Water Genius of Tampa Game of the Week:
Chargers maintain composure, pull away from Jefferson
Strawberry Crest senior Josh Cespedes lines a two-run single into right to give the Chargers the lead in the third inning. Cespedes would later add a bases loaded walk, and reach on a dropped strike three, which scored a run – giving him four RBI in the win.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
DOVER – Often times baseball has a funny way of righting itself. Call it the “baseball gods,” or a case of “ball don’t lie,” but sometimes things work out regardless of a call not going your way. Strawberry Crest’s players stayed poised in a moment of confusion, padded its lead and turned in a solid showing in a late-season, 8-4 win at home against Jefferson in a meeting of two Top 10 county teams.
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Dragons junior Kaleb Cherry lets his dugout hear it, as Eric Pelaez Jr. scores in the background off Cherry’s RBI single in the first inning.
Jefferson’s Manny Baez laces a single up the middle to score a run in the second inning.
After spotting #7 Jefferson (14-6-1) a two-run lead in the first two innings (RBI singles by Kaleb Cherry and Manny Baez), the #6 Chargers got the offense going in the third as freshman Jaxon Beattie sent a fly ball single to center, then Strawberry Crest (17-6) loaded the bases on a Reuben Vasquez hit to right and a walk, before senior Josh Cespedes lined a two-run single to tie the game.
“I was thinking fastball because (Dragons starting pitcher Ethan Savinon) had just given four-straight balls to the guy ahead of me, so I was going to take the first pitch and he threw it for a strike,” Cespedes said. “He was throwing me fastball/changeup last AB, so I was going to sit fastball and react to the change, and when he threw the changeup I reacted and hit it to rightfield.”
Dragons catcher Kaiden Johnson swipes a tag to keep a second run from scoring on a play in the third inning.
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An error on a Yusvanny Parra ground ball gave the Chargers the lead before the Dragons could end the inning with an out at home.
“We give Ethan two runs and we think we’re in a good spot, especially with Cherry in the bullpen – that’s been our thing all year,” Dragons coach Spencer Nunez said. “That’s something we just talked about in our (postgame) team meeting, we’ve done that a few times now – jump out with a few runs in the first two innings and then we don’t do anything. We sit down on our lead, and against teams like this they’re going to battle.
“This isn’t a two-inning game and we have to find something within ourselves to keep fighting and find a way to execute.”
Strawberry Crest sophomore righty Bubba Blount allowed just one earned run in five relief innings, with four strikeouts to earn his third win of the season.
But the Chargers rally swung the tide, as sophomore reliever Bubba Blount (who came on with no outs and two aboard in the second inning) cruised behind a steady mix of off-speed pitches. The righty retired nine straight before Jefferson freshman Alex Adkins flared a single over the clay at first base in the fifth.
Chargers 3B Christian Lopez made two big plays in the third inning, the second of which was a diving snag toward the line where he threw a ball from his knees that was scooped up for an inning-ending out by 1B Yusvanny Parra.
The Chargers early-inning defense was strong, highlighted by a pair of great plays by freshman third baseman Christian Lopez, and the reliability of veteran senior shortstop Nico Cappucci – part of two double-plays in the win.
“Lopez has been doing really great this year,” Blount said, “and Nico and the chemistry we have in the infield gives me all the confidence in the world that when it’s a groundball in the dirt, they’re going to make a play.”
Crest senior standout SS Nico Cappucci throws for an out.
The fourth inning was where the game could have come unraveled for the Chargers. Deagan Yahrmatter led off with a single, and moved up on a sac bunt, followed by a second runner reaching on a walk. Crest opted for some more small ball as Beattie dropped a bunt toward third base and Savinon sailed the throw to first – which bounced off the back of Chargers first base coach Johnny Rayburn and careened into right field, allowing both base runners to cross, and Beattie to slide into third base.
However, Nunez came out to argue with the umpire crew, who incorrectly changed the call and ruled it a dead ball, that the coach was out of the “coach’s box,” and sent all runners back to the bases. Under the FHSAA (NFHS) rules “if a thrown ball hits a first-base coach in foul territory, the ball remains live and in play … however, if the coach intentionally interferes with a throw or fails to vacate space, interference can be called.”
Beattie said they didn’t let the moment spiral, that he had a job to do and got it done and was confident his team would produce in that inning.
“I met with Coach Beattie and he said to show it (the bunt) late and get it down and try to get it fair,” Jaxon Beattie said of his pre-at-bat meeting with his head coach father, “and I got it down and things got going.”
Jaxon Beattie gets his job done dropping down a bunt toward third base.
The Chargers didn’t let the call spoil the rally as Vasquez hit a sac fly to left to drive in one, Cappucci singled in one and Cespedes picked up his third RBI on a bases loaded walk.
