Strayer leads power Plant production in title win over Steinbrenner

Panthers leadoff hitter Cash Strayer (26) is greeted by Jordan Olivia (6) and Danny Cerelli (22) after hitting his first of two home runs in a district final victory.

By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer

TAMPA – Plant’s offense was bringing the hammer down Thursday, but it took a lot of blows to finally knock a feisty Steinbrenner team out.

Carson Krueger, Steinbrenner’s starting pitcher in the Class 6A-10 title tilt, battled control issues but excelled when it counted, stranding seven Panthers runners in all and six in scoring position. Even though seven of hosts’ nine batters reached base, Krueger left after his three innings of work only trailing by a run.

“This was Carson’s fourth start of the year,” Warriors head coach Chenzo Scanio said. “He didn’t have his best stuff but he did an outstanding job.”

Steinbrenner starting pitcher Carson Krueger battled control issues successfully, dodging several Plant scoring opportunities to allow just one run over his three innings of work.

But suppressing an offense entering the game with a .336 batting average and 64 extra base hits would present a challenge to any pitching staff and Plant finally cut loose, pounding four home runs and running away with an 11-4 victory.

“We knew coming into this year we were going to be able to swing the bats a little bit,” Panthers head coach Dennis Braun said. “A lot of our guys don’t stride (at the plate), we just load up and hit so we got rid of some of the timing issues. I think a lot of them have bought into (that approach).”

Plant first baseman Danny Cerelli was just too late to catch a first-inning foul popup.

The person leading that charge is the guy at the top of the order, senior and four-year starter Cash Strayer. Bringing a newly-found power bat to this season, Strayer is elevating his game at the right time. He lined a home run over the rightfield fence to start the game, then added a line single in the second inning before delivering a towering blast to right for a two-run round tripper, his sixth of the season.

“I don’t really take (my role to be a traditional) leadoff hitter,” Strayer explained. “I’ve just always been in the spot to get the guys going at the start of the game. I just kind of do the same thing as if I was in the two- or three-hole.”

Warriors first baseman Dylan Kolsen finds the handle for a first-inning putout. Kolsen contributed a double and scored a run against Plant.

By producing Plant’s first three runs of the game, Strayer set the stage for his teammates to cut loose, especially in a game-defining six-run fifth inning. Main contributions came from:

  • Senior clean-up hitter Jackson Cucchi, who powered a three-run homer far over the leftfield fence in the fifth as part of a 2-for-3, two-walk plate effort;
  • Junior Urban Ellis, who followed Cucchi with a solo shot to right while reaching base three times;
  • Bo Allen, who reached base three different ways (walk, dropped third strike, and a single) and scored a pair of runs;
  • No. 9 batter Desan DeCamp, who walked twice and scored both times while dropping down a perfect sacrifice bunt early in the fateful fifth frame.

Panthers shortstop Urban Ellis rifles the ball to first for a second-inning out.

And through all the early struggles and late explosions, Panther starter Nick Townley had two goals: “Making sure I’m throwing strikes and trusting my defense because without them nothing would be possible.”

Nick Townley pounded the strike zone in picking up his seventh victory of the season, striking out five in his six innings of work.

While the result was in doubt, the Panther D was flawless, and that allowed Townley to get on a roll, retiring 12-of-13 Warrior batters at one point in the contest.

“I think a big part of my game that’s improved this year is just consistently throwing multiple pitches in the strike zone,” Townley explained. “Toward the beginning of the season, I wasn’t as accurate consistently, but once I turned that around, everything became much easier.”

Plant rightfielder Jackson Cucchi ranged far to his left but couldn’t get to Austin Liss’ third-inning line drive. Liss ended up with a double on the play.

On his just-completed 15-12 first season as head coach, Scanio said: “When you play ball in Hillsborough County, you know what you’re signing up for. You’ve got to play good for seven innings and we weren’t good enough in key spots all year. We dropped six one-run games this year and now we’re in a spot where we’re holding our breath for tomorrow (and the release of the regional tourney brackets by the FHSAA at 1 pm).”

A smiling Jackson Cucchi (27) is greeted by head coach Dennis Braun after the Plant senior blasted a three-run homer, the key blow in a six-run fifth inning.

It’s a little different for Braun and his 20-win Panthers.

“We’re going to give the guys a little rest, which I don’t do very often. They’ve got two days – and they’ve earned that – and we’ll come out here on Monday and get back at it.”

⚾ 6A-District 10 Final ⚾

#4 Plant 11
Steinbrenner 4

S 000|002|2 – |4|6|2
P 100|262|x – |11|9|2
W – Townley (7-0); L – Krueger
2B – Liss, Kolsen, Osborne, Hoblitzell (S); HR – Strayer 2, J. Cucchi, Ellis (P). Records – S (15-12); P (20-6).

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Plant base runner Jackson Cucchi looks on as Steinbrenner third baseman Kason Bell looks in a popup that ends the first inning.

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After suffering a uniform malfunction sliding into the bag, Steinbrenner sophomore Will Hoblitzell retreats to second base. Hoblitzell had a single and double for the Warriors.

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Warriors junior Jackson Winterberg worked 1 2/3 innings of relief.

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Steinbrenner third baseman Kason Bell tracks down the ball after the Panthers’ Cash Strayer strides safely to the bag during fifth-inning action.

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Urban Ellis (19) bumps helmets with teammate Wyatt Patterson (4) after hitting a fifth-inning solo home run.

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Warriors’ runner Austin Liss glides into second base as Plant’s Urban Ellis looks to turn a sixth-inning double play.

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Senior Danny Cerelli worked the seventh inning to close out Plant’s district final victory.

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Steinbrenner pinch runner Devin Wirth rounds third and scores on Nick Osborne’s seventh-inning double.

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With leftfielder Desan DeCamp backing him up, Plant shortstop Urban Ellis tracks down Chase Petker’s popup for the final out in the Panthers’ district final victory.

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