to second base. A couple of outs later, Jardine bounced off third and scored the opening run on a wild pitch.
Lancers senior Jayden Jardine scores on a wild pitch in the first inning.
Bell Creek (4-1-1) took the lead in the third, first trimming it to one run when Euriah Benoit collected the first of his three hits in the game and scored on a two-out William Miller RBI single to center. With runners on first-and-third (after a Nathan Benoit single), a groundball to short was misplayed, before Jardine picked up the ball and threw to second to get a runner making too aggressive a turn. The momentary bobble, however, extended the inning just long enough for speed-up runner Gio Vanella (running for the catcher, Miller) to score.
Bell Creek’s William Miller sends an RBI single up the middle in the third inning.
The catcher speed-up on the other side – Luca Gonzalez – took over for Gavin Lopez after he was hit by a pitch, moved up and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game in the fourth.
Junior righty Braiden Price pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the Lancers.
Then both offenses found very little else thanks to some impressive relief appearances. Taking over in the sixth for the Lancers, junior righty Braiden Price scattered a hit, a walk and a hit batter across three scoreless innings, then gave way to lefty Brennan Ryan, who struck out the side as the game was called after three strikeouts in the home-ninth inning.
“Braiden has been one of those guys that the potential is completely off the charts,” DiBenedetto said. “Over the last couple of weeks, he has really dialed it in and has now become one of our really big weapons in the back-end of our bullpen.”
Cambridge Christian sophomore Brennan Ryan struck out three in his lone inning on the mound.
For the Panthers, senior righty Braylin Wilson worked the final three innings, allowing just one walk and had three strikeouts.
Panthers RHP Braylon Wilson delivered three no-hit innings of relief.
And though the game didn’t result in a win, Wilson said he and his teammates weren’t hanging their heads.
“We are happy, but not satisfied,” the Panthers’ starting shortstop and reliever said. “I think we should have won that game and cost ourselves in some spots. In the first inning we gave them a free run, if that hadn’t happened we’d have won.”
Longtime Bell Creek head coach Frank Burke
Eleventh-year Panthers head coach Frank Burke pointed to Wilson’s attitude as being part of the early success for the team this year; and said moving the middle infielder to the mound in late innings has been a real strength over the last two years.
“Ever since last year, he’s been that guy who can come in with eight warmup pitches and pound the zone with everything he’s got,” Burke said. “It moves a lot. It doesn’t overpower people, but he’s going to place it. He’s a competitor and he’s going to come right at you one-on-one.”
Burke highlighted his upperclassmen pitching staff as a bright spot through the first three weeks of the season.
“They have been stepping up lately, actually all four of my senior pitchers have been ready to play,” he said. “I told them if we pound the zone, let our defense do the work and don’t hurt ourselves with walks or hit batters, then we will be in every game.”
Panthers sophomore Euriah Benoit collected three singles in the game, scored once and stole one base.
Fittingly in a draw, the two teams’ biggest successes in the game cancelled each other out. Bell Creek’s Euriah Benoit had three singles – two infield hits he beat out with his speed, and a third grounded up the middle – and after his first hit stole second base and scored. However, his stolen base attempts after his fifth- and seventh-inning hits were spoiled by the arm of the Cambridge Christian catcher, Lopez.
“Gavin has been fantastic back there this year,” DiBenedetto echoed. “Behind the plate, he’s one of the best catch-and-throw guys I’ve ever coached, and he made some really big plays for us today.”
Lancers sophomore C Gavin Lopez
With runs at a premium, Burke said he didn’t regret attempting to create some havoc with his sophomore speedster.
“I’m not going to start second-guessing myself there,” Burke said, “with one of my best players on the bases. They still have to catch the pitch, throw the ball, catch the ball again to get him out. I’m going to do that every day of the week.”
Bell Creek junior 1B Kyle Beauchamp goes up for a high throw and comes down to tag the bag for an out.
On the other side, the beneficiary of those two outs was grateful.
“You’ve got to love Gavin behind the plate,” Price said, “absolutely elite back there.”
Both teams get right back on the field Friday, as Cambridge Christian heads for an evening game at Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic, and Bell Creek has a 4pm start at Seffner Christian.
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Cambridge Christian 2
Bell Creek 2 – nine innings/called (no lights)
C 100|100|000 – |2|5|2
B 002|000|000 – |2|7|2
Records – C (4-3-1); B (4-1-1).
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Panthers senior catcher William Miller goes out for a first-inning chat with starting pitcher Evan Booker.
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Bell Creek senior shortstop Braylin Wilson
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Cambridge senior Alex Quintero swings at his first-inning single into leftfield.
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Panthers leftfielder Landon Pearce squeezes his glove on a pop fly in the first.
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CCS 2B Austin Gaertner throws for an out.
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Lancers junior Robert Moore singled into center on this pitch in the second inning.
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Austin Gaertner follows right behind with a hit lined up the middle.
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Panthers 2B Cohen Gourley tries to turn two after a force out at second base.
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Kyle Beauchamp Connect on a Gard ground ball single to the right side.
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Cambridge Christian head coach John DiBenedetto has a chat with the home-plate umpire.
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Bell Creek senior SP Evan Booker
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Lancer SS Jayden Jardine made a nice stop deep in the hole, but wisely holds off on a kneeling throw across the diamond to try and catch Euriah Benoit in the third.
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Bell Creek’s Euriah Benoit slides safely into second with a stolen base.
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Lancers 1B Blake Hafner brings in a throw in the third.
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Panthers senior Nathan Benoit singles into rightfield.
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Gio Vanella rushes toward third base on Nathan Benoit’s single. He would score Bell Creek’s second run.
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Gavin Lopez wears a pitch to the back of the leg, which would eventually turn into a Lancers run.
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Lancers SP Zach Uhl
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A leaping throw from CCS SS Jayden Jardine.
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Lancers 2B Austin Gaertner awaits a throw for the catcher and tags out a stealing runner in the fifth.
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Ethan Santos runs toward first after his sixth-inning single – the last hit of the game for the Lancers.
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Cambridge Christian reliever Braiden Price
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Panthers CF Euriah Benoit makes a catch.
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Freshman pinch-runner Cam Ivy collects himself after a stolen base.
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Panthers assistant coach Richard Long
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Lancers assistant Erik Mirza signals an outfield adjustment late in the game.
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Bell Creek assistant coach Kavin Kroll huddles the Panthers players prior to the start of the home-seventh.
