A pair of three-run innings key Bulls win at Jefferson
Jefferson catcher C.J. Padilla digs out a low throw as Bloomingdale’s Coop Hinson slides in safely as part of Johnny De La Rosa’s seventh-inning, two-run double.
By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer
TAMPA – Bloomingdale’s play was not very pretty but it was plenty gritty.
Shrugging off an early deficit and some spotty defense in Saladino Gold Division play Monday night, the 813Preps’ No. 9-ranked Bulls rode two timely blasts of offense with equal doses of pitching prowess, to deal newly-minted No. 1 Jefferson its first setback of the season, 6-2.
Now 2-0 in the Jefferson site’s bracket, Bloomingdale (5-2) can lock up a semifinal spot with a win Tuesday afternoon against Plant. The Dragons (now 7-1; 1-1 in pool play) will seek redemption against Wharton in Tuesday’s nightcap.
“We’ve played well all year but caught some bad breaks in losses to Strawberry Crest and Gaither,” said Bulls head coach Kris Wilken. “Those games didn’t go our way but (Monday) it did.”
The Bloomingdale infield and head coach Kris Wilken gather around starter Hayden Porter to talk over strategy in the fourth inning.
Spotting the Dragons a one-run advantage on senior Cameron Copple’s solo home run to lead off the second inning, Bloomingdale bounced right back in the top of the third to grab a lead it wouldn’t lose the rest of the way.
Wearing the cowboy hat awarded to Jefferson’s home run hitters, senior Cameron Copple draws congratulations from his teammates after his second-inning solo blast.
The bottom of the Bulls’ lineup got the ball rolling as Luke Rossi led off with a walk, moved to second on nine-hole hitter Izzy Perez’s fine sacrifice bunt and took third on a wild pitch. With the infield playing on the grass, leadoff man Pierce Collins’ high popup got lost in the dusky sky and fell cleanly behind second base to score Rossi. Cleanup batter Vinny Dinzeo then delivered the crushing blow, pounding a single down the leftfield line to score Coop Hinson (walk) and Johnny De La Rosa (intentional walk).
Meanwhile, Bloomingdale junior starter Hayden Porter valiantly fought off a couple of Dragon threats.
Jefferson head coach Spencer Nunez argues a fifth-inning obstruction call at first base.
Looking to draw even in the fourth when a two-out base hit by C.J. Padilla delivered Copple (walk), Jefferson cut the lead to one and put two on, Porter induced a fly out to end the rally.
In the sixth with one out, Copple reached again on a base hit, while Nelson Caraballo got on due to a miscue on a shallow outfield fly, the Bulls’ third error of the game. This time, Porter forced a harmless infield popup followed by his well-timed pickoff to second to retire the side scoreless.
“I trust what my coach says, throw the ball where he calls them, and stick to the game plan,” said a humble Porter, who finished his six-inning stint yielding one earned run on four hits, fanning five, walking one and hitting a batter. “The third inning was huge and I don’t do any hitting, so I just pitch, do my job and let (the batters) do their job. It all worked out.”
Bulls’ first base coach Jim Masson congratulates Johnny De La Rosa after the key hit.
The batters did their job in the seventh to lock up the win. De La Rosa delivered the insurance, lashing a double up the left-centerfield gap to bring home Collins (fielder’s choice) and Hinson (second single of the night to go with a pair of walks).
“I was just looking for something to hit hard,” said the Saint Leo commit who later scored the Bulls’ final run on two wild pitches. “I got a fastball middle up, had my fun and let her go.”
Then the senior got the call to close out the win, at first making things interesting by hitting Padilla and walking Hayden Sekanick before fanning leadoff man Alliuq Troupe, getting stellar defense from middle infielders Perez and A.J. Cruz for a force out, and causing power-hitting Cameron Mallo to line out to center and end the game.
“Hey, the Lord was with me,” De La Rosa said of his relief stint. “I just took my time, trusted my defense, and threw strikes like I always have.”
Bloomingdale first baseman Matt Cleveland (25) and reliever Johnny De La Rosa hug in celebration of the Bulls’ victory over previously unbeaten Jefferson.
“I’m very confident in either Johnny or (senior) Dawson Rankin to close out games,” Wilken said. “Johnny had better command of his curve ball so I went with him. It took him a few pitches to find himself but he did well.”
For Jefferson, head coach Spencer Nunez will be looking to turn things around quickly after a night where batters one through four went 1-for-15 with five strikeouts.
Jefferson starter James Van Meter worked four-plus innings, surrendering three runs on two hits, five walks and a hit batter while striking out six.
“It’s very rare to see the guys at the top of the order do that, but they’re human, and the bottom of the lineup did well (three hits including a homer, two walks, two hit batters, and two others who reached on errors). We had base runners and some opportunities but Bloomingdale came out the better team.”
Nunez concluded: “We weren’t going to go 27-0, but if we’re going to go to Fort Myers (and the state final four), we’ve got to be able to deal with these situations and adjust.”
⚾
#9 Bloomingdale 6, #1 Jefferson 2
B 003|000|3 – |6|6|3
J 010|100|0 – |2|4|0
W – Porter; L – Van Meter
2B – De La Rosa (B); HR – Copple (J). Records – B (5-2); J (7-1).