Jefferson freshman Alex Adkins sends a pop fly single into shallow right for the first of his two hits in the game.
Conversely, things didn’t go the Dragons way after Adkins started the fifth with a single. Blount fielded a comebacker to the mound, fired to second and started a double-play.
“We practice PFP (pitcher’s fielding practice) all the time,” Blount said, “so, it was great to do it in-game and get it done.”
The fifth continued as the Dragons got a single from AJ Cruz, and he looked bound to score on a double from Savinon, but Cruz slipped rounding third and was forced to retreat, before a routine ground ball ended the scoring chance.
After losing his footing around third base, Jefferson senior AJ Cruz was able to retreat safely to the bag under the tag of Crest 3B Christian Lopez.
Jefferson reliever Kaleb Cherry retired the Chargers side in the fifth, and Jefferson did chip away at the lead, when singles from Sam Hyman and Elijah Benton (2-for-3, two runs) turned into runs thanks to Adkins, who burned a drawn-in outfield for a double – again going the opposite way with the ball to right-center.
Alex Adkins shouts toward his dugout after driving in a pair with a double.
But the rally was nipped there and Crest added two more runs in the sixth – Beattie (single), Vasquez (BB) and Highsmith (single) loading the bags – for Cappucci to add an RBI sac fly, and a dropped third strike allowing a run, which was initially ruled an out at the plate, before the umps discussed it and ruled the Dragons catcher did not provide a lane to the plate prior to receiving the throw.
Initially ruled an out at the plate, the umpires met and overturned the call saying Reuben Vasquez was not provided a clear lane to the plate by Dragons catcher Kaiden Johnson.
Savinon added a one-out double off of Chargers reliever Saxon Shah, but he was left stranded on the basepaths as Shah first fielded his position and threw for an out, then ended the game with his second strikeout.
Strawberry Crest senior Saxon Shah pitched the final frame, allowing one hit and striking out a pair.
The Chargers have had a strong run through the regular season, with a solid starting core of seniors, but also a healthy mix of underclassmen – including three freshman and two sophomores who appeared Tuesday night. The freshman second baseman Beattie, however, doesn’t think the Chargers youth has been a factor.
“It doesn’t matter how old we are,” Beattie said, “if we’re out there, we compete. And if we compete, we win. We dominate.”
Strawberry Crest wraps up the regular season with a visit to Plant on Thursday, while the Dragons host Newsome.
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#6 Strawberry Crest 8
#7 Jefferson 4
J 110|002|0 – |4|10|2
S 003|302|x – |8|8|2
W – Blount (3-0); L – Savinon (4-2)
2B – Savinon 2, A. Adkins (J). Records – J (14-6-1); S (17-6).
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Crest 2B Jaxon Beattie throws for an out to complete a double play in the first inning.
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Dragons junior Kaleb Cherry connects on an RBI single in the first.
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Chargers senior RF Tripp House squeezes the glove on a fly ball.
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Dragons starting pitcher Ethan Savinon took the loss, pitching 3 2/3 innings allowing six runs (two earned) and struck out a pair.
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Jefferson sophomore SS Jaylen Watts throws for an out in the first.
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Nico Cappucci lays down a bunt.
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Strawberry Crest freshman starting pitcher Ivan Sada.
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Elijah Benton connects on a hit for the Dragons.
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And John Oliver follows right behind with a hit in the second inning.
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Jefferson first base coach Jose Figueredo Jr. congratulates Manny Baez on his RBI single in the second.
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Dragons 2B AJ Cruz makes a leaping throw for an out.
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Strawberry Crest reliever Bubba Blount
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Dragons SP Ethan Savinon
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Crest LF Josh Cespedes makes a catch.
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The umpire crew explains their ruling on the “dead ball” call to Chargers head coach Eric Beattie in the fourth inning.
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But with the bases juiced, Reuben Vasquez keeps the Chargers offense going with this RBI sac fly.
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Dragons LF Kaleb Cherry hauls in the catch on the sac fly.
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A terrific swim move on the slide by Tripp House avoids a tag and keeps the inning going for the Chargers in the fourth.
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Chargers senior Toby Highsmith wears a pitch in the numbers.
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Jaxon Beattie motors into third base on a Nico Cappucci RBI single.
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Bubba Blount pitched five innings of relief and is now 3-0 on the season.
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Ethan Savinon connects on the first of his two doubles.
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Dragons 1B John Oliver makes a running catch on a foul ball in the fifth.
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Jefferson reliever Kaleb Cherry
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Toby Highsmith singles in the sixth.
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Chargers pinch runner Adam Renfroe on the move toward third base. The junior would score on a sac fly two pitches later.
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Senior Nico Cappucci gets it done with an RBI sac fly, driving in his second run of the game.
