Regional Baseball: Canterbury, Neumann advance; Naples, Island Coast, Riverdale, Verot fall
A roundup of regional quarterfinal baseball games played on Tuesday, May 9, Wednesday, May 10, Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13:
Class 2A-Region 3
St. John Neumann 7, Northside Christian 4
In a game that was completed over 24 hours after it began, St. John Neumann earned a shot at the Class 2A-Region 3 Championship behind strong performances on the mound and a balanced effort at the plate.
After a weather delay suspended Friday night’s contest, the Celtics had to return to Naples, then turn around a drive back to St. Petersburg to finish the game.
If took just 27 minutes for St. John Neumann to finish off the Mustangs on Saturday night.
“I’m just proud of the way our guys handled adversity,” said St. John Neumann coach Squeeze Maurer. “We just told them the mentally tougher team is going to win, and we found a way to win.”
The Celtics took a 3-0 lead after the first inning, but the Mustangs evened things up by the end of the third inning.
St. John Neumann responded in the fourth inning with three walks, two singles, and a home run from Carter White to take a 7-3 lead.
White finished 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Logan Barratta was also big at the plate for the Celtics, and went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
“When you’re in the dance like this, and you’re fighting for your life, your dudes have to be dudes,” Maurer said. “I think Carter did a really nice job, but at the same time I don’t want to take attention off the other guys that put him in a position to succeed.
“Guys had grinded out walks to get on base in front of him, and Logan Baratta has been on fire behind him.”
Tyler Kozera lasted 4 1/3 innings for the Celtics. He allowed four hits and two runs while fanning six in his time on the mound. After the weather suspended the contest in the fifth inning, Charley Bergsma closed the game out on Saturday night. He went 2 2/3 innings, and gave up three hits and no runs while striking out one.
“I think this past game was the first time that we really executed a game plan in its entirety,” Maurer said. “And we beat a really good team.”
St. John Neumann now looks ahead to their regional title bout with Canterbury. With a quick turnaround, the Celtics will look to regroup physically and mentally before what is sure to be a competitive fight with the Cougars. Bergsma is expected to get the ball Monday night.
“The biggest thing is to have fun with it,” Maurer said. “You know it’s going to be a great environment, we’re going to play a really good team, all of our guys know those guys and I’m very good friends with coach (Frank) Turco. But it’s going to be a very competitive environment, and they’ve got to remember to have fun.”
— Staff Report
Class 5A-Region 3
Osceola 7, Island Coast 5
A sixth-inning home run by No. 8 hitter Noah Ray proved to be the dagger in Island Coast's quest to try and repeat as state champions. Ray also earned the win on the mound, pitching the final three innings. He allowed no runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out three. Ray also went 3-for-3, coming up a triple short of hitting for the cycle.
The Gators had bases loaded with no outs in the top of the fifth inning, and only managed one run out of it, thanks to an RBI single by Mason Blackburn. Ray's only three strikeouts came on consecutive hitters after the Blackburn RBI single against the bottom third of the Island Coast order.
Emilio Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI in the losing effort. In the state tournament, Island Coast hit 10-for-51 (.196) over two games against Parrish Community and Osceola. Gonzalez was responsible for four of those hits.
— Staff Report
Class 6A-Region 3
Gaither 5, Riverdale 0
The Raiders managed just one hit in their shutout loss to the Cowboys on Saturday night.
Michael Fernandez threw a complete game shutout for Gaither, and relinquished just one hit that came in the seventh inning. Fernandez finished the win with eleven strikeouts and just one walk.
Logan Krause’s single in the seventh inning was the Raiders lone hit in the loss. The only other batter to reach base was Matthew English when he was walked.
— Staff Report
FRIDAY
Class 2A-Region 3
Canterbury 3, Out-of-Door 0
The Canterbury baseball team was in desperate need of a spark on Friday coming into their game against Out-of-Door Academy.
The Thunder had ended the Cougars’ season each of the past two years, with Austin Schrowe on the mound for both losses.
Schrowe was amped up Friday night, pitching an 83-pitch, complete game shutout in a 3-0 win over Out-of-Door in a game that took just 90 minutes. Canterbury will advance to the Class 2A-Region 3 championship game between the winner of Neumann and Northside Christian, a game that will be resumed Saturday night with the Celtics leading 7-3.
“I was just out there having fun, doing what I do,” Schrowe said. “I just see what the strike zone is, try to pound it, give my infielders and outfielders a chance, and see what happens from there. You can only do the best you can.
