CDS edges SLAM to reach district final
Carrollwood Day’s Christian Clarke (#11, right) is greeted by Steven Vargo (#8) after the sophomore stole home in the third inning.
By Chuck Frye, Staff Writer
TAMPA – After a heartbreaking exit from postseason play last season, Carrollwood Day School was determined not to let it happen again.
“All last year, we heard that we were young and we have time to be able to break through,” said sophomore Christian Clarke. “But our loss (a season-ending 9-7 setback to Tampa Prep) hurt. To compete in a district championship would be a blessing.”
Click here for a few more photos from this game.
No doubt, the second-seeded Patriots are young, as was their opponent in Tuesday’s Class 2A-10 district semifinal, No. 3 Sports Leadership and Management – in its first season competing for an FHSAA title. The two teams sport just three seniors in total, leaning heavily on sophomores to produce under pressure.
SLAM shortstop Andrew Bunner tags out Carrollwood Day courtesy runner Steven Vargo (8) after he was picked off in the first inning.
But host CDS had the discipline of veterans at the plate in an especially challenging situation. Batting around in the bottom of the third inning helped turn the Pats’ bats around, leading to a 6-2 victory over the Spartans to earn a district finals berth against top-seed Seffner Christian on Thursday.
Strong defense got the district semis off to an exciting start. SLAM lefty starter Isaiah Morales picked off a Carrollwood runner in the first inning that ended up denying the hosts a run.
SLAM sophomore starting pitcher Isaiah Morales battled through 2 2/3 innings in the Class 2A-10 semifinal.
Patriots catcher Brady Marshall then upped the ante in the second. The 8th-grader started with a caught stealing at second base before taking bases-loaded throws from third baseman Nick Bonollo for a force out and pitcher Logan Mazur to catch a SLAM player trying to steal home. With the visitors getting its first four batters on base but coming up empty, Mazur and the Patriots seized some early momentum.
“That was my toughest inning command-wise,” said the sophomore, who was making just his third start of the season. “My curveball especially was acting up, but I was able to make it through. It was great to see the plays the defense made.”
Tampa SLAM sophomore leadoff man Andrew Bunner dashes down the baseline as Carrollwood Day starting pitcher Logan Mazur (5) throws to first base for a first-inning out. Mazur allowed one run over five innings in his third start of the season.
With patience and persistence, CDS (14-11) made the squander hurt in the third, getting six straight batters on with two outs. Freshman J.D. Howard drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Bonollo, who singled. Clarke (first of two walks) then stole home without a throw, before junior Calvin Dickey (hit by pitch) crossed on another bases-loaded free pass to sophomore No. 9 batter Julian Earle.
“I wanted to make sure we were dialed in, focused on what we needed to do, making sure we were moving runners on,” CDS head coach Tony Brewington said.
Carrollwood Day head coach Tony Brewington (left) talks offense with junior Calvin Dickey (20) and sophomore Christian Clarke (11).
From there, Mazur settled in, scattering six hits over five innings while yielding a lone fifth-inning run on a slicing Anthony Allen double followed by Andrew Bunner’s two-out single. He struck out three, walked a batter and hit another.
“I know he’s hungry enough and he has the will and mentality to succeed,” Brewington said of Mazur. “He’s a big-game type of guy.”
With its offense unshackled, Carrollwood added to its lead in the fifth when Marshall’s bases-loaded ground out plated Nick Riedel (second walk of the night), and the sixth when a three-base error on pinch hitter Jaxon Garvey’s drive scored Clarke (single), and Howard followed with a three-bagger to deliver Garvey.
The ball skips past SLAM third baseman Jarden Jardine as Carrollwood Day sophomore Nick Bonollo completes his third-inning steal. Bonollo had a single and two walks in the victory.
Sophomore reliever Matt Porta pounded the strike zone for two innings, getting touched up for three hits including Bunner’s second RBI base hit in the seventh, before closing out the victory.
“We only won five games last year and we came back and won 16 this year,” SLAM head coach Nick Russo said of its program-best 2023 campaign, with all but one player returning next season. “They played together this past summer in American Legion ball against some good competition and that helped, having the kids and the parents buy in.
“We’ll go over things as a staff and try to fix some deficiencies, work on those this summer and fall, and keep grinding with a goal to win a state championship.”
Brewington will turn his focus to Thursday evening and a title date with Seffner Christian, with sophomores Gabe Troya and Riedel on his short list to get the start.
Carrollwood Day second baseman Allen Gilleard catches SLAM senior Kevin Gutierrez stealing as shortstop J.D. Howard backs up the play.
⚾ 2A-10 Semifinal ⚾
Carrollwood Day 6, SLAM 2
S 000|010|1 – |2|9|3
C 003|012|x – |6|6|0
W – Morales; L – Mazur
2B – Allen, Jardine (S). Records – S (16-9); C (14-11).
