Motivated Bucs remain unbeaten with walk-off win v Jesuit

By Mike Camunas
Creative Director

TAMPA — Berkeley Prep wanted this. For nearly a year.

More than keeping the Buccaneers out of the loss column, more than bragging rights in polls and rankings, more than getting this win because of any prestige associated with either program.

Berkeley was embarrassed — had felt that way for a year and wanted to wipe the slate clean.

Well, the Bucs (13-0) did just that, extracting revenge after a blowout last season to Jesuit, this time securing a 4-3 win over the Tigers thanks to a walk-off, RBI single by Owen McElfatrick to score Cade Kurland and give Berkeley Prep one of its most-rewarding victories in recent memory.

Berkeley Prep senior Owen McElfatrick singles in the winning run.

“Last year, they came and embarrassed us — embarrassed me,” said senior righty JT Quinn, who only lasted 3 1/3 innings last season and gave up six runs on six hits in a 10-0 mercy-rule win by Jesuit. “Maybe everyone had a chip on their shoulder, but that is such a good team win. … We just tried to pick each other up, pick everyone up and errors are going to happen … that’s how good teams play — by picking each other up.”

Berkeley needed that going into the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Bucs saw a 3-1 lead evaporate after Julius Pfau misplayed a line drive, which would have ended the game, but instead allowed the Tigers to tie it with a pinch hit by Jalen Smith.

“Everyone is going to talk about the error in left field,” said Berkeley coach Richie Warren, a two-time state champion with Jesuit, once as a player (2000) and another as a coach (2014), “but those guys have matured and they don’t get too low or hard on themselves. People tend to dwell on the bad things, but our guys were never that way and aren’t that way. They picked each other up and rallied.”

Indeed, the Bucs did rally against the Tigers (9-6) and starter Jamie Arnold. Though the senior southpaw made it through 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven, he did hit Kurland with a pitch and gave up a two-out single to Anthony Castillo. Brooks Chamberlin would relieve Arnold and a passed ball would allow Kurland and Castillo to advance to third and second, respectively. Gunnett Carlson would be awarded first base intentionally, which would bring up McElfatrick.

“I knew I had to keep it simple,” the senior third baseman said. “We got embarrassed last year and that stuck with us. A lot of preparation for this game was to remember what they did to us last year.”

On a 2-1 count, McElfatrick drove it to centerfield and scored Kurland, ony to be mobbed before he could make it to second base.

“Man,” he said out of breath, “no better feeling than that.”

“It was just … awesome,” Kurland concurred. “Just with the history of the two teams — what a game.”

It certainly was a game — one that ended with fireworks, but also came out the gate swinging, just like Kurland. The highly-touted prospect hit a leadoff homer off Arnold on a 1-1 count for his county-leading seventh dinger this season.

“It helps when JT goes out and throws a scoreless first and Cade comes out with a leadoff homer. Those guys make coaching easy,” Warren said. “(Cade) is pretty amazing. He is a world-class teammate, a world-class human being, and that will take him far beyond baseball.”

Buccaneers junior Cade Kurland trots around second after his first-inning home run, upping his county lead to seven dingers.

Kurland helped build a 2-0 in the third with an RBI single, but fellow heavy-hitter, Wes Mendes, continued his torrid season for the Tigers and added an RBI single himself. Castillo, however, would make it 3-1 with an RBI single in the fifth.

“These two teams are like brothers,” Jesuit coach Miguel Menendez said. “You’re going to have some fights, you’re going to want to one up the other and that’s what you see with this budding rivalry. They’re a really good team, Richie and his staff do a really good job and you’re not 12-0 by accident. We found a way to tie, would’ve liked to get to the extra innings to see what happens.”

Alas, it was not meant to be. Quinn, who pitched 6 2/3 as well and struck out 11, was relieved by Rivers Kurland, who would keep the game tied with a huge strikeout of Dariel Pirela.

“We see a big game,” Quinn said, “and we just want to rise to the challenge.”

Warren felt his team wasn’t entirely motivated by payback for last season, but came into its only game this week on Berekley’s spring break with confidence he had not seen before.

“A lot of the hype leading up to this game locally. Both teams in the top 5 in the 813Preps (poll), both teams ranked in the Top 25 in a couple national publications,” he added. “I think they woke up confident, felt that way when they got to the yard and that no one was losing sleep over playing this game. Not cocky, just confident.”

Menendez agreed with the hype, but added that a team of Berekely Prep’s caliber is on the Tigers’ schedule for a reason.

“This is what you want to see, and this is how we make our schedule,” he said. “I told our guys that — that we’ll probably lose some games because at the end of the year, we want to be playing our best baseball and playing for a state championship. If we win the state championship, nobody’s going to care what our record was.”

As for the Buccaneers and getting that highly-sought win? Well, see for yourself.

“There’s no words to describe this feeling,” McElfatrick said.

“(Winning this) is all we’ve thought about since the last (game) with them,” Kurland added without hesitation.

“(Winning like this is) kind of fun,” Quinn said with a smile.

Berkeley Prep starting pitcher JT Quinn having a “kind of fun” time.

For our complete photo gallery from this game, click here.

(1) Berkeley Prep 4
(5) Jesuit 3

J    000|100|2 – |3|3|0
BP 101|010|1 – |4|7|3
W – R. Kurland (3-0); L – Arnold (2-2)
2B – Canody (BP); HR – C. Kurland (BP). Records – J (9-5); BP (13-0).

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