Mallo hits walk-off single as Dragons edge Knights in extras

Jefferson junior Cameron Mallo is swarmed by his teammates after driving in the winning run in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s Region Quarterfinal game against Robinson.

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

TAMPA – Jefferson’s Cameron Mallo’s speed proved the difference as the Dragons junior sent a skipper deep into the hole at second base and tore down the first base line in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s Class 4a-Region 3 quarterfinal game against Robinson.

With two outs on the board, an incredible performance from both teams slipped away from the Knights, as a walk and a JaMarques Benton single, followed by both runners advancing on indifference setup Mallo to play hero. A perfect throw might have gotten Mallo and sent the game deeper into extra-innings but he wouldn’t be denied, stomping on first as a throw sailed and Joseph Fritz crossed the plate and immediately turned to join the mob rushing toward first to celebrate Jefferson’s 2-1 victory.

Click here for our full photo gallery from last night.

“I knew where that ball was hit and with my speed it would take a really great play to get me out,” Mallo said. “I saw the ball hit that hole, and I had to give it everything I had to get to first and let that run score.”

Mallo sends a ground ball deep to the hole at second, before racing down the line for a single as Joseph Fritz rushed home. 

The Florida Athletic Coaches Association District 15 (Hillsborough County) named Mallo the 4A Player of the Year last week, an honor well-deserved according to his head coach for a player hitting .403, with 24 runs and 11 RBI.

“Cam’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached,” Dragons coach Spencer Nunez said of Mallo. “When he got here this year, he went right to it and he brings that effort out of our other guys – he gets them out on the field early, taking extra hacks – he’s that kid and his work ethic is unmatched. That makes him a really good player and a really good teammate.”

The meeting marked the fourth game for the two teams as the Dragons claimed victory in each tilt, but Tuesday a pitching duel ensued and both teams struggled to put runs on the board.

Jefferson (18-7) leaned on junior Mikey Marroquin, who tossed seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and struck out 11, while Robinson (11-14) senior Russell Sandefer (Saint Leo signee) worked out of a few tight spots, but similarly allowed just a single run on five hits, and finished with five K’s.

“We’ve played this team four times and I pitched against them twice before, so I had to come in and do the same things I did before with double-digit strikeouts against them,” Marroquin said. “It’s hard to pitch against the same team three times, but with that approach, confidence and belief in myself, it just came out perfectly tonight.”

Righty Mikey Marroquin pitched seven innings in a no-decision while striking out 11.

The Knights potential familiarity with Marroquin after seeing him multiple times this year was something Nunez said he never really thought too deeply on.

“I did not have any concerns about that, I know what Mikey can do at this level,” Nunez said. “He wanted the ball and I wanted him to have it, and I think maybe some people looked at the starting lineup and said, ‘Marroquin again?’ But he showed exactly what he could do and why he earned this start.”

The Knights got a little two-out cooking going in the fourth, as Garrett Hudson lined a hit in to center and Alex DeLise was hit by a pitch, Brady Capps would drive in the first run of the game with a groundball through the left side.

Robinson sophomore Brady Capps connects on his RBI single in the fourth.

Two innings later, Mallo drew a leadoff walk and an errant pickoff throw to first allowed him to hustle around to third base. From there, Jayden Vazquez (2-for-2, stolen base) would cash in the tying run with a sac fly to right.

The Dragons would get the leading run to scoring position, but Sandefer kept his team in the game.

“He was very good,” Nunez said of Sandefer. “His arm action was whippy, he is a really good pitcher who threw his butt of tonight. Now I know why Saint Leo wants him very badly, he had an outstanding game.”

Knights senior Russell Sandefer allowed just one run across 6 1/3 innings on the mound.

And though the pitching stole the show, it was the defense that kept both teams in the game.
Dragons right fielder Alliuq Troupe started things off with a great diving catch in the second inning; Capps, the catcher, would start a pickoff of a runner too far off first base and catch another at second base trying to steal; Vazquez added a diving catch in left to save a run; Ian Ayres would do the same for Robinson to end the seventh; while Robinson first baseman DeLise picked some nasty throws out of the dirt for outs throughout the game.

“Man, I love this defense. They’ve always got my back,” Marroquin said. “They never give up.”


Dragons junior Alliuq Troupe makes a diving catch on a line drive in the second inning.

John Valle would takeover on the mound for the Dragons in the eighth, working the final two innings without allowing a hit, and striking out three picking up the win.

Jefferson senior John Valle earned the win in relief with two hitless innings.

Senior Nathan Jennewein relieved Sanderfer in the seventh and pitched two-plus innings, striking out four, but took the loss.

“I think (Jennewein) has a ton of tools, a ton of ability, with a ton of room to get better,” Robinson head coach Alex Barron said of his Cornell signed senior. “I think a game like this, while not on the winning side, is the game he needed to launch into college. I feel like this was a great game in his evolution as a college pitcher.”

Garrett Hudson celebrates after scoring the Knights’ run in the fourth inning.

Barron said a sub-.500 mark on the year was frustrating for a team he thought gave a few too many games away, but he said after the game he made sure his team knew how proud he was of their effort.

“I don’t lie to our guys, I don’t want them to be fooled about who I think they are,” Barron said. “They know where I stand on how I feel our season has gone, and what we’ve done that needs to be cleaned up.

“But this was the kind of game we had to have for any chance to move on, unfortunately we flared up with some untimely mistakes and they didn’t. But to compete in this game, we needed those pitching efforts – what else could I possibly ask for?”

Robinson reliever Nathan Jennewein.

After his game-winning hit, Mallo (2-for-3) tipped his hat to the Knights, especially the two pitchers he faced.

“That is a great team over there, we know them and they know us,” Mallo said. “They threw two good arms that are going to college, but our team motto of ‘put things together,’ put pressure on them and that’s what we did at the end.”

Jefferson continues in region play, traveling to Lakeland to face McKeel Academy (winners, 11-1 against Lake Region last night) in Friday’s Region Semifinal at 4pm.

⚾ 4A-Region 3 Quarterfinal ⚾

Jefferson 2, Robinson 1 (9)

R 000|100|000 – |2|5|1
J 000|001|001 – |2|7|0
W – Valle; L – Jennewein
Records – R (11-14); J (18-7).

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