Osting poised in start, Porter locks down Bulls’ win
Bloomingdale junior righty Vaughn Osting stayed composed after Plant put up a run in the first & third innings, keeping a big inning from building and allowing his offense to answer back. Osting struck out four in five innings of work to pick up his first win of the season on the mound.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
VALRICO – Twice Bloomingdale junior Vaughn Osting got Plant leadoff hitter and University of Florida signee Cash Strayer to two strikes and went hard-in to try and finish him off. And twice the righty went just a bit too inside and clipped the Panthers slugger with pitches. Both of his first two ABs Strayer was brought in off the bat of Danny Cerelli, but both times Osting composed himself, and more importantly, each time Bloomingdale’s offense answered, earning Osting his first win this year, as the Bulls earned a hard-fought, 3-2 victory over the visiting Panthers.
“I was just trying to get ahead, changeups early, two-seams early and trying to go in late,” Osting said. “I was just trying to go right at them and compete.”
We’ve got 70 photos from this game at this link.
Bulls head coach Kris Wilken said pregame that he feels like he’s found a pitching plan to implement for success, where his three starting pitchers work in tandem one starting, another closing and rotating as the games roll. Thursday, that plan worked as Wilken envisioned, as Osting (1-1) worked five innings, allowing just two hits, one walk and striking out four, before staff ace Hayden Porter took over for the final two innings.
Plant got some two-out hitting going in the seventh as Desan DeCamp lined a ball into center and Strayer (1-1, 2 runs, BB, SB) followed with a groundball hit into right, but Porter (2ip, 2 hits, one walk) clamped down and induced a pop fly to end the game and lock down the save.
“It’s working really well, Porter me and Jav (Bloomingdale’s other junior starting pitcher Javier Navas-Hoyer), it’s gelling really well,” Osting said. “It’s really fun to watch them, and really fun to get out there for my chance to compete out there with those guys.”
Bloomingdale’s Luke Long connects on a single to left in the fourth inning.
Bloomingdale senior Hayden Porter (Polk State signee).
Porter has yet to allow an earned run in his two appearances (7 2/3 innings) this season. Asked if he had a preference of what part of the game he has the ball in his hands, the 2024 All-813Preps first team selection grinned.
“Whatever wins us the most amount of games,” Porter said. “I’m happy with everything (Coach Wilken does), and I know with the pitchers around me, we are setup for whatever it takes.”
In the first, Cerelli lined the second pitch he saw into the corner in left field for a double, and Strayer raced around the bases from first to get Plant (3-1) on the board early, but two groundouts got Osting out of any further damage.
Panthers senior Cash Strayer’s helmet starts to fly off as the UF signee motors toward third, scoring a run from first in the opening inning. Strayer reached four times in Thursday’s game, being hit by a pitch and scoring twice, walking once and getting a base knock in the seventh.
The Bulls (3-1) took little time to answer with Izzy Perez sending his own line drive to left for a single, taking second on a wild pitch, then scoring on a Plant error on an AJ Cruz ground ball.
“It was awesome,” Osting said of the support. “I know Iz had that knock, everyone hit it hard.”
Senior Danny Cerelli watches his first inning, RBI double travel down the line in left field.
Cerelli (2-for-2, BB, SB) cashed in Strayer a second time in the third inning, this time with a two-out single blooped into centerfield. Again, Osting tightened down and left Cerelli aboard with a strikeout, and issued just a lone walk in his final two innings of work.
Plant shortstop Urban Ellis throws to first completing a 3-6-1 double-play to end the sixth.
After the win, Porter credited his junior teammate’s toughness to shake off those runs and not let an inning spiral out of control.
“I know (Osting) is very tough mentally,” he said. “And I know that nothing really shakes him on the mound. Whether he gives up a few runs or none, I know he’s going to be composed up there and keep us in ballgames.”
Izzy Perez slides in safely in the first inning, answering a Plant run in the first.
Bloomingdale answered in the home-third when Mason Johnson reached on a free pass and stole second, before Perez’s second single moved him to third. Cruz had a productive out to tie the game and Braxton Wilken smacked an RBI single to left to get the Bulls the deciding run.
Braxton Wilken lines an elevated fastball to left to give Bloomingdale the deciding run in the third inning.
“I think it’s the team chemistry, all of us getting together and putting good at-bats together,” Perez said. “Getting us on the board, putting up runs right after (Plant) did, really showed what this team can do.
“I was trying to do anything I can to help out my brothers. Get on, get a run and get a win.”
Izzy Perez follows through on one of his two hits for Bloomingdale.
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AJ Cruz put two balls in play as Bloomingdale made things happen in response to Plant runs. Cruz, a junior second baseman, had one RBI.
Panthers senior Bo Allen worked 2 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits and two walks taking the loss, before sophomore righty Rhett Dixon finished out the final 3 2/3 putting up zeroes and yielding just three singles the rest of the way.
Plant senior Bo Allen.
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Sophomore Rhett Dixon delivered 3 2/3 innings of relief for the Panthers, not allowing a run.
Both teams are home next Tuesday, as the Bulls host Durant, and Steinbrenner visits the Panthers.
#6 Bloomingdale 3
#4 Plant 2
P 101|000|0 – |2|4|1
B 102|000|x – |3|5|0
W – Osting (1-1); L – Allen (1-1); S – Porter (2)
2B – Cerelli (P). Records – P (2-1); B (3-1).
Plant 1B Danny Cerelli makes a catch in foul territory.
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Bulls senior catcher Vinny Dinzeo Jr.
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Bloomingdale shortstop Saul Aponte brings in a short popup.
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Plant’s Desan DeCamp makes a big turn around second in the game’s final inning. DeCamp singled with two outs but was left stranded on the bases to end the game.
