5A-7 BASEBALL eagles-climb-mountain-ar-281184
SPRING HILL –
Let’s see veteran skipper Wayne Yancey has guided the talented Ocala-Forest baseball program since Jimmy Carter occupied the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
How stout have the Wildcats been? Regardless of what happened Thursday night on Mariner Boulevard, the Marion County club will make its 19th regional appearance next Tuesday, including its 10th in a row. The ‘Cats have also been to the Final Four twice under Yancey.
And hadn’t the Wildcats entered Friday’s game holders of a 12-1 scalp from their last meeting between the two teams in Ocala on April 7? Oh, and what about the defending district champion Wildcats’ 12-game winning streak entering Friday’s Class 5A, District 7 title tilt?
Wasn’t it a foregone conclusion that the Eagles were Tom Turkey and it was time for a program that hadn’t captured a district title in 15 years was simply getting served for dinner?
Yet, high school baseball is funny. Though Forest (22-5) led 4-2, Wildcat pitchers allowed solo homers in sixth, seventh and eighth innings to allow the Springstead Eagles to hoist its second-ever district championship trophy across 34 seasons, 5-4 in eight innings.
Oddly enough, the Eagles’ lone district crown was in 1996 – the 5A-7 title – under Head Coach and Athletic Director Tony Zefiretto when the Eagles upset defending champion Ridgewood in New Port Richey, 8-5.
As the Eagles climbed to 17-10 overall, they’ll now host one of the Class 5A, Region II quarterfinal tilts next Tuesday in Spring Hill against Durant (15-10).
The Cougars were forced to travel after losing to 5A-8 champion Tampa-Riverview at Gibsonton-East Bay, 6-1.
Coach’s corner
Springstead Head Coach Frank Vitale beamed all smiles like children do during Christmas following Thursday’s trophy presentation.
“This was a great high school baseball game,” admitted Vitale. “We were down to our last strike in the seventh until Brandon (Brosher) tied it up. And then Jimmy (Diven) roped one on a 2-2 count in the eighth. I had a feeling about Jimmy even before the game. We’d been working on little things with his stroke.”
What about the solid pitching efforts of J.R. Wright?
Wright surrendered seven hits and four runs (all earned) through three shaky frames, before settling down for seven solid innings of work. At one point the senior right-hander retired 12 Wildcat batters in a row before an error to begin the seventh.
“He struggled getting outs early,” noted Vitale. “He gave up two homers. That last one (a three-run blast) wasn’t his fault. The kid tomahawked a bad pitch over the fence. But after he gave up the last homer, he started spotting his fastball.”
What was the turning point?
“It had to be Nic’s (Pasarela) homer in the sixth,” Vitale said. “When he hit it I knew it was gone. It was hit high enough and just wondered if it had enough oomph.”
“After Nic’s homer Brandon and Jimmy hit bombs. It was such an exciting game,” smiled Vitale. “It’s high school baseball at its best. It’s a game our guys will never forget, especially our seniors.”
What was Vitale most proud of?
“That we never gave up. We could have easily given up after Forest’s 3-run homer,” he said. “We’ve had success against them and we came awful close last year. Right now, I’m really proud of this bunch. This was one of my biggest wins. Right now, it doesn’t matter who we play on Tuesday, both Riverview and Durant are tremendous teams.”
All ‘Cats early
Wildcat southpaw Ricky Page began the game roughly the same way he started it – weaving in and out potential jams.
In the first inning he stranded Ryan Nicoll (who reached on an error) and Blake Laferty (walk) by fanning two of his 11 victims.
Forest didn’t waste time against Wright as senior leadoff batter Alex Mazzurco deposited a 2-2 pitch over the right-center field fence, 1-0 ‘Cats.
In the second inning, SHS jumped ahead.
After Bobby Pasarela was thrown out on an outstanding play by shortstop A.J. Elkins, Diven singled to right. With two outs, Nic Pasarela, who came in hitting .194, was hit by a pitch.
Two pitches later, Nicoll drilled an RBI single up the middle to plate Diven, 1-1.
Laferty followed with a looping single to right to score Nic Pasarela, 2-1 Eagles.
With one out in the bottom of the second, the Marion County squad immediately regained the game’s momentum with back-to-back singles by Rob Jolley and Jordon Austin.
