McDonald fans 17 as Sickles tops Plant City
Sickles’ Caden McDonald turns around a Plant City fastball for a sixth-inning, three-run home run that wrapped up the Gryphons’ region quarterfinal win against Plant City.
By Chuck Frye, Staff Writer
TAMPA – Make it 55 days and counting.
In its quest for a return trip to the Class 6A final four, that’s how long Sickles has played relentlessly winning baseball. After a mid-March setback to nationally ranked Jesuit, the Gryphons have methodically churned out win after win, 18 in all including Wednesday night’s 7-0 blanking of visiting Plant City to open regional tournament play.
“We’re playing our best baseball right now and we’ve just got to keep it up,” University of Central Florida commit Caden McDonald said. “We’ve got to take it one game at a time and play every game like it’s our last.”
For a few more photos from this game click here.
And both on the mound and at the plate, McDonald is bringing his best when it counts the most.
After yielding a leadoff base hit to Colin Pellicer followed by a throwing error on a bunt, McDonald just upped his game. The senior retired the next 17 batters he faced, not allowing another Raiders base runner until he hit Landen Robert with two outs in the sixth.
“It sucked that it ended (by hitting Robert in the foot), but that’s just one of those games where everything that could possibly go right, goes right,” McDonald said, finishing his complete-game shutout with 17 strikeouts while yielding just three hits, allowing no runners to reach third base all night.
Senior and UCF commit Caden McDonald got Sickles rolling to start regional tourney play, tossing a complete-game three-hitter with 17 strikeouts.
“He was locked in,” said battery-mate Justin Allen, who also contributed a pair of singles and two runs scored in the victory. “I was sitting back, sitting happy. It was a night that I didn’t have to worry about other things, just doing my job.”
“McDonald’s a true man of his word,” agreed Plant City head coach Mike Fryrear. “He gets tougher when guys get on. He just paints like Picasso, like they were saying all night in their dugout.”
Sickles catcher Justin Allen (13) gets high-fives from his teammates after his first-inning single.
And the command didn’t wane when he stepped to the plate as the No. 3 batter walked, lashed a double to right-centerfield in the fifth inning, then put the game to bed with a mammoth three-run homer in the sixth.
“During a pitching change, (head coach Eric Luksis) said to look off-speed, but (newly inserted reliever Tanner Rollyson) went curveball, fastball, curveball to start so I was sitting dead red,”
McDonald explained. “He threw it low and in and I put a good swing on it,” sending the ball well over the leftfield fence for his team-high and county-leading 10th round-tripper of the season, delivering Connor Vance (walk) and Hayden Yost (double) and locking down the victory.
Sickles’ Hayden Yost asks for time after his sixth-inning double. He later scored.
Battling a scrappy Plant City squad that fashioned a late-season six-game winning streak to qualify for regionals, the Gryphons (26-2) needed some key offense to create some space.
Luke Fikar followed up a run-scoring wild pitch with a two-out double that scored Jordan Yost (single followed by a walk and a double) in the second inning.
Then after leaving four prior runners in scoring position, Sickles struck again in the fifth when a Cameron Guise sacrifice fly brought in courtesy runner Carter Christy (after McDonald’s two-bagger). Allen followed with his second base hit as was replaced by courtesy runner Jacob Dial, who stole second, reached third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball.
“That was a flawless game by us,” McDonald said. “Everybody did their part. It was really a special night, it was great. The ball really rolled our way.”
Plant City senior starter Adan Longoria allowed one earned run and three hits over four inning against top-seed Sickles.
When asked if last year’s heartbreaking state semifinal loss played a role in Wednesday’s victory, Luksis said: “A bunch.
“It’s all about being in these moments and understanding how to win these games. Last year, it was kind of new and unexpected. This year, we’ve got better leadership, more experienced players … it’s the right group of guys that we’ve got in the dugout right now.”
Plant City third baseman Anthony Palestrini (5) flips a throw homeward as Sickles’ Hayden Yost is caught in a fifth-inning rundown.
And Fryrear is hoping that the Gryphons’ example can create a blueprint for success for Plant City, who ends its season with a 14-13 mark.
“You watch Sickles take infield and outfield (practice) with pride, hustling on every play, executing fundamentals … it’s the little things that win ballgames. We’ve got to get bigger, faster, and stronger. It’s as simple as that.”
The top-seeded Gryphons will next host No. 5 Lennard in regional semifinal action on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
⚾ Class 6A-Region 3 ⚾
Sickles 7, Plant City 0
P 000|000|0 – |0|3|1
S 020|023|x – |7|10|1
W – McDonald (10-1); L – Longoria
2B – Fikar, McDonald, H. Yost, J. Yost (S); HR – McDonald (S). Records – P (14-13); S (26-2).
