Crusaders offense steadily produces in region win over Terrapins

Tampa Catholic junior Jack Smythe connects on his first-inning solo home run. Smythe would later add an RBI sac bunt as the Crusaders scored in six-of-seven at-bats to defeat Tampa Prep, 7-3 in the Class 2A-Region 3 quarterfinals. 

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

TAMPA – Region seven-seed Tampa Prep took Tampa Catholic ace Talan Miranda into deep waters in the first inning, but the senior righty limited the damage to a single run despite his 30-pitch first frame. But that was all the generosity Miranda was offering over his four-plus innings on the mound as the No. 2-seed Crusaders used solo home runs from Jack Smythe and Blake Brown to take the early lead, and held off a seventh-inning rally from the Terrapins for a 7-3 victory in Saturday’s Class 2A-Region 3 quarterfinal.

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“I have a lot of trust in my team,” Miranda said. “I don’t think I really had my best stuff today, but my defense made big plays with runners in scoring position, and we scored runs every inning but the third – that really helped my confidence.”

Tampa Catholic senior and South Alabama signee Talan Miranda picked up his fifth win of the season.

Tampa Prep (12-15) senior Langston Sallis was hit by the third pitch of the game, stole second and scored on a ground ball single into right by fellow senior Liam Akins.

Tampa Prep senior Liam Akins singles through the right side to drive in the game’s first run.

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Terrapins senior Langston Sallis is fired up scoring in the first inning.

The Crusaders (22-6) answered in the home-first as the junior Smythe sent a full-count offering over the wall in right field for his first high school home run.

“The wind was blowing out, so I just put my best swing on it,” Smythe said. “The at-bat was pretty long and I hadn’t swung that much (two strikes looking and one foul in the full-count AB), so I was just trying to put the ball in play and I just caught it.”

Jack Smythe trots around the bases and holds up the “No. 1” after his first high school home run.

An inning later, fellow junior Brown unloaded on the first pitch he saw and deposited a no-doubter over the wall in right-center for his fourth homer of the year.

“That was awesome,” Miranda said. “Once Jack hit that home run it was a brand-new ballgame, and Blake’s (homer) made my job a lot easier.”

Crusaders junior Blake Brown watches his crushed solo home run sail into centerfield.

The Terrapins were aggressive on the bases, but couldn’t find timely hits to keep pace with the Crusaders. Tampa Prep stole four bases, but left nine on throughout the game – including six in scoring position.

Crusaders senior Cole Bitman was a terror at the plate – going 3-for-3 with an RBI in the win, and his leadoff double in third put a runner in scoring position, aided by a Christian Serralles sac bunt to move speed-up runner Jojo Hall 90 feet from the plate.

An error on a Ty Fraga ground ball to the left side let the Crusaders stretch out the lead and shook the Terrapins. Brown followed with a double and Jayden Mera dropped down one of his two bunts in the game to give the Crusaders the eventual deciding run.

“I’m a senior, so it’s about leaving it all on the field,” Bitman, TC’s leading hitter with a .403 average and 24 RBI, deflecting his success a bit. “Having these guys pick me up – my teammates give me a lot of confidence.”

TC’s Cole Bitman hits a double – one of three hits for the senior in the game.

A pair of singles to start the fifth chased Terrapins starting pitcher Akins from the mound. The Rollins College signee was charged with four earned runs, allowed six hits and struck out two.

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Akins finishes the season 4-4 with a 1.27 ERA, but Terrapins head coach AJ Hendrix said he couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated player.

“For three years he’s been phenomenal for us,” Hendrix said of Akins. “He’s swung the bat for us, he’s played great defense, and on the mound, he’s been really, really special. I knew he was going to go out and give it everything he had. And sometimes, you just tip your hat to a good offense.”

Liam Akins delivers a pitch. The Terrapins righty ends his senior season 4-4 with a 1.27 ERA.

Smyth would drive in a run with a sac bunt, Bitman added to the lead with an RBI single, and a throwing error on a Finn Fluker steal of third allowed the junior to score the final TC run.

Kicking up a cloud of dust behind him, Finn Fluker heads to the plate scoring the Crusaders final run of the game.

Fraga, who relieved Miranda on the mound in the fifth inning, held the Terrapins in check for two innings, but Tampa Prep was not willing to go quietly. With two quick outs in the seventh, an error gave the Terps new life, as they loaded the bases, got one run on an Evan Bohlman walk, and another on an RBI single by junior Brett Batoff – who had a monster 4-for-4 day at the plate – just his second multi-hit game of the season.

“I just asked him, ‘where has that been all year?’” Hendrix said with a chuckle. “No, but Brett had a great swing, had a good week in batting practice and he’s worked hard, so I look forward to seeing more of that from him next year.”

Tampa Prep junior Brett Batoff collected four hits in the loss, including this RBI single in the seventh inning.

Miranda echoed the opposing coach’s respect.

“Last game of the season, this is what I expected from them (Tampa Prep),” Miranda said. “They came out with a big fight, swinging early … that’s a solid, scrappy team that fought us to the end.”

Tampa Catholic senior Christian Serralles needed just four pitches to wrap up his relief outing. His game-ending strikeout locked up his fifth save of the year.

But, as they have a number of times this season, the Crusaders turned to their stopper – second baseman Christian Serralles, who moved to the mound and earned his fifth save of the year with a game-ending strikeout.

Luc Thornton had a double for the Terrapins, and Brayden Beauchaine was 2-for-3 with a triple and a run for the Crusaders.

Junior Brayden Beauchaine turns on the jets as he heads toward third base on his triple down the line in rightfield.

The Crusaders will next host a familiar advisory in the best-of-three region semifinal next weekend – No. 3-seed Sarasota Cardinal Mooney. The Crusaders and the Cougars split two games this year, with TC taking the first game 5-1, and Mooney the second 10-9.