Durant’s Junttila has three-hit showing in win over Sumner
Durant junior Aidan Junttila smashed this pitch straight into the ground in the second inning and hustled as the chopped hit sailed over the head of Sumner’s first baseman for an RBI single. Junttila had a 3-for-3, four RBI game for the Cougars.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
PLANT CITY – For Durant junior Aidan Junttila his approach at the plate on Tuesday came down to his ability to “know the situation” and to execute in those moments.
Junttila focused on the strategies of his coaches’ practice routines and implemented them time and time again against visiting Sumner. Junttila beat a drawn-in infield twice and dribbled an infield single to a deep-set defense, tuning the Stingrays up with a 3-for-3, four RBI night as Durant claimed a five-inning, 10-0 victory.
“Before you step into the box, you have to know the situation,” Junttila said. “You have to get your sign, know what you have to do for your team, and just do the job.”
We’ve got a few more photos from this game at this link.
Sumner senior Jesse Robledo hurries to beat out an infield single to third base to start the top of the second inning.
After a scoreless inning-and-a-half of play, Jack Brooks led off the home-second with an infield single to short and was advanced a base on a Dylan Karnowski sac bunt. Moving on contact, Brooks motored around to score as Junttila smashed a chopper directly in front of the plate that soared to the right side and landed over the head of the Sumner first baseman.
Cougars senior Dylan Karnowski (1-for-1, two runs, RBI) does his job in the second, moving Jack Brooks over a base with a sac bunt.
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Junttila’s chopper lands just out of reach of Sumner 1B Isaiah Romano in the second inning.
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Stingrays SS Jalyn Chambers throws for the final out of the third inning.
The lone run would prove enough for Durant (4-3) senior Owen Franklin, who was stingy on the mound, holding Sumner (4-3) to just two hits and three walks. Franklin was content to let his defense do its work, and though finishing with five strikeouts, he said he was relaxed throughout – only buoyed by his offense’s run production the next three innings.
“It is all about knowing I can trust my defense,” Franklin said. “In those situations, I know I can throw strikes, get any of (my pitches) over, and trust them completely to back me up. It’s awesome to have that kind of trust with my defense.”
Cougars righty Owen Franklin limited the Stingrays to just two hits and three walks in his five-inning win.
Durant head coach Butch Valdes said after the win he was more than pleased with Franklin’s effort and attributed his senior righty’s longevity with the program for the success he’s shown so far, posting a 2-1 record a 2.50 ERA and 19 Ks in 13 2/3 innings.
“This is what we were hoping for from him, a senior,” Valdes said. “His daddy (longtime Durant assistant Brent Franklin) and Owen have been around this program for years, and he has grown up to pitch. He held his composure well, and just did his job. That’s what we talk about, as long as you can throw that offspeed for a strike, you are going to be in the game.”
Sumner junior Ethan DeJesus struck out eight in his four innings of work.
Sumner starting pitcher Ethan DeJesus showed impressive strikeout stuff (he had eight in four innings) but fell in the decision after the second-inning run.
Things went pear-shaped for Sumner in the third as Durant got two aboard (Brody Lissy and Jackson McClellan) with singles and saw four runs come in on a dropped third strike/wild pitch, a two-run hit by Karnowski, and a dribbler-single to short by Junttila – this time taking advantage of a deeply positioned infield – for one RBI, and a second run scoring on a throwing error on the same play.
Durant senior Jack Brooks runs down a ball in the outfield for an out.
Junttila sparked the five-run game-ending fifth inning with a single sent just over the outstretched glove of the Stingrays third baseman, drawn in with two aboard, and Cooper Hughes added an RBI single to center in the final inning.
“(Junttila’s at bats) were amazing because that’s what we work on in practice every day,” Franklin said of Junttila. “We focus on hitting the ball on the ground, not elevating the ball too much and really being able to get those two-strike, two-out hits.”
Durant second baseman Aidan Junttila just gets his foot down on the bag, after leaping for a throw from shortstop Brady Kelley for a force out.
Defensively, Junttila helped out Franklin with a great leaping play on a force out at second base, coming down on the bag for an out, and McClellan likely saved a run with two aboard in the second, diving from the first base bag on an off-target pick-throw from catcher Brantley Hayward.
Durant junior 1B Jackson McClellan makes a diving stop on an off-target pickoff throw with two aboard.
A passed ball saw a stealing Daniel Montanez go from second to home and end the game early due to the mercy-rule. After the game, Valdes spoke to his team’s ability to take advantage of any mistakes they were offered.
“We have to (take advantage in those situations),” Valdes said. “I know in some of those situations with certain teams, you might back off, but with (Sumner head coach) Kennedy Duran, there was no way I’m going to back off, because he can bring his team right back into the mix.”
Daniel Montanez gets in under the tag of pitcher Luke Parsons to end the game via mercy-rule.
Durant 10
#13 Sumner 0 – five innings
S 000|00x|x – |0|2|2
D 014|05x|x – |10|9|0
W – Franklin (2-1); L – DeJesus (2-2)
Records – S (4-3); D (4-3).
