Before I get started here, I think a few shout-outs are in order: I’ve gotten a copy of the Western Conference All-County team selections and you’ll all be pleased to know that our three schools are represented.
From Plant City, congrats to Federal Division first-team designated hitter and utilityman Connor Slagill, and to pitcher Billy McKay, and outfielder Sawyer Dawson for nabbing second-team honors. Also in the Federal Division, Durant pitcher and outfielder Jonah Scolaro and first baseman Zach Barfield made the second-team roster.
In the National Division, Strawberry Crest ace Mark Moclair got first-team honors, while first baseman Alex Kachler and infielder Logan Fernandez got second-team honors.
Now, about that district tournament that just happened. Perhaps it’s no surprise that Durant, the top seed in the tournament, ended up winning it all. But the tournament itself was solid, from start to finish, even if things didn’t go quite as planned.
Strawberry Crest started strong, picking up a 5-0 win over East Bay before facing Brandon, the district runner-up, in the semifinals. The Chargers got a strong five innings from freshman Damien Torres in that game, and Kachler led the team with two hits and an RBI. Freshman Tate Whatley was also a top offensive contributor, scoring two runs of his own.
Against Brandon, Eagles ace Antonio Velez wasn’t his usual self out on the mound. He did keep Crest hitters from making anything happen, but only struck out one batter. On the other hand, the Brandon offense got out to an early lead and never looked back, en route to its 3-0 victory. Playoff games are always tough to win, but this is especially true of a team hosting the tournament. And Brandon fans came out in droves.
Plant City also made the semis, but their road was a little rockier than Crest’s. The Raiders picked up a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay Tech to start things off and had to fend off a sixth-inning Titans rally to preserve the score. Dalton Wingo’s two RBI led the offense, and Jake Ralyea pitched six innings of two-hit ball to get the win.
The semifinal game against Durant was a different story, as the two teams took a scoreless battle to an extra inning. You could say Plant City’s pitching was a little better that evening, giving up four combined hits to Durant’s six and only walking two batters. But it doesn’t matter: an eighth-inning RBI from Jake Sullivan, scoring Scolaro, sealed the deal, as Plant City couldn’t muster a comeback in the bottom of the eighth.
Durant’s championship game against Brandon was, for a while, Brandon’s game to lose. Although the Eagles didn’t get on the scoreboard until the fourth inning, the crowd was on fire and the nature of the atmosphere looked like it got in the Cougars’ heads early on. Indeed, a tough place to play a game.
But after that fourth inning, we got to see that Durant team that performed so well in the district this season. When Barfield hit that clutch triple, it seemed like someone hit the “mute” button on the Brandon fans. Scolaro was money from there on out and, by the end of the night, there was no doubt that Durant had earned that district title.