Big first inning, big swings from Matt Ossenfort lead Stoneman Douglas to regional final

Matt Ossenfort took a moment to admire his piece of hitting. He stared toward the outfield and took six steps down the first-base line before tossing his bat toward the already emptying dugout that was waiting for him and three teammates to finish rounding the bases.

Ossenfort’s grand slam served as an exclamation point in Stoneman Douglas’ eight-run first inning and was his first of two home runs on the night overall in the Eagles’ 13-3, six-inning win over Taravella in a Region 4-7A semifinal on Saturday.

Stoneman Douglas improves to 26-0 on the season and is now just three wins away from completing a perfect season and a third consecutive Class 7A state title.

Ossenfort added a two-run home run in the second inning and finished the game 3 for 3 with six RBI. On the season, the Vanderbilt signee leads Stoneman Douglas with nine home runs. Half of his 24 hits this season have gone for extra bases.

“I’m happy for him,” Stoneman Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald said. “He had been expanding the zone a little bit and getting a little long [with his swing]. He really got off good today in the first inning. It was good for him to do that. ... Obviously he’s got plenty of power.”

But it wasn’t just Ossenfort picking up the offense.

Just look at the first inning, when all nine batters in the lineup reached base and seven runs scored before the team recorded an out.

Alex Rodriguez opened the inning with a triple that skipped down the first-base line and into right field. He scored on a Devin Fitz-Gerald RBI single before Taravella starting pitcher Javier Miranda loaded the bases with back-to-back walks to Rylan Lujo and Christian Rodriguez to set up Ossenfort’s grand slam and give the Eagles an early 5-0 lead. Niko Benested kept the line moving with a double to left that chased Miranda from the mound without recording an out.

“The goal is always high energy right out of the gate,” Ossenfort said. “Put it on him and just play great baseball. That’s what we’ve been doing.”

Dillon Moquin walked against reliever Enzo Gurgel and Bennett Gary reached on a fielding error that scored Jacob Herzberg (running for Benested) to make it 6-0 and move Moquin to third base before he scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-0. Alex Lazar was then hit by a pitch to bring the top of the lineup back to the plate. Lazar, however, was picked off for the first out of the inning.

Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI groundout to cap scoring in the eight-run frame.

“The atmosphere was really great,” Ossenfort said of the first inning. “Our first six [in the lineup] are all big D-1 guys. We all communicate a lot.”

Ossenfort then hit his second home run in the second inning to make it 10-1, Fitz-Gerald hit a two-run triple in the third to up the score to 12-1 and pinch-hitter Ethan Askin sealed the run-rule victory with a bases-loaded single in the sixth.

Taravella (16-10) scored its runs on a Tyler Morgan RBI fielder’s choice in the second, Jake Tannenbaum fielder’s choice in the fourth and EJ Burns home run in the fifth.