CDS exploits mistakes, go to 5-0 with win vs Wharton
Carrollwood Day’s Nick Bonollo celebrates after his sixth-inning two-run triple.
By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer
TAMPA – During an explosive start to its season, Carrollwood Day is taking special pleasure in making opponents pay for their mistakes.
Friday’s non-district matchup against visiting Wharton was a prime example, as the Patriots turned two miscues into seven unearned runs en route to a convincing 10-3 victory.
CDS leadoff man Steven Vargo (8) is congratulated for scoring the game’s first run on a bases-loaded walk.
Not only has CDS won its first five games, it has scored at least 10 runs in each contest.
“As long as they have quality at-bats, I think they give themselves a good chance,” Carrollwood Day head coach Tony Brewington said. “Scoring 53 runs in five games … that’s definitely some good offensive production.”
Even better was the Patriots’ propensity to rub copious amounts of salt in the Wildcats’ self-created wounds.
Carrollwood Day courtesy runner Richie Kemner slides behind Wharton catcher Chase Anello to score on J.T. Fuller’s third-inning two-run single.
After a third-inning infield error not only prolonged play but allowed cleanup hitter Nick Bonollo (single) to score, J.T. Fuller stepped up and delivered a two-out, two-run single to boost the Patriots’ lead to 4-0.
Wharton starting pitcher Luke Sauer allowed one earned run and two hits in three innings of work.
And when Wharton (now 2-3) failed to lock down a 1-2-3 sixth inning, the next five CDS batters reached base. The bonus at-bats allowed Bonollo to drive a two-run triple, followed by an RBI double from starting pitcher Nick Riedel to put the game out of reach.
“I think the best thing for us as a team is really just that we embrace the ugly,” said Bonollo, who added a pair of walks to his two-hit night, scoring three runs. “We all do our jobs, we all do what we’ve worked hard on since the fall: Execute every single day. I’m just so proud of our team.”
“Nick’s just getting prepared for his next step,” Brewington said of the Limestone (South Carolina) University commit. “My goal for him is to put the team on his back so he can be prepared when he goes to college.”
Carrollwood Day’s Nick Riedel gestures to his bench after delivering a run-scoring double as part of a four-run sixth inning.
Riedel more than helped his own cause at the dish, adding a single, walk and hit-by-pitch before his two-bagger, while also crossing the plate three times.
“I was working on my front leg staying back,” Riedel said “That helps me stay back on off-speed pitches.”
Carrollwood Day starting pitcher Nick Riedel (19) gets congratulations from catcher Ethan Heintz and head coach Tony Brewington after finishing up his six-inning, three-hit stint to beat Wharton.
The offensive production relieved pressure for Riedel, the pitcher, as well.
“It definitely boosts my confidence. My go-to pitches so far have been my curve and slider, but I was really working on my change-up recently and (Friday) it just happened to be working for me (as an out pitch). It made me really happy.”
Wharton’s Chris Stroud fights to lay down a fifth-inning sacrifice bunt, reaching base on a throwing error.
Riedel worked six innings of three-hit ball, striking out five, walking two and hitting a batter.
The game’s key sequence started in the top of the fifth when Wharton, trailing 4-2, got its first two batters on (Jairius Morris with a base hit and Chris Stroud when his bunt led to a throwing error). Leadoff batter Justis Meadows looked to slice CDS’s lead when he lofted a tough fly ball down the rightfield line, but second baseman Logan Mazur hustled to grab the ball in fair territory for a four-star catch.
CDS second baseman Logan Mazur covers a lot of ground to track down a fifth-inning fly ball near the rightfield foul line.
Riedel struck out the next batter to end the threat, and when Mazur stepped to the dish in the bottom half with two runners on, the junior came through again with a double to bump the Patriots’ lead to 6-2 and essentially lock down the victory.
“He’s the fire in the dugout,” said Brewington of Mazur, “so whenever he sees an opportunity to be a plus player, he lives for that moment.”
Wharton’s Danny Munoz (7) taps helmets with teammate Jaylen Martin after his fourth-inning two-run homer.
Wharton struggled at the plate, scoring on a two-out, two-run homer from Danny Munoz – his second in the last two games – in the fourth inning and adding an unearned run in the sixth on Meadows’ RBI single.
“We’ve got to play together and stay positive, I’m going to keep saying that,” Wharton head coach Michael Burgess said. “We’ve got to have each other’s backs and there’s not enough of it yet.”
CDS reliever Matthew Porta works the seventh inning in the Patriots’ win over Wharton.
CDS returns to action on Monday hosting Countryside, while the Wildcats look to rebound on Tuesday at home against Chamberlain.
The home plate umpire had a challenging evening, being shaken up in the fourth inning when a fast ball from Wharton pitcher Daniel Duno knocks off his mask.
Carrollwood Day 10, Wharton 3
W 000|200|1 – |3|4|3
C 103|024|x – |10|8|2
W – Riedel (1-0); L – Sauer (0-2)
2B – L.Mazur, Riedel, Vargo (C); 3B – Bonollo (C); HR – Munoz (W). Records – W (2-3); C (5-0).
