Suns even semifinal series with Altamonte
(Due to publishing deadlines, the final result of the Best-of-3 Semifinal Series between the Altamonte Springs Boom and DeLand Suns were not available in time for this edition. Check out the website _ www.mysanfordherald.com _ for the most up-to-date information. Following is a recap of the first two Semifinal games with contributions from Altamonte Springs Boom Intern Aaron Polevoi (Washington State) and DeLand Suns Malcolm Anderson (Reinhardt University) _ Dean Smith.)
From Staff Reports
Game 1 was all about Mark Moclair (Tampa).
The Altamonte Springs Boom ace hurled a 1-hit shutout over 8-2/3 innings as the No. 2 seeded hosts blanked the No. 3 DeLand Suns, 2-0, to take a 1-0 lead in the Best-of-3 Semifinal Series Wednesday night at Lake Brantley High School.
DeLand’s Zachary Reks (Kentucky) led off the game with a single off Moclair, who would not allow another safety before leaving with two out in the top of the ninth inning because he had reached the 100-pitch count limit. The righthander finished with three walks and five strike outs.
Anthony Rosati (West Alabama) came on to give up a single to the first batter he faced, Logan Blum (UCF), to put the tying run on base, but then got a fly out to close out the shutout and earn the save.
The Suns also got a great outing from their pitching staff. Starting pitcher Brady Mintell (Webber International) and Albert Neff (Seminole State) combined for 11 strikeouts. The pair did a great job of crisis management on the night; Brady pitched himself out of first and third inning scoring threats. He helped himself again in the fourth inning when he got 5-3, bases loaded double play to end the inning. Neff came out strong in the sixth inning when he struck out the side with the bases loaded and followed that up by striking out the side again in the seventh.
The Boom did collect 10 hits in the game, including two doubles from Seth Johnson (Grand Valley State) and two hits each from Russell Schwertfeger (South Carolina Upstate), Angel Garced (Southeastern) and Danny Rodriguez (Bethune-Cookman), but it was defensive lapses in the fifth inning by the Suns that allowed the runs to score.
With two out and no one on, Schwertfeger singled and moved around to third on a wild pitch and an error by the pitcher on an attempted pickoff at second.
Schwertfeger then scored when Mickey Scott (Texas State) reached on an error and the second run came home on back-to-back singles by Garced and Rodriguez (RBI).
Suns Survive, Force Decisive Game Three with Late-Inning Heroics
The DeLand Suns (1-1) won in the 13th hour, and inning, over the Altamonte Springs Boom (1-1) on Thursday night at Conrad Park, 7-6, to even their playoff series at 1-1.
Chandler Rodriguez (Santa Fe) came through in the clutch with the bases loaded by delivering a deep sacrifice fly to right field that brought in Brad Gresock (St. Bonaventure) with the winning run. Rodriguez was 2-for-6 on the night with 2 RBI and two runs scored.
DeLand had 10 hits and seven runs on the night, compared to the two-hit shutout on Wednesday night.
In a must-win elimination game, the Suns scored early in the first, following a throwing error that enabled Rodriguez to reach safely and then move to second. Jay Hayes (FGCU) came up to the plate and recorded the first hit for the home team, scoring Rodriguez. Logan Blum (UCF) led off the second inning with a single, and was eventually brought in with a Stetson Smith (Armstrong State) double. Blum added an RBI single in the third inning, making the score 4-0.
Altamonte rallied back by scoring three runs of its own in the fourth inning after loading the bases with nobody out. Seth Johnson (Grand Valley State) brought home Mickey Scott (Texas State) with an RBI groundout and, two batters later; Nick Gallo (Oklahoma State) lined a 1-2 curveball into left centerfield, scoring two more.
In the fifth inning, a leadoff single by Angel Garced (Southeastern) put the tying run on first base for the Boom. Garced stole second base, moved to third on an error, and came home on a sacrifice fly from Johnson.
DeLand did not score again until the seventh inning, taking advantage of a leadoff walk to Matthew Mulkey (Winthrop) and Rodriguez singled him home, taking a 5-4 lead.
Altamonte wouldn’t go down without a fight, however, as Johnson hit a two-run single in the eighth inning that gave the Boom a 6-5 lead. Johnson had four RBI on the night.
Down to their final two outs in the bottom of the ninth, DeLand pinch-hitter Wade McNabb (Stetson) lined a single into centerfield off of Jaylyn Whitehead (New Mexico), scoring Smith, the son of former Seminole High standout Blake Smith, to tie the game at 6-6.
The game remained tied into the 13th inning when Altamonte walked the bases loaded and Rodriguez took advantage of Jared Middleton’s (West Florida) 2-1 fastball, carrying it out deep enough to right field to score Gresock with the walk-off, game-winning run.