“It was a great experience being able to beat them, finally. It’s been two years, back to back, I’ve gotten the loss in this game, and this year, it went the other way. If I knew that was the seventh inning.”
The Cougars got to starter Carter Malartsik in the first inning, as Miami commit Evan Taveras launched a three-run home field over the left field fence to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Those would be the only runs the Cougars would plate, despite totaling 10 hits in the contest. Taveras would add a double in his second at-bat but would be left stranded in scoring position.
“It was one swing,” Taveras said. “Changed the game there. Even though we only had three runs on the board, it doesn’t show the full outcome out what we did tonight. We barreled many baseballs up hard. We could’ve put up more runs, but stuff happens.
“For us, this whole year has been about energy. The past few games, we came out flat and it kinda showed… Tonight, we all were having fun out there and having a great time.”
Out-of-Door coach Mike Matthews knew the Cougars would trot out Schrowe for the third year in a row against him. The left-hander didn’t seem to lose velocity throughout his outing, and worked very efficiently, throwing a pitch every 10 to 12 seconds.
“This team battled all year,” Matthews said. “They showed a lot of growth throughout the year, which was shown. We won 11 out of our last 13 games. Our seniors did a great job leading us and making an adjustment halfway through the year. Schrowe picked a heck of a game, and we let him settle in a little bit. We barreled baseballs up, right to guys. I’m not upset about the way we swung it.
“Keeping him at a low pitch count really hurt us. We were calling time multiple times to try and shake him up and get him out of his groove. That’s just who he is. When he’s getting quick outs, there not much you can do to shake up his groove.”
Canterbury coach Frank Turco lauded ODA’s ability to compete throughout numerous contests this season, despite the program losing numerous key contributors over the last two seasons, both of which were Final Four appearances.
“He’s been our catalyst, so it was nice to see him get redemption,” Turco said. “I’ve got to tip my hat to them because they don’t have the team they’ve had the last two years, and (Matthews) still finds a way to compete. Hats off to them. (Jack) Hobson can swing it, and they’ve got some speedsters. It was a good night for us, but the goal of getting to Hammond Stadium is still out there, and we’ve got to do it somehow, some way. It’s smoke and mirrors sometimes, but I’m proud of our guys for working hard and showing up to practice to get better. It’s been a fun group to be with.”
Gavin Howe went 2-for-3 in the No. 8 spot for Canterbury (26-4), while Joseph De La Nuez and Bryce Habuda both went 1-for-3. Nevan Hernandez and Jack Hobson combined to notch four hits for the Thunder (20-8).
— Alex Martin
Class 3A-Region 2
Calvary Christian 3, Bishop Verot 0
A disastrous first inning ended Bishop Verot’s upset hopes before they could even start on Friday, as the Vikings fell 3-0 to the Warriors of Calvary Christian at Victory Field in Clearwater In the regional semifinals of the FHSAA Class 3A Baseball Championships.
Each of Calvary’s first five hitters reached base, giving the hosts a lead they would not relinquish despite not managing a single hit in the final six innings.
The Warriors loaded the bases without hitting a ball out of the infield in the first, thanks to an error and two bunt singles. Florida commit Liam Peterson laced an RBI single to open the scoring, and Notre Dame commit Justin Mayes added a two-run double.
Those three runs would be all the Warriors needed, as Arkansas commit Hunter Dietz showed why he is a likely selection in July’s Major League Baseball Draft. The lefthander struck out eleven Vikings, and surrendered just one hit - a Jason Bello double in the top of the first.
After the first frame, Verot ace Aidan Knaak matched Dietz inning for inning. The Clemson commit, himself a potential MLB Draft selection, struck out ten Calvary hitters over his six innings of work, and did not allow a single hit after Mayes’ double in the first. Neither Knaak or Dietz allowed a hit in the game’s final six innings.
Calvary advances to the regional final, where the Warriors will host second-seeded Tampa Catholic, who defeated Berkeley Prep in Tampa.
— Ryan Murphy
Class 5A-Region 3
Jesuit 4, Naples 2 (8 innings)
For the second year in a row, Naples’ season came to a close at the hands of Jesuit, this time after a heartbreaking walk-off homer in the eighth inning.
Florida State commit Noah Sheffield, son of seven-time MLB All-Star Gary Sheffield, hit the game-winning bomb that sealed the deal for the Tigers off Florida signee Reilly Witmer.