Two pitches later, senior Danny Timmons rapped a three-run homer over the right-center field fence, 4-1.
Forest appeared ready to deliver the KO as Page helped himself with a single to left before Wright walked Mazzurco.
Fortunately, Elkins followed with a hard grounder to third baseman Julian Perez, who turned it into a double play.
Wright got into another jam in the third by walking the leadoff batter Ryan Smith before catcher Erik Hindmon looped a single to right-center. At this point, Wright bowed his neck and retired the next 12 batters in a row.
SHS cut into the deficit with two outs in the sixth when the diminutive Nic Pasarela launched a homer over the leftfield fence, 4-3.
“That homer was so big,” noted the 16-year-old Pasarela. “It’s my first varsity homer. I was looking all the way for an inside fastball and I got it. As I touched home plate, I couldn’t have been any happier. It was a big hit for us, but J.R. (Wright) kept us in the game. He really settled down and took over.”
Meanwhile, Wright set down all three Wildcats in the sixth. Diven played a huge part taking a possible double away with a tumbling catch against Josh Ellzey.
In the seventh, Coach Yancey opted to replace Page with junior right-hander Alex Carrasco.
The strategy seemed to work as Carrasco fanned his first two batters before Brosher unloaded a 2-2 offering over the right field wall. It didn’t matter that Carrasco retired Wright for the final out; the game was knotted at 4-all.
“I was looking for something outside,” recalled the 16-year-old Brosher, who leads Hernando County with eight taters. “I was fortunate to make an adjustment on the ball. Looking back it was huge. If I don’t get it done, we’re done.”
Did Brosher believe he was the hero?
“You’ve got to give credit to J.R. (Wright),” acknowledged Brosher. “He struggled early but was able to bounce back.”
Though SHS tied the game all the Wildcats had to do was score one run in the bottom of the seventh to repeat as district champs.
Timmons opened the frame by reaching on a throwing error, Springstead’s lone miscue in 30 chances.
Next came the play (or the call) of the game. Page appeared to bunt successfully in front of home plate, Eagle catcher Trey Adams whistled a throw intended for second base. Instead, it ticked off Pasarela’s glove and ended up in right-center. On the play, Page hustled into third. The game appeared to be over with runners at the corners and no outs, right? Wrong.
But wait a minute; the home plate umpire indicated that as Page bunted he stepped on home plate – for an automatic out. That also forced Timmons to retreat to first base.
How critical was the call? It was huge considering Mazzurco probably would have won the game with his subsequent single to left. Instead with runners at first and second, Wright fanned Elkins, who came in hitting .495, and then Smith, who came in hitting .361, to push the game into extra innings.
Hero time
With one out in the eighth, Diven launched a 2-2 pitch over right-center, 5-4 Eagles.
In the bottom of the frame, Coach Vitale opted for Brosher on the hill.
Hindmon, who came in hitting a team-best .536, led off by smoking a double into right-center.
With the tying run at second and nobody out, Brosher excelled. He fanned Ellzey looking, enticed Jolley into a fielder’s choice and struck out Austin swinging ending the pulsating two-hour, 21-minute affair.
Diven was asked about his game-winning blast.
“All I was trying to do was produce for the team,” declared the 17-year-old Diven. “When I hit it, I thought it had a chance (to go out).”
What was it like getting mobbed at home plate?
“It was amazing,” smiled Diven. “I’m so glad I came through.”
Diven also deflected praise to his pitchers.
“Early on, J.R. pitched and they hit it, but as the game went on, he got in the zone,” said Diven. “His stuff was moving around all over the place…And Brandon, for such a young guy, can pitch lights out.”
How much will the Eagles savor the moment?
“This (winning the district championship) is awesome,” Diven said.”
Springstead 5, Ocala-Forest 4
123 456 78 R H ER
SPG 020 001 11 – 5 7 1
OF 130 000 00 – 4 9 2
SPG – Wright, Brosher (7) and Adams.
OF – Page, Carrasco (7) and Hindmon.
W – Wright (5-3). L – Carrasco (3-1).
SV – Brosher (SPG).
2B – Hindmon (OF).
HR – Mazzurco, Timmons (OF); N. Pasarela, Brosher, Diven (SPG).
Records – Springstead (17-10), Ocala-Forest (22-5).
