Meier, Cooperman drive in six as Patriots blank Bell Creek

Carrollwood Day sophomore righty Beck Meier picked up the win in his first start of the year, pitching four innings, allowing just two hits and a walk, while striking out six against visiting Bell Creek. 

By Mike Camunas, Creative Director

CARROLLWOOD — Beck Meier and Charlie Cooperman were the Bash Brothers, if just for one night.

And all they needed was two hits between them.

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The Carrollwood Day School duo combined for six RBI on two hits to lead the Patriots to a 7-0 romp of Bell Creek Academy, as Meier, and then reliever, Cooper Williams, also combined for seven, three-hit shutout innings to keep the Panthers at bay.

“You can’t really ask for much more there,” CDS first-year coach Stephen Hunt said, “but I think, top-to-bottom, one-through-nine, we’ve just been preaching quality at bats for our guys, instead of worrying about our batting average, and I think today was a good example.

“You love to see your starter (drive in three runs in the first inning),” Hunt added.

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Indeed, Meier helped his own cause. After a strikeout to end the top of the first inning, he came up with the bases loaded as the five-hole hitter, and proceeded to clear the bases with a double, scoring Tommy Porta, Luke Anderson and Cooperman.

Beck Meier lets his dugout hear it after clearing the bases in the first inning with a double.

It gave CDS (2-1) a very early three-run lead over the Panthers.

“In that moment,” Meier said in a post-game video interview, “I was just trying to get something in play, get some runs on the board for myself and get that momentum rolling for our team.”

Bell Creek junior Kyle Beauchamp allowed three runs over four innings on the mound, giving up four hits and had one strikeout.

“I don’t think we have just pitchers,” Hunt added. “They’re not just pitchers only, so a lot of those guys are gonna have an opportunity to hit when they pitch, and anytime they’re able to, you know, help themselves, you’re not gonna say no to that, that’s for sure.”

Carrollwood Day junior 3B Matty Coniglio throws across the diamond.

Meier, a righty sophomore, would bear down and give up just two hits to Bell Creek (2-1), and power through 65 pitches over four innings with six strikeouts, hoping to come out with a win in his first start of the season.

“So, we weren’t gonna run the pitch count too high on him,” Hunt said. “But that really showed us something (from Meier.), I knew he’s a little tired, and he really buckled down there to get that last guy, which was awesome.”

Patriots freshman Cooper Williams took over on the mound in the fifth inning, allowing one hit and one walk over the final three frames, while striking out two to earn the save.

With a 3-0 lead through four innings, Meier would hand it off to junior reliever Cooper Williams, who would go on to be just as electric on the mound as Meier. Williams pitched three shutout innings, allowing just one hit, one walk and striking out two.

“Their starting pitcher,” Panthers head coach Frank Burke said, “I mean, really helped their cause and that big, big double there, the start of the game. … We just couldn’t get a two-out hit. We couldn’t get hits with runners in scoring position. You just can’t win games when you don’t get those timely hits or leave — 6-7 or more runners on base.”

Panthers sophomore leadoff Euriah Benoit was 1-for-3 with a single.

The Carrollwood Day lead held at three, until the Patriots were able to get to Bell Creek reliever Cohen Gourley, who gave up a stand-up, no-out triple to Cooperman to extend the CDS’ lead to 6-0, clearing the bases on one hit for the second time in the game, scoring Porta, Anderson and Matty Coniglio for the Patriots.

Two batters later, Cooperman would score from third on a wild pitch to make it 7-0.

“I’m just battling it off,” Cooperman said in a post-game video interview. “I saw a fastball and just hit it.”

Charlie Cooperman cultivates some Zen after his bases-clearing triple in the fifth put CDS up by six. He would eventually score the game’s final run on a wild pitch.

The Patriots now look to the future, even under a first-year head coach, who had extensive experience, and success, being an assistant coach at nearby Berkeley Prep. Despite the turnover of 10 seniors, and one of the program’s most successful head coaches, the players are buying into the process and not even considering this year a rebuild.

“I feel like we have a good staff and a team of good players,” Cooperman said. “Even though we’re young, I feel like we’re already on the rise and only growing and getting better. This year, we’re going to prove to people we can compete and then next year be even better.”

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Carrollwood Day 7
Bell Creek 0

B 000|000|0 – |0|3|1
C 300|040|x – |7|6|3
W – Meier (1-0); L – Beauchamp (0-1); S – Williams (1)
2B – Meier (C); 3B – Cooperman (C). Records – B (2-1); C (2-1).

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Charlie Cooperman enters the field at the start of the game.

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Panthers senior William Miller is greeted by BCA first base coach Richard Long after Miller’s first-inning single.

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Patriots SS Tommy Porta sets up behind Bell Creek runner Braylin Wilson as he takes his lead off second base. 

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First-year Carrollwood Day head baseball coach Stephen Hunt.

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Luke Anderson rounds the bases, scoring in the first inning for the Patriots.

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CDS SP Beck Meier

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Bell Creek head coach Frank Burke, now in his 11th season leading the Panthers.

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Patriots junior Trevor Sprague

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CDS SS Tommy Porta

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Panthers reliever Cohen Gourley

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Matty Coniglio takes his lead off of third base.

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Beck Meier is fired up after ending his fourth inning on the mound with a strikeout.

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Bell Creek reliever Joseph Johnson.

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