Naples' comeback bid falls short, lose 5-2 against Jesuit in Class 5A state semifinals

Naples knew it would be a heavy underdog entering Thursday afternoon’s matchup against state powerhouse Tampa Jesuit.

And the Golden Eagles played far from one at Hammond Stadium, taking the Tigers to the wire before falling 5-2 in the Class 5A State Semifinals.

“It was a tough one,” Naples coach Jimmy Nocera said. “We knew we had our hands full coming in against a strong team. They definitely hit the ball well in the first inning. Marcos (Torres) hasn’t given up that many hits like that in a while.

“They were definitely geared up when he missed his spots, and when you miss your spots against a good hitting team, that’s what’s going to happen.”

The Tigers chased starter Torres early, only throwing 1/3 of an inning. He allowed five hits, four earned runs, with a walk and a hit by pitch. AJ Nessler, Jack Martinez, Jake Kulikowski, and Wes Mendes opened the game with four consecutive hits which plated three runs.

Sophomore Brendan Murphy entered the game having pitched only six innings all season before relieving Torres. He went 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run while walking none and striking out a pair. Nocera wasn’t necessarily comfortable with the prospect of pitching a young arm that early, but was pleased with the results.

“… We went with Murphy quick, because the plan was to maybe throw some offspeed at them, and try to keep them off balance. The kid has probably thrown maybe three to four innings on varsity all year. He’s been on JV all year, so to put him in that spot was definitely difficult, but I felt we had to roll the dice in that situation.

“I think it worked, and he did an excellent job, a great job. I think the kid grew a lot in this game.”

Miguel Menendez, the Tigers’ manager, thought Jesuit came out like they normally have, by run ruling every team in the postseason thanks to early offensive production.

“Just proud of our guys, and how they came out and battled, and fought,” Menendez said. “We obviously got out to a really good start. After the first inning, it looked like it might be easy, but all the credit to Naples there for hanging around. The little lefty they brought in did a really good job at keeping us off balance. We got some hits here and there, probably made a few too many baserunning mistakes, but found a way to make some pitches.

“We played the pitch count game to save Wes for Saturday, but all in all, we found a way to get a W and get to Saturday.”

Jesuit starter and FSU commit Jamie Arnold did a solid job at keeping the Golden Eagles off balance, throwing five innings while allowing just two hits and three walks. Arnold struck out seven Naples hitters and said it was much easier to pitch with the 4-0 lead after the first inning.

“I usually just try to work ahead, and working ahead with a lead is much easier,” Arnold said. “Especially when I have a defense behind me that I know is going to make every play. I felt good.”

After Arnold exited the game, Naples started to get to Jesuit reliever John Abraham. A walk by Torres and a single by Johnny King set up Reilly Witmer, who laced a two-run double down the left-field line to cut the lead in half.

“It was a ball right down the middle,” Witmer said. “It wasn’t fast, just down the middle. Saw it all the way.”

Naples continued to put the pressure on after Witmer’s double, as CJ Bussell nearly tied the game with a line drive down the left-field line, but Jesuit third basemen Grant Jordan leaped in the air to hold the two-run lead.

“He was our nine hitter,” Nocera said. “That was the type of pitcher that CJ does well on. He’s a senior, he’s been around situations like that, I thought he was going to hit the ball hard. I just had a feeling he was. Two inches above the guy’s mitt, and the game is tied, and we’ve got a whole new ballgame. We can’t fault CJ on something like that. He hit the ball hard, and that’s what happens. It’s baseball.”

After that inning, Jesuit pinch-hitter Jake Rupp ripped a single to the right side, extending the lead to 5-2 entering the seventh inning. In the top half, Jesuit catcher Josh Hines, who also went 3-for-3 at the plate, threw out Michael Graziano trying to steal third on a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play.

“It’s tough, because he’s a fairly good hitter, but he’s a first basemen and DH,” Menendez said of Rupp. “We had a stretch there where Kuli was DHing and AJ Nessler was playing first base. It’s hard to get those two guys out of the lineup. We have a left/right combo with him and Jalen Smith. If they left the lefty in, he was going to come in and hit in that spot.”

Naples season closes at 22-10, while Jesuit (23-8) will advance to the state championship game.

Follow Southwest Florida Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples falls 5-2 to Jesuit in Class 5A state semifinal baseball game