Baseball Splits on Opening Day

By Pat Clines

Bradenton, Fla -  After not being able to open the season at CoolToday Park, the SCF baseball team (1-1) took a split in the third annual SCF Legends Classic as they fell to Northwest Florida State (1-0) before defeating Pasco Hernando State (1-2) 8-4 in seven innings at Wynn Field.

"We did good our first game, despite the tough loss," said sophomore Allan Gil Fernandez. "Thankfully we bounced back in the second game with the same mentality executing everything and always having fun."

"The first game was good, but we didn't execute the hitting when we had to," said sophomore Mario Trivella. "On the other hand, we did execute very well with our defense. For the second game, it was a lot better offensively and we adjusted with the umpire's calls since they were two-third balls off the zone and we executed despite struggling with our pitching. Our focus for tomorrow against Northwest Florida State is to beat them while taking care of our field."

SCF vs NWFS:

Head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Landon O'Donnell to the mound, while NWFS head coach Doug Martin went with sophomore Alex Walsh. After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would jump on the board first as Trivella would reach base on a fielding error while sophomore Hayden Gustavson score for a 1-0 SCF lead.

After the third inning went scoreless, the Raiders would score their first runs at the top of the fourth after an RBI single by Preston Murphy and a two-run home run by Qrey Lott to make it 3-1 Northwest Florida. This would signal the end for O'Donnell as freshman Lochlan Radloff would come in to finish the inning.

Following a scoreless fifth, the Raiders would extend their lead to 4-1 after Lott scored on a passed ball. The Manatees would then cut the deficit to two runs as Gil Fernandez would send a double to left-center to bring in sophomore CJ Richard to make it 4-2 NWFS.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Manatees would take one last attempt to try and tie the game as freshman Bernard Barnes would hit a bases-loaded infield single to bring in freshman Dominic Donatucci, but it was all the Manatees could produce as the Raiders to the win.

O'Donnell would be hit with the loss after giving up three runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in three and a third innings. Radloff would give up one unearned run on one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings of relief.

Walsh would get the win for the Raiders after giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in six innings. Redshirt freshman Ryker Chavis would earn the save after giving up one hit with two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning.

Gustavson would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-3 with a run and a walk. Gil Fernandez (1-for-4, one RBI) and Barnes (1-for-1, one RBI) had the remaining two hits, while Richard (one run and one walk), Donatucci (one run) and sophomore Walker Vanecek (one walk) also contributed in game one.

Lott lead the Raiders in hitting as he went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

SCF vs Pasco Hernando:

Looking to bounce back from the first game, Hill II went with sophomore Gavyn Bowen to the mound, while Pasco head coach Lyndon Coleman went with freshman Gavin Gargiulo to counter.

The Bobcats would get on the board first as freshman Nick Cucchi would hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the run. This would have Hill II make a change on the mound as he sent redshirt freshman Cole Dement to the mound to finish the first.

After the Bobcats went scoreless at the top of the second, the Manatees would get their first run in the bottom half of the inning as Trivella would send a two-run homer to left-center for his first of the season and give the Manatees a 2-1 lead. 

"I was just being short to the ball and I was able to drive that home run," said Trivella on his home run.

One inning later, the Manatees would extend their lead as Gil Fernandez would tower a leadoff bomb to left for his first of the season.

"I was just trying to be short and on top of the ball," said Gil Fernandez on his home run."

After a triple by freshman Myles Davis, Vanecek would bring him in with an RBI groundout to make it 4-1 SCF. At the top of the fourth, the Bobcats would tie the game at 4-4 after an RBI triple by freshman Clay Thompson before he scored on a fielding error and sophomore Fano Cruz scored on a wild pitch. The tie was brief in the bottom half of the inning as the Manatees would regain the lead beginning with a leadoff single by freshman Ryan Kaitz before Gil-Fernandez brought him in with a double to left-center before scoring on a wild pitch to make it 6-4 SCF.

Following a scoreless fifth and top of the sixth, the Manatees would add their final runs on the board. After back-to-back walks by Davis and Vanecek, Gustavson would line a triple to left-center to bring in both runners to make it 8-4 SCF before sealing the victory.

Bowen and Gargiulo would earn a no-decision. Bowen gave up one run with three walks in two-thirds of an inning while Gargiulo gave up four runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in three innings.

Sophomore Frank Villella would earn the win throwing two and two-third scoreless innings of relief with two hits and two strikeouts, while classmate Daniel Hartley would earn the save with one strikeout in one scoreless inning of relief. Dement would give up three runs (two earned) on five hits with two strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings of relief.

Sophomore Tyler Saunders would be dubbed with the loss after giving up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts in two and a third innings. Classmate Andy Hernandez would give up two runs on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning of relief.

All nine Manatees in the starting lineup had at least one hit with four getting two. It was Gil Fernandez and Trivella that lead the way offensively as they each went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Gil Fernandez added two runs to the mix. Gustavson followed with a multi-hit and multi-RBI game of his own as he went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk, while sophomore Luke Boykin rounded out the order going 2-for-3 at the plate.

Richard (1-for-4, one stolen base), Davis (1-for-2, one run and two walks), Vanecek (1-for-3, one run, one RBI and one walk), Kaitz (1-for-3, one run) and freshman Ben Ryan (1-for-4, one run) had the remaining hits.

Redshirt sophomore Joseph Massa lead the way in hitting for the Bobcats as he went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Up Next:

The Manatees will wrap up their classic as they face Northwest Florida State at Wynn Field Sunday afternoon, January 26 at 2 pm.