Jesuit took a 2-0 lead in the first, and held the lead until the top of the sixth inning. The Tigers balked in a runner before Seyvn Williams’ double brought Oliver Lee in for the Golden Eagles.
In the eighth inning, Witmer gave up a single before Sheffield took the plate. Sheffield got a piece of a strike that sailed just wide of the left-field foul post. On the next pitch, Witmer put one low and outside that Sheffield blasted to left field.
Witmer went 3 1/3 innings for Naples, with the only hits and runs he surrendered coming in the decisive final frame. He tallied five strikeouts and one walk in the loss.
Miami commit Johnny King started on the mound for the Golden Eagles, and fanned nine in his 4 1/3 innings pitched. He gave up two hits and no earned runs while walking one. King would’ve remained in the game if it weren’t for lightning delay in the fifth.
Naples managed four hits in the loss. Williams was the only Golden Eagle to register multiple hits, and finished 2-for-3 with an RBI.
— Staff Report
Class 6A-Region 3
Riverdale 7, East Lake 1
The Raiders were undeterred hosting the No. 2 seed on Wednesday night.
Riverdale scored seven unanswered runs against a team ranked more than 100 spots higher in the FHSAA rankings to advance to a regional semifinal.
“I’m proud of the guys,” Riverdale head coach Bobby Pringle said. “They came, they fought, they’ve worked hard for this.”
The team led 4-1 through five innings until a 3-run home run in the sixth by Zach Johnson made the victory all but certain. Logan Krause handled his business pitching the final two innings for the Raiders.
“It feels amazing,” Johnson said. “We’re underdogs, and it’s just awesome, honestly. No one believes in us, so it’s just a ride, an elimination tour. Let’s go.”
Johnson’s jack was a “no-doubter” off the bat, Pringle said.
“Hit it on the damn football field,” he said. “I mean, that thing’s 400-plus, dead center.”
After going seven innings in Riverdale’s district championship win last Thursday, pitcher Matthew English gave his team five strong innings. He struck out two batters, gave up five hits and did not allow any earned runs.
“He’s real mild-mannered and quiet, but he’s very competitive, so for him, in that situation with them squaring up some balls and us making some plays, he still found a way to keep us in the game,” Pringle said.
The Eagles got on the board when Jayden Harriel hit a double and advanced home on an error in the third.
But the Raiders responded immediately with a rally started by freshman Wyatt Simmons’ double in the gap. Johnson and English each drove in runs, and Eagles’ pitcher Cooper Consilgio walked Konnor Vonhagen and John Herrera with the bases loaded for two more scores.
That inning changed the momentum of the game, according to Pringle.
“I tell them when we got somebody down, you’re stepping on their throat, jump up and down,” he said. “I think we did that.”
The Riverdale outfield of Johnson, Herrera and Haydon Prescott were tested, but, time and again, showed off impressive wheels and composure.
“Our outfield was phenomenal tonight,” Pringle said. “They tracked everything.”
Coming into Wednesday's contest, East Lake allowed more than five runs in just one game all season. Riverdale has now won 14 of their last 17 games.
The Raiders will go on the road to face Gaither in Tampa on Saturday. Gaither (21-6) defeated Palmetto Ridge 8-2 on Wednesday.
After a 5-5 start to the season, the Raiders are clicking at the most opportune time, and Pringle has a simple explanation.
“They gel,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and I’ve had teams that are very talented that don’t gel. Even when I was playing in college and coaching in college, it was the same way. … These guys care for each other. They take it personal, so that cohesion is what really motivates these guys to make things happen.”
— Dustin Levy
Gaither 8, Palmetto Ridge 2
Palmetto Ridge jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but could not hold the lead. Gaither responded with four runs in the second, one in the third, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth to deny the Bears an upset, and a rematch with Riverdale.
Luis Ordonez went 2-for-3 for the Ridge, while Jackson Geiger went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Steven Rojas threw five innings for Gaither, allowing just three hits while striking out five. The Bears' season came to a close with an 18-8 record.
— Staff Report
Class 5A-Region 3
Naples 4, Seminole 0
In the playoffs, you have to gamble sometimes and hope it pays off in the end.
For Jimmy Nocera, his decision to start Brendan Murphy was a solid one, and then some.
Murphy (4-0, 1.75 ERA) went the distance against a Seminole lineup that had only been shut out one other time by nationally-ranked power Calvary Christian. Naples (20-7) won the game 4-0, and will advance to the regional semifinals against Tampa Jesuit.
