Gaither tops Jesuit to close out big three-win first week
Gaither’s Josh Choe, who was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, stolen base and run scored, settles under a catch in the sixth inning. The Cowboys won three games this week, including Friday’s thriller against nationally-ranked Jesuit.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
TAMPA – To quote Hall of Fame football coach Jimmy Johnson: “How. Bout. Them. Cowboys?”
Yes, it’s Week 1. But, what a Week 1 to have, as Gaither stormed through three of 813Preps’ Preseason Top 10 (No. 9 Newsome and No. 5 Plant), scoring 28 runs including Friday night’s capper – a 7-5 victory over nationally-ranked Jesuit.
“We try to bring a consistent game every day, to practice, to inter-squads, we try and play it the same way every time,” Gaither head coach Nelson North said. “But, you could hear it was a little bit louder in here, I think they were a little bit more excited because this was the pinnacle of a really tough week.
“Three really good teams, three really tough games, and they won them all.”
Prior to Friday’s game Jesuit honored the 30th anniversary of its first state title in 1994, welcoming a group of around 10 former players, and three-time Tigers state championship coach John Crumbley, who threw out the game’s first pitch.
A tie game entering the sixth saw the Cowboys put up three runs in back-to-back innings, but Jesuit, not a team to panic, battled to the final pitch, clawing back with a big three-run homerun from Noah Sheffield in the seventh but coming just short of a rallied win.
“The beautiful thing about baseball, 21 outs,” Tigers coach Miguel Menendez said, “they can’t take a knee, they can’t run out the clock, you have a chance as long as there are outs left.”
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In what had all the feel of a playoff atmosphere, both teams matched up phenomenal senior left-handed pitching from the starters McCall Biemiller (Jesuit) and last season’s county strikeout leader, Gaither’s Michael Fernandez.
It was Fernandez who would blink initially, as Jesuit opened the home-first with a DJ Pirela infield single, and with two outs the Tigers plated the game’ first run on the first of Sheffield’s three hits on the night.
Jesuit leadoff DJ Pirela steps on the plate, scoring the first run.
Biemiller shuffled off a first-inning double from Gaither’s Angel Hernandez and a hit batter in the second inning. But in the third, a walk to Jackson Mirza hurt. The Cowboys leadoff used his speed to swipe second and put the Tigers starter on tilt, as he fired a pickoff attempt into the outfield where it was misplayed allowing Mirza to motor in to tie the game.
Gaither’s Jackson Mirza rounds third as his third base coach, his father Erik Mirza, points him toward the plate in the third inning.
The double, walk and unearned run however, were all Biemiller (a University of Florida signee) would allow as he worked four innings and finished with four strikeouts, though did hit two batters.
Jesuit senior McCall Biemiller struck out four and allowed just one hit in his start.
The game would play tied through the fourth and fifth, and was highlighted by each team getting two big inning-ending catches at the wall, first from the Jesuit centerfielder Pirela and the other from Gaither leftfielder Josh Choe.
“I just attended to precision,” Choe said. “All during live reps and BP, and I just learned from that.”
Adding with a chuckle, “It also helps that Jesuit has a warning track.”
Jesuit CF DJ Pirela holds his glove up after catching a fly ball at the wall.
Choe would haul in his fly to end the fifth, which would also end the night on the mound for the Miami-signed Fernandez, who spun five solid innings, striking out 10, allowing just the one run on two hits, three walks and a hit batter.
“This is the type of game I dream about,” Fernandez said. “I came in knowing this would probably be the toughest game of my high school career so far, and I had to stay calm. I knew this was the game I wanted to pitch.”
Gaither senior pitcher Michael Fernandez had 10 strikeouts in a no-decision.
Fernandez was pleased his team pulled off the win, but also knows there is a lot of work left.
“It was a bit of a nail-biter,” he said. “This has been a great week. It’s really early, but I think we’ve shown what we can do.”
Choe would be a big part in the Cowboys taking the lead in the sixth. After a scoreless first inning of relief from Jesuit reliever Brady Hoar, a pair of walks placed a runner in scoring position. A passed ball later and both were threatening as Choe grounded a ball to second base and beat out a rushed throw as his team took the lead on the RBI single.
Gaither’s Josh Choe grounds a ball to second base for an RBI infield single.
Gaither (3-0) extended that lead with an RBI groundout by Ryder Warriner and another run on a throwing error on newly entered Kaden Weachter.
Jesuit (1-1) cut the deficit in half in the bottom-sixth when Will Burke singled in a run with a line drive to left, only to see Gaither stay on the attack in its next at-bats.
Jesuit’s Will Burke lines and RBI single into left.
Mirza led off with a single, followed by a walk, a Nico Lopez RBI hit into right, a throwing error allowing a run and the final Cowboys run coming by way of a David Pina single.
Mirza, who relieved Fernandez to start home-sixth and allowed the Burke RBI, struck out the first in the seventh, got a quick groundout before the Tigers started to make noise with two outs. Jack Clark sent a groundball out of the reach of the diving Gaither second baseman for a it. The game appeared to be over as a ball was skied into shallow left by Vincent DeCarlo, but it tipped off the glove of the shortstop Pina and extending things.
The error allowed the Florida State commit, Sheffield, to the plate. He unloaded on the first pitch he saw from Mirza and sent it screaming over the wall in left. Sheffield had half of the Tigers hits, going 3-for-4 with four RBI.
Jesuit’s Noah Sheffield sneaks a look at his three-run home run in the seventh inning.
But Mirza stayed composed and finished off his win on the mound with a ground out.
“I just stuck with what I had,” Mirza said. “(Sheffield) put a good swing on that, I hung it a little bit. But after that, you just have to go back and pitch it.”
A sloppy game defensively with five errors was a bit frustrating for Tigers head coach Miguel Menendez, but the veteran coach was also realistic in his assessment of the Week 1 game.
“Hats to (Gaither) they played well, and we didn’t. I’d have loved to see a little cleaner game defensively. But it’s the second game of the year. It’s February. The good thing here is that it is hard to create a playoff atmosphere, especially this early in the year. To have the pitching matchup we had, the intensity on both sides, we’ll be better off for it and they’ll be better off for it.”
Gaither third baseman Anthony Linares throws across the diamond.
On the other side, North said he knew even with a five-run cushion the game wasn’t over just yet.
“(The seventh inning insurance runs) were everything, “ North said. “Jesuit is an incredible team, they are just outstanding. They are No. 1, nationally ranked for a reason. Those guys just kept coming and coming.”
Jesuit welcomes Venice on Tuesday, and hosts Tampa Catholic next Friday, while Gaither hosts Leto on Tuesday and visits Bloomingdale on Thursday.
⚾
#4 Gaither 7, #1 Jesuit 5
G 001|003|3 – |7|6|2
J 100|001|3 – |5|6|5
W – Mirza (1-0); L – Hoar (0-1)
2B – Hernandez, Choe (G); HR – Sheffield (J). Records – G (3-0); J (1-1).
