Gaither well-rounded in quarterfinal win over Parrish
Gaither senior DH Jacob Butler signals to his bench after his third-inning RBI double scored Gaither’s game-winning run.
By Chuck Frye, Senior Staff Writer
TAMPA – Mathew Altman didn’t need to lean on luck to get win number 13, just a little help from his friends.
Parrish Community School, a team with a .260 team batting average and no home runs on the season, came out aggressively against Altman. Getting base hits from three of their first four batters, the eighth-seeded Bulls took a quick lead then countered Gaither’s response with strong second-inning base running to tie Friday’s Class 6A-Region 3 quarterfinal.
Even though Parrish was able to continue to create scoring opportunities in every inning, Altman and reliever Noah Lockler teamed up with an increasingly confident defense to shut down those threats. Behind a multi-faceted offense continuing to come into their own at the right time, the Cowboys eased away for a 5-3 win-or-go-home decision.
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Region top seed Gaither (22-4) will next host Sickles in the best-of-three region semifinals starting Friday.
“(Parrish) was swinging at the first good pitch they saw and Matt was throwing some good pitches,” explained Cowboys head coach Nelson North. “They were aggressive and the ball was falling in. I’ve known (Bulls head coach) Ryan (Kennedy) for a little while. He did a good job when he was at Lakewood Ranch and he has a good, well-coached team (in Parrish).”
Parrish Community’s aggressive approach at the plate put starter Mathew Altman on his heels to start but the senior battled back, scattering six hits and striking out six over his five-plus innings of work to earn his 13th victory of the season.
Behind starting pitcher and clean-up batter Tyler Brown’s first-inning RBI single and savvy base running from No. 9 hitter Bryson Nowakowski to jump on shaky defense, the Bulls (13-13 stayed even with Gaither at 3-3 after two innings.
But one would be challenged to tell if the hosts were feeling any pressure.
“One thing about this team that is something special is that there’s zero panic,” North said. “The Plant game comes to mind, a 0-0 game that we scored a run in the sixth inning and one in the seventh to win 2-0. All through that game, there was just no panic, they believe someone is going to come through and produce. Their mental toughness might be their strength.”
Many people came through Friday on the road to playoff win number one.
After DH Jacob Butler drew a bases-loaded walk in the first to re-tie the contest, Will Wade stepped up and drilled a two-out pitch to the leftfield fence to bring home S.J Branham (single) and clean-up man Albert Antonori (walk) for the perfect answer to Parrish’s fast start.
“I’m working on making my hitting better than what it already is,” said Branham, who had two of Gaither’s eight hits on the night. “This is a hard game so I’m not always going to get the results I want, but I just have to keep on grinding out my at-bats.”
After picking up his second single of the night in the third inning, S.J. Branham speeds around third base and heads home on Jacob Butler’s double.
Continuing to repel the Bulls’ attempts at gaining momentum, the Cowboys pounded in a pair of loud runs to seize control.
With two outs in the third, Branham looked to steal second as Butler pounded a deep drive to right-center for a two-bagger that plated the senior with what would be the game-winning tally.
“That wasn’t a true hit-and-run as I think coach (North) put on the steal,” said Butler. “(Brown) threw a curve that I swung at and missed, so he thought I’d probably be a little late on a fastball. He threw it and I turned it around on him.”
Gaither catcher Jose Gutierrez blocks a low throw as courtesy runner Cam Eidson slides across the plate with the game’s first run, scoring on a Tyler Brown single.
Another double, this time from junior catcher Jose Gutierrez to lead off the fourth, set the stage for a key insurance run. A wild pitch allowed courtesy runner Edwin Suarez to move to third where the junior came home on lead-off man Martin Galo’s sacrifice fly.
Parrish shortstop Gehrig Skole stretches to pull in pitcher Tyler Brown’s throw, retiring Yenier Chirinos at second to thwart Gaither’s second-inning bunt attempt.
Along the way, Altman and his defense fended off Parrish’s attempts to draw even. Ranging to the shortstop side of the bag, second baseman Yenier Chirinos tracked down a hard-hit fourth-inning grounder for an out that held runner Caleb Hoch at third where a foul pop-up ended the frame. In the fifth, after Brown roped a one-out double, third baseman Galo broke in hard for a high chopper and just retired Denver McDonald at first before Altman earned his sixth and final strikeout to strand Brown at third.
Third base umpire Bryant Barbosa signals courtesy runner Edwin Suarez safe at third as the junior advanced on a fourth-inning wild pitch.
Lockler got the same support after a lead-off walk to DH Cade Carlson followed by a wild pitch to advance the runner. Sam Torres smacked a hard line drive but right at first baseman Wade, who threw to second to easily double-off Carlson. Lockler then fanned McDonald to pick up his first save of the season.
“I’m just going to work the same no matter what,” Lockler said. “Get ahead of hitters then force them into a ground ball for a double play. It worked out well for me (in the seventh) when I fell behind but I got the DP there.
“We all have faith in our defense. It’s been amazing all year and I don’t think that anybody is worried about them.”
Gaither senior reliever Noah Lockler gave up a pair of seventh-inning walks but rode a double play to his first save of the year.
Now the unique layout of the playoffs has the Cowboys waiting until Friday before hosting game one and Saturday’s game two. If Gaither and Sickles split those games, the squads will double up on Saturday to decide the semifinal matchup.
“It’s tough to wait only for the fact that we’re antsy and we want to play,” Lockler said. “But this plays to our benefit as we can get some extra practice in, work on our team defense, something we wouldn’t be able to do if we were playing two or three games a week.”
Courtesy runner Edwin Suarez beats the throw, and catcher Ian Robinson’s tag, to score Gaither’s last run of the night via Martin Galo’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly.
“Sickles likes to put the ball in play and we have to expect them to put the ball in play,” North concluded. “We have to keep throwing strikes even if (Sickles) is making contact, and we have to expect their pitcher to throw strikes. You have to beat them and I hope our mental toughness will see us through.
“It’s going to be a battle.”
Noah Lockler winds up to pump his fist after his second strikeout locks up Gaither’s opening round playoff victory.
⚾ Class 6A – Region 3 ⚾
T-#3 Gaither 5
Parrish 3
P 111|000|0 – |3|6|0
G 301|100|0 – |5|8|0
W – Altman (13-0); L – Brown (3-3); S – Lockler (1)
2B – Brown (P); Butler, Gutierrez, Wade (G). Records – P (13-13); G (22-4).
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After forcing Martin Galo at second, Parrish second baseman Caleb Hoch looks to complete the first-inning double play but ends up holding onto the ball.
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Standing in the football bleachers behind the pennants of a quartet of Gaither seniors, fan Brenda Williams brings some extra volume to her cheering via her bullhorn.
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Senior Albert Antinori shies away from an inside pitch for a first-inning walk, eventually scoring the Cowboys’ third run of the frame.
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DH Jacob Butler puts on the brakes as he pulls into third on Will Wade’s first-inning double …
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… While Albert Antinori (left) and S.J. Branham (right) are greeted by teammate Yenier Chirinos after scoring on Wade’s blast.
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Gaither head coach Nelson North has a serious conversation with ace Mathew Altman during a fourth-inning mound visit.
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Gaither starter Mathew Altman (10) is greeted by his teammates after wrapping up his five-plus inning stint, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out six.
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Cowboys shortstop Ryan Deak puts his all behind a throw for the final out of the sixth inning.
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Will Wade slides safely into third base before Parrish’s Sam Torres can deliver the tag during sixth-inning action. Wade had a two-run double and a walk in Gaither’s regional quarterfinal victory.
