BROOKSVILLE – On Tuesday, the Nature Coast Sharks (19-9) avenged their game one loss to the Umatilla Bulldogs (15-13) with a 12-2 blowout victory in five innings in game two of the 3A regional quarterfinals.
Junior pitcher Bryce Hewell was masterful in relief of Senior Pitcher Raymond Groetsch and blasted one of his team’s two home runs to send the visitors packing early.
The first frame and a half looked as if the game might take a more defensive turn akin to their 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs on Monday, but the bottom of the second stanza changed the complexion of the rest of the match in Nature Coast’s favor.
After the home team had stifled the Bulldogs in the second inning, the visitors had hoped to do the same, but the Sharks’ batters figured out pitcher Wyatt Strawbridge early in this matchup. A walk put Senior Brady McMurdo on base before a double allowed McMurdo to steal home for the game’s opening score.
Following a double by Sophomore Beckett Monroe and a Junior Garrick Waggoner walk, Senior Joe Rozsa made the play of the game. The senior first baseman stepped up and crushed a three-run home run past the right field fence to give his team a sudden 4-0 lead.
Not to be outdone, a mere three at-bats later, Hewell stepped up and launched a dinger past the left field fence to give his team a commanding 6-0 lead. Little did he know he would also come in and play relief as early as he did.
In the top of the fourth frame, with Groetsch experiencing some difficulties, the Sharks made the change to Hewell (while leading 6-2) and resumed their dominating pace.
When operating from the bump, “that is what we rely on [Bryce] to do,” Coach Garofano said. “He has done it for two years […] he did a good job. He kept the hitters off-balance.”
Later that same inning, the Sharks put two more runs on the board thanks to an error on a bunt turned triple and an RBI single to right field by Hewell. The home team would put the finishing touches on their demolition of the Bulldogs with a deep double by Senior Joey VanCleave down the third base line to walk the game off.
“We told them, ‘Our backs are against the wall.’ We expect a lot out of ourselves as a team,” Coach Garofano said. “Yesterday, we did not swing the bats well. They threw a good guy on the mound, too. That had a lot to do with it. Champions answer the bell, and tonight we swung a bat as well as we have all year.”
Up next: the all-important game three. Coach Garofano and the Sharks will hope for their bats to stay hot when they take on Umatilla again on Wednesday.