“The story of the night was Brendan Murphy,” Nocera said. “Brendan Murphy has been a gamer. Even last year, when he came up from JV, we knew we had something special. He’s pitched well in every outing.
“Yeah, it was a little gamble coming into regionals. I figured if he threw strikes, changed speeds, he would make them pay, and hopefully we would score. When we scored early, I think that settled him in. He threw a great game.”
Murphy was only expected to go five innings if things worked out to plan, setting up Johnny King for the final two innings. When Murphy overheard Nocera talking to the coaching staff about going batter for batter after he completed the fifth with plenty of room left on his pitch count, he offered his opinion on the matter.
“I’m gonna finish this game,” he said.
Murphy followed through, and finished the game with 99 pitches. He allowed just four baserunners on the night. Entering Tuesday night, Seminole hitters had 101 at-bats against left-handed pitching, hitting .287. Against Murphy, they went 3-for-24 (.125).
“It was really good to start the playoff run we’re hopefully about to go on,” Murphy said. “I was working, hitting all my spots. Fastball was good, curveball has always been good. Changeup was a little off, but I didn’t need to use it as much today with hitting spots and locations. My defenders made plays out there the whole game. It was great.”
Naples got to starter Tyler Saunders early on, as Isaac Palacios plated Michael Graziano, who reached base via walk. King doubled down the left field line, scoring Palacios to double the lead after the first inning. Vance Landry mashed a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Golden Eagles some extra insurance going into the seventh.
“Isaac Palacios had a great night, squaring up three balls,” Nocera said. “When Johnny King comes up with men in scoring position, he usually comes through. The double down the line, the sac fly was big. Michael Graziano getting on with a couple of walks and getting into scoring position was big. We know that our first four or five guys are gonna have to knock in runs for us.”
Next up for Naples will be the highly anticipated rematch against Jesuit. The two teams met in the 5A state semifinals last season, with the Tigers winning 5-2 before winning the state title over Eau Gallie.
It’ll be King on the bump for the Golden Eagles, looking to put together a similar start like he did against national No. 2 Stoneman Douglas earlier this year. Over 4 1/3 innings, the left-hander allowed just two hits, an unearned run, with two walks and 10 strikeouts in that game.
“He’s very fired up,” Nocera said. “He called me over the weekend and said, ‘I want Jesuit’. Listen, he’s a big game pitcher. He’s got his hands full; we’ve got our hands full because we need to figure out how to score against them, too. They have good arms. They might have three or four Johnny Kings on their team.
“I know they’re a solid team, and we’re going to have to compete very, very well to compete with them. I like the underdog role; my team doesn’t fear anybody. I tell them all the time, respect all, fear none. We’ll go up there and give it our best shot.”
— Alex Martin
Island Coast 3, Parrish Community 2
The Gators, who are looking to win back-to-back state championships in different classifications, downed a strong Parrish team 3-2 on the road Tuesday night and will take on Osceola in the regional semifinals. The Warriors were 10-0 winners over Hollins.
Flagler signee Kevin Martinez nearly went the distance, throwing 109 pitches over 6 2/3 innings. He limited Parrish to two runs despite allowing 10 baserunners, as timely outs kept the Bulls at bay.
“Really, my first few innings have never been the best for me,” said Martinez, who raised his record to 12-0. “I’m always trying to get into a rhythm. After that I’m always confident with my pitches. My velo always picks up toward the fifth and sixth. We just kept the game plan we were going with.”
The Bulls could not have asked for any more from junior right-hander Troy Guthrie, an FGCU commit. In six innings, Guthrie allowed four hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out 11 without issuing a walk. Guthrie threw 70 strikes among his 103 pitches, using his slider down in the zone to get a good chunk of his strikeouts.
“He’s the definition of an ace,” Parrish Community coach Brett Andrzejewski said of Guthrie, who was named the Manatee County Pitcher of the Year. “He’s got some stones. That’s our ace and we’re going to ride with him. He did an excellent job executing. He’s got one of the best sliders of anybody I’ve ever coached. He obviously has the firm fastball to go with it too. He did a tremendous job tonight.”
Island Coast coach Clint Montgomery lauded his right-handers performance, as his output has often hinged on whether the Gators win or lose. Martinez is 12-0 this season.
"K-Mart has been really special for us the last two years,” Montgomery said. “He just has a mental fortitude about him that he’s going to compete and go after people. He’s one of the mentally toughest kids I’ve ever met. He gives us a chance every time he’s on the bump.”
