PREP ROUNDUP: Riverview High baseball comes up just short
SARASOTA — The Riverview High baseball team overcame some early adversity to get into a position to win.
Sam Klanot took over on the mound for injured starter Pip Smalley and threw five scoreless innings. After scoring two runs in the third inning to make it a one-run game, the Rams had the potential tying run on base in the fifth and tying and winning runs on base in the seventh.
However, East Lake pitchers were up to the task and held Riverview off the board on both occasions and the Eagles went on to a 4-3 victory in a Class 7A regional quarterfinal game at Suncoast Technical College.
“We crawled back,” Rams coach Jeremy Schmidt said. “We came within one. That’s all you can ask for ... striking distance. We had the opportunities. They were better tonight.”
The missed opportunities for the Rams began early.
Riverview (18-9) got on the board in the first inning. Chris Barr led off with a triple and scored on a squeeze bunt by Dylan Wilds, who reached base on the fielder’s choice. Cooper Bowditch followed with a single to put runners on first and second base with one out but that is where they remained.
“We had opportunities. We just didn’t get a few of those key hits early,” Schmidt said. “In the first inning we had them on the ropes and scored one run.”
On Smalley’s first pitch in the second inning, a toss that went to the backstop, the senior right-hander tweaked his knee on his delivery. He remained on the mound, but clearly was not himself.
East Lake (21-5) took advantage, scoring four unearned runs on three hits, two walks and an error.
“He got his knee caught on the clay when he extended. His knee kind of popped out,” Schmidt said. “He couldn’t really get his push off on his drive. We didn’t want to push him. We had Sam ready to go.”
Klanot allowed two hits, two walks and most importantly no runs the rest of the way.
“Sam kept us in the game like he has been doing all year,” Schmidt said. “We knew our bullpen was ready to go.”
Riverview got two runs in the third inning on a two-run double by Cooper Backman after Smalley, who remained in the game at third base, reached on an error and Bowditch walked. Wilds walked, took second on an error on a pickoff attempt and went to third on a balk in the fifth, but was stranded.
In the seventh, Barr walked and Smalley singled with one out. Jayden Harriel, who came in from third and pitched the final two innings, got a fly out and strikeout to end the game.
“Our top guys all year have been giving us opportunities,” Schmidt said. “Their pitchers came out and competed.”
Riverview takeaways
• The Rams’ normally reliable defense committed three errors leading to four unearned runs. “Our defense was lock-down, except for today,” Schmidt said. “All year our defense kept us in.”
• Riverview graduates 12 seniors: Colby Byrd, Barr, Wilds, Nicholas Polk, Nicholas Garcia, Bowditch, William Johnson, Smalley, Austin Harford, Brandon Viera, Clay Russin and Victor Snyder. “This group has been together since Little League all the way up. They knew each other,” Schmidt said. “We’ve got work to do for next year. We’re missing a lot of key guys. They are going to do big things at the next level. That’s our job as coaches to move guys on and see them succeed. Just because you don’t win a championship doesn’t mean the year is not successful.”
• The two-time district champion Rams went out in the first round this year after being eliminated in the regional semifinals last year. “It’s a helluva year," Schmidt said. "We didn’t want to come up short. But it was still a good year. In the playoffs, you’ve got to execute.”
Windermere 1, Venice 0
CLASS 7A
AT: Windermere High.
TOP PLAYERS: V, Marek Houston (1-3), Jon Embury (1-2).
PITCHING: V, John Whitney (6IP, 4H 1R, 2BB, 9 Ks).
OF NOTE: Windermere scored the only run of the game in the fifth inning. … Cannon Feazell pitched a complete-game, two-hit, 71-pitch shutout with five strikeouts and no walks.
Durant 4, Sarasota 0
CLASS 7A
AT: Durant High, Plant City.
TOP PLAYERS: S, Tyler Maszak (1-3), Caale Kreiger (2-3).
PITCHING: S, Bernard Barnes Jr. (3.1IP, 7H, 4R-2ER, BB, K), Bradley Ramsden (2.2IP, 2H, 2BB, 2K).
OF NOTE: Durant scored two runs in the first inning. … Blaine Rowland pitched 6.2 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and one walk. … Gavin Florio got a three-pitch strikeout for the final out of the game.
Berkeley Prep 6, Cardinal Mooney 2
CLASS 3A
AT: Cardinal Mooney Catholic.
TOP PLAYERS: CM, Landen Jensen (1-3, 2B, RBI), Will Zerega (1-4, 2R).
PITCHING: CM, Bronson Sessa (7 IP, 9 hits, 6 runs, 3 earned, 2 walks, 3 Ks).
Mitchell 6, Palmetto 0
CLASS 6A
Dennis Maffezzoli is the deputy sports editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and chief reporter for Sarasota Herald-Tribune and HTpreps covering Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: PREP ROUNDUP: Riverview High baseball comes up just short
