Saladino Day 1: Troupe goes yard as Dragons defeat Plant
Jefferson senior Alliuq Troupe is all smiles after hitting the Dragons first home run of the season and sealing a Saladino Tournament, game one win.
By Mike Camunas, Creative Director
TAMPA — Jefferson doesn’t dig the long ball.
It’s true.
And it’s not that the Dragons, and their coach Spencer Nunez, don’t want to hit homers — it’s just, as a team, the Dragons don’t.
Despite that, Jefferson still used the long ball to secure a 6-3 win over Plant on Saturday afternoon, as host of one of the four Saladino Tournament Gold Division opening round sites.
Click here for more photos from this game.
Senior Alliuq Troupe belted a three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth, while senior shortstop Cameron Mallo drove in a run on a 3-for-4 day, that included a diving catch on a Cash Strayer line drive to end a bases loaded jam in the top of the fifth inning.
All in all, a big-hitting day from a team full of “small guys.”
“I’m not a big guy,” the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Troupe said. “And we don’t’ have a lot of big guys who smack home runs every day. … (We play small ball) and I feel that is a lot more consistent as a style of play and works here on our team. That kind of play is what Jefferson is all about.”
Not only was Troupe’s homer the first of the season for Jefferson (7-0), it was just their second in as many seasons.
After Troupe homered, Nunez joked that “Jefferson hates homers,” but the reality of it is that coaching staff preaches contact to pitch, keeping swings short and sweet and just getting on base.
And, so far, that is working for the Dragons, who are outscoring opponents 53-12 and sporting a team batting average of .325, led by Mallo’s unbelievable .636 average.
“Over the last few years,” Mallo said, “we’ve been a get-them-on, get-them-over, get-them-in type of team. That’s what we practice and that’s how the coaches are and have always been, but it gets the job done.
Jefferson senior Cameron Mallo slides into third. Mallo was 3-for-4, with two doubles and an RBI in the Dragons win.
“But, yeah, homers are also great, so congrats on Troupe for getting our first this year — we just haven’t seen one at Jefferson in a while.”
Troupe agrees, in that he’s not swinging for the fence, but will take a home run if the ball travels the distance.
“It feels great since it’s the only one we have so far,” he said. “Especially since it’s so rare here.”
Jefferson sophomore KJ Sampson heads to third.
“We just focus on executing the offense and staying up the middle,” Nunez added. “Sometimes home runs happen, and we’re happy that one happened in that moment. We don’t swing for the fences and we like to keep at bats simple, but sometimes you run into one.
“This team is built on pitching and defense. If we can take care of the ball, the pitching is going to do their job, and if our offense can produce a few runs a game, we really like our chances.”
Dragons starting pitcher Mikey Marroquin pitched four shutout innings, allowing three hits.
As Nunez said, Jefferson relied on pitching and defense, as the former saw senior righty Michael Marroquin pitch four innings, allowing just three hits. On the defensive side, the Dragons turned two double plays in the first two innings, saw a diving catch from senior centerfielder Hayden Seckanick in the top of the third and some great backstop and putout work by senior catcher C.J. Padilla
“We were a little shaky at the beginning,” Troupe said, “but we started to execute like we can and when we do that, we know what we’re capable of.”
“Plus, it always feels good to beat Plant (laughs).”
The Dragons jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third when Mallo doubled home Troupe and then a sac fly by Cameron Copple scored Isiah Fernandez.
Panthers starter, righty Garrett Hill, lasted just 2 1/3 innings after allowing those two runs on six hits.
Plant starting pitcher Garrett Hill.
A bunt single by Seckanick scored K.J. Sampson before Troupe’s homer in the sixth.
Urban Ellis rounds the bases after his solo home run in the seventh.
Copple would close out the seventh, though gave up three Plant (4-3) runs, including a solo homer by Urban Ellis, but Copple held on, punching a strikeout in the final at bat.
Plant’s Cash Strayer doubled in a pair in the seventh.
Strayer smacked a two-run double in the seventh, scoring Connor Fulmino and Tanner Swank.
Jefferson, the No. 1 ranked team in Class 4A, will host Bloomingdale (4-2) on Monday evening in Day 2 of pool play.
In the first game at the Jefferson site, Bloomingdale defeated Wharton 9-2. Vinny Dinzeo’s two-run double got the Bulls offense going in a four-run first, going 3-for-3, with two runs and a walk. Javier Nahas-Hoyer worked two scoreless innings as Bloomingdale’s starter, striking out a pair, before turning the ball over to Hayden Porter who worked three scoreless, striking out a pair.
Cooper Hinson and Pierce Collins both scored twice in the win. Wharton scored a pair of runs in the seventh with a hit batter and a double from Chase Anello, setting up an RBI single from Jeremiah Brown and a run-scoring double from Justis Meadows (2-for-4).
#3 Jefferson 6, Plant 3
P 000|000|3 – |3|6|1
J 002|004|x – |6|10|1
W – Marroquin (4-0); L – Hill
2B – Strayer (P); Mallo 2, Troupe (J); HR – Ellis (P); Troupe (J). Records – J (6-0); P (4-3).
⚾
Bloomingdale 9, Wharton 2
W 000|000|2 – |2|6|3
B 400|221|x – |9|6|0
W – Porter; L – Andress
2B – Meadows, Anello (W); Dinzeo, Hinson (B). Records – W (4-4); B (4-2).