Down a run in the seventh, the Bulls went down swinging. With one out an error and a Tyler Cripe single placed runners on first and second, bringing Will Rawls, the No. 3 hitter in the Parrish Community lineup to the plate. Rawls jumped on a high fastball and drove it deep to left field. Many of the hometown faithful thought it had a chance to be a game-winning, three-run homer. The ball settled into the glove of Gators left fielder Jason Richardson for the second out of the inning.
“The ball doesn’t travel here, which we knew,” Andrzejewski said. “I think everybody here thought that thing had a shot to get out. That left fielder made a great play because the ball can get lost in the lights here.”
If Rawls was going to beat Martinez, it was going to be with his fastball.
“The coach asked me what I wanted to throw. I said fastball, middle. If he is going to beat me, I want him to beat me like that,” Martinez said. “I just went the best pitch you can throw. If he would have beat me, props to him.”
The defending Class 4A state champion also staged a two-out rally to produce the winning runs in the fourth inning. Gonzalez singled on a 3-2 pitch, Jordi Guerrero was hit with a pitch. Mason Blackburn and Jeyven Torres knocked in runs with singles. Blackburn scored what proved to be the winning run on an error on an attempted pickoff at third base.
“Usually we’re an offensive team, but that kid’s off-speed pitches were incredible,” Montgomery said of Guthrie. “We had to battle and had that one inning there.”
— Dennis Maffezzoli
Jesuit 12, North Fort Myers 2
Ole Miss commit Wes Mendes hit for the cycle on Tuesday against the Red Knights, plating six in the mercy-rule win. As a team, Jesuit (24-4) had 24 batters reach base safely in the contest.
The Red Knights got on the board in the second inning, as Jakob Wagner doubled in Dominic Rendon to take a 1-0 lead. From there, it was all Jesuit, with three runs in the bottom half, followed by four in the third, one in the fourth, one in the fifth, and three in the sixth. Jesuit hit .469 as a team with seven extra-base hits.
Matthew Blasena was a bright spot for North Fort Myers (13-15), hitting a solo home run. Jesuit advances to take on Naples in the regional semifinals.
— The News-Press staff
Class 3A-Region 2
Bishop Verot 4, Clearwater Central Catholic 2
Entering the 2023 season, the Bishop Verot baseball program, with all its tradition, hadn't won a district championship since the 2017 season or a regional playoff game since the 2016 season.
In the span of six days, both of those droughts are no more.
The fourth-seeded Vikings never trailed, scoring three runs in the first inning and holding on from there en route to a 4-2 victory over the fifth-seeded Marauders of Clearwater Central Catholic in Fort Myers in the regional quarterfinals of the FHSAA Class 3A Baseball Championships.
Verot now advances to face the top seed in the region, Clearwater Calvary Christian, an 11-1 winner over Bell Creek Academy.
Verot wasted little time in taking the lead Tuesday night, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. The Vikings took a 1-0 lead on a wild pitch before senior Fidel Alviar clubbed a two-run single to center, giving Verot a 3-0 lead just five hitters into the game.
Clearwater Central Catholic's best chance to rally came in the top of the fourth, when the Marauders got on the board thanks to an RBI double from Avery Shahriari. Shahriari would eventually score on a walk, but relief pitcher Jason Bello, who was the winning pitcher as well as the only Viking with two hits, shut the door on the Marauder threat.
The Vikings added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI single from Maddix Simpson. Verot held CCC off the scoreboard in the final three innings, with Bello tossing the fifth and sixth innings before Verot ace Aidan Knaak slammed the door in the seventh.
— Ryan Murphy
Class 4A-Region 3
Dunedin 11, Estero 1
FAU commit Trey Beard struck out 11 Estero batters, throwing all five innings in the mercy-rule win for the Falcons.
Dunedin hit 14-for-30 as a team, tagging Estero starter Nick Staszak for 12 hits and 9 earned runs. Justin Breitenstein went 3-for-3, while Brady O'Lone doubled and scored the Wildcats' lone run in the first inning.
The Wildcats conclude their season with a 14-12 record.
— The News-Press staff
Class 2A-Region 3
St. John Neumann 8, SFCA 0
St. John Neumann got off to a strong start in regional play with an 8-0 shutout win over Southwest Florida Christian on Tuesday night.
The Celtics, led by Trevor Nikolis on the mound, surrendered just one hit in the win. Nikolis pitched a complete game shutout for the Celtics, and finished the win having allowed just one hit and one walk while fanning five.
