Taylor’s complete-game effort leads Sickles by Alonso
Sickles lefty Jake Taylor gutted out a 91-pitch complete game victory, giving up just two hits while striking out six.
By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer
CITRUS PARK – Good teams find ways to win, either through disciplined play or taking advantage of an opponent’s generosity.
Although Alonso’s largesse was limited, it was enough for host Sickles to score its first two runs without a hit. Keeping the visiting Ravens at arm’s length the rest of the way behind a complete-game effort from lefty senior Jake Taylor and key production from classmate Charlie Martz, the Gryphons opened Saladino Gold play Saturday with a 4-2 victory.
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Taylor was money, striking out six and walking only one before starting to tire with two outs in the seventh inning, hitting Yohan Cintron with a pitch before yielding a towering home run to straightaway centerfield to senior Maikol Madueno.
Head coach and third-base coach Landy Faedo (right) is there with congratulations for Maikol Madueno after the senior’s two-run homer cut Sickles’ lead in half in the seventh inning …
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… While the Ravens roster gathers to do the same at the plate.
“I know our pitching hasn’t been up to our capabilities so far, so if I was able to give us a long outing, that would be very helpful,” said Taylor, who threw 91 pitches and will be eligible to throw Thursday if Sickles (10-3) makes the Gold Division final game. “I got into my rhythm and I was able to keep my tempo up, finding my arm slot a lot faster and staying mentally focused.”
“Jake built off his last start against Plant and picked up where he left off,” said Gryphons head coach Eric Luksis of his winning five-hit effort against the Panthers. “He threw all three of his pitches for strikes, he was commanding the strike zone, and we played really good defense behind him, which was really important.”
With Alonso first baseman Jordan Campos (27) nearby, Gryphons senior Zack Dial (9) signals to his bench after his fifth-inning single.
Strong defense became important as Sickles was struggling to score against starter Julian Batista and Alonso (8-5). But when the Ravens opened the door, however slightly, the Gryphons were able to burst through led by sophomore Lee Melamut.
In the bottom of the second inning, Melamut reached on a dropped third strike, moved to third on a pair of ground outs, and scored on a wild pitch. Then in the fourth, Melamut got to second on an error, took third on a ground out and scored on Noah Gonzalez’s infield out.
“We did really well with our situational hitting, especially in the fourth inning,” said Luksis.
Feasting on a ripe slider, Gryphons senior Charlie Martz shoots a sixth-inning single to rightfield, scoring two important runs.
After nickle-and-diming its way to the lead, Sickles’ big offensive breakthrough finally came against senior Marcelo Diaz Villalon, who was facing his first live batters of the year after returning from injury.
A two-on, one-out chance eluded the Gryphons in the fifth, but the sixth saw Nick Grannis (fielder’s choice), Gonzalez and Charlie Grannis (back-to-back singles) load the bases for Martz.
The senior wasn’t going to let this opportunity go wanting.
“I had to do my job, either with a grounder or a sacrifice fly,” said Martz, icing down his right knee after a dislocated kneecap suffered last October. “I saw the first baseman was pulled away from the foul line so I was trying to pull it down the line.”
Alonso third baseman Yohan Cintron (12) signals for the outfield throw to go home as pinch runner Sean Kloehn (5) rounds the bag.
Instead, the lefty batter slapped a slider between first baseman Jordan Campos and second baseman Angelo Pina for a single that scored pinch runners Ryan Turgeon and Sean Kloehn for a 4-0 advantage.
“That hit now looks like a really big deal (after Madueno’s homer),” Luksis said. “That was a big at-bat for Charlie and it was good to see him come through.”
Pitching for the first time this season, Alonso reliever Marcelo Diaz Villalon battled through 1 1/3 innings against Sickles.
“We hit into two double plays and had two hits (including a Pina third-inning double) so we didn’t hit very good,” said Alonso head coach Landy Faedo. “Marcelo came back (Saturday) but our pitching isn’t quite there yet. We’ve won some games lately (six in a row before Saturday’s setback) but we’re not there yet. We’re just trying to win a game each day (in the Saladino) and come out with the best record we can.”
The Ravens’ shot to turn things around comes quickly as they face Cambridge Christian Monday at Sickles at 4 pm. The Gryphons will take on Steinbrenner in the 7 pm nightcap.
ake Taylor pumps his fist after wrapping up his complete-game Saladino Tourney victory over Alonso.
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Sickles 4
Alonso 2
A 000|000|2 – |2|2|2
S 010|102|x – |4|8|1
W – Taylor (2-1); L – Batista (2-4)
2B – Pina (A); Taylor (S); HR – Madueno (A). Records – A (8-5); S (10-3).
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Ravens pitcher Marcelo Diaz Villalon and catcher Maikol Madueno talk strategy during a fifth-inning mound visit.
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Pinch runner Sean Kloehn (5) slides past Ravens catcher Maikol Madueno to score on Charlie Martz’s two-run single and give Sickles a 4-0, sixth-inning lead.
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Not only did sophomore Andisley Quesada perform closing duties for Alonso, but he pulled in this sixth-inning infield popup.
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Sickles senior Charlie Martz looks to catch his glove and head out to play defense after his clutch two-run, sixth-inning base hit doubled the Gryphons’ lead.
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Sickles catcher Emilio Salgado smiles as he puts his pitch-calling earphone back on in the seventh inning.