"Trevor did what he’s done all year," said Celtics head coach Squeeze Maurer. “He went out there, threw strikes, and competed his tail off."
At the plate, St. John Neumann scored eight runs on nine hits, including two homers. Gavin Lind registered a two-run shot in the second inning, and finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
John Fusco tacked on a solo shot in the next frame, and finished 1-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
The King’s went five innings before registering their first and only hit of the night in the form of an Eli Moore infield single. The Celtics, on the other hand, started the bottom of the first with a leadoff single from Alex Kuenzle.
St. John Neumann scored four runs in a second inning that saw five batters safely reach base. After forcing a three-up, three-down from the King’s in the next frame, the Celtics went for a single, a double, a sacrifice fly, an RBI ground-out, and a home run from Fusco that stretched the lead to 7-0.
“It was just playing complimentary baseball,” Maurer said. “Big hits with two outs when we needed it, and obviously we had a couple of balls leave the yard which helps. But just having a game-plan and sticking to our strengths.”
St. John Neumann made quick work of Southwest Florida Christian after the third inning, limiting the King’s to just three at-bats in three of the next four innings.
“Our guys battled, and when you run up against a team like this, you’ve got to play good baseball and really be on your ‘A’ game,” said King’s head coach Mike Klossner. “And we made some mistakes, and when you give good teams like that opportunities, they should take advantage of it, and they did.”
The King’s end their season 15-11 on the year. The loss may leave a sour taste in their mouth for now, but will provide valuable postseason experience to a squad that doesn’t lose a single player next year.
“I think the great thing about baseball is it teaches you life lessons, like how to handle that failure and disappointment,” Klossner said. “I definitely think in those areas we’ll see growth, these guys will have an opportunity to learn from that, and see what we did this year and use that as motivation for next year.”
— Nick Wilson
Canterbury 9, Community School 3
The Canterbury baseball team did what it had to do in Thursday’s Class 2A regional quarterfinal matchup with visiting Community School of Naples at Terry Park.
But it was far from an ideal performance.
The top-seeded Cougars (25-4) struggled to put away a Seahawks squad it had outscored 25-2 in two regular-season meetings as five Canterbury pitchers combined to allow 11 hits and six walks. However, Community School (12-14) couldn’t manage to cash in when it mattered most, stranding 16 baserunners, including leaving the bases loaded twice.
“Give them credit, they battled; they competed,” Cougars coach Frank Turco said of the Seahawks. “It’s tough to beat a team three times during the year.”
Canterbury scored two runs in each of the first two innings off Community School starter Sam Sissman to grab a 4-0 lead. But the Seahawks put continual pressure on the Cougars’ pitchers, chasing starter Anthony Meady in the third after loading the bases. But Canterbury reliever Garrett McManus allowed just one run, getting a ground out with the bases loaded to avoid further damage.
“We haven’t been really dominant on the mound right now so we were trying to get away with throwing a few guys tonight and trying to keep them off balance,” Turco said. “I don’t know if we have any real answers right now.”
Canterbury junior Roan Hoefling pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win. Cougars junior second baseman Joseph De La Nuez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base and senior outfielder Tyler Bouchard had two hits, including a solo home run, and three RBI.
Canterbury will host postseason nemesis Sarasota Out-of-Door (20-7) in Friday’s regional semifinal. It’s the third consecutive year the teams have met in the second round of the state tournament with ODA winning the previous two meetings.
“I wish we were going in on a little higher note,” Turco said. “I think we peaked a little earlier in the season and we’ve kind of dropped off a little but I think we can get it back.”
Turco said senior ace Austin Schrowe will get the start Friday. He’s struggled a bit recently, letting a lead slip away in last week’s 7-6 loss to St. John Neumann in the District 2A-12 championship game. Schrowe threw 19 pitches Tuesday, striking out two batters and walking two over two-thirds of an inning.
“We put him in to maybe knock a few cobwebs off because his last two outings have just been OK,” Turco said. “And we need him to be a lot better than OK. But in Austin I trust and he’s going to get the ball.”
Turco admitted the Cougars lacked a bit of intensity facing a Seahawks’ team they had handled so easily during the regular season. That’s something that can’t happen Friday if Canterbury hopes to keep its season alive against Out-of-Door.
“I told them there’s no tomorrow,” Turco said. “We’ve got to be ready to go and that starts with me. We can’t just count on one or two guys. It has to be a collective group for us to be successful.”
— Dan DeLuca
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Canterbury, Neumann advance; Naples, Island Coast, Riverdale, Verot fall
