By FRANCIS FEDOR
The Stingrays were road warriors and opened the week with a 10-0 loss at Durant. They rebounded for a 11-0 win over South Shore rival Spoto before losing 10-0 at Alonso.
Sumner traveled to Durant in a match-up of a longer distance rivalry between the schools that started in year one. The ’Rays put their four-game winning streak on the line, but the Sumner bats had a quiet offensive night managing just two hits. Durant starter Owen Franklin pitched a complete game shutout and has only given up four hits and one run in his last three games. The Stingrays have run into a number of top starters early on this season and were competitive up until the Cougar game. Sumner starter Ethan DeJesus pitched another outstanding game, only giving up one earned run in four innings of work, continuing his stellar early season.
Sumner bounced back on the road with a win at Spoto on Thursday, March 6. The ’Rays jumped out to an early two run lead in the top of the first and broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning. Three players, Robledo, Chambers and DeJesus, doubled in the game. DeJesus went 2-3 and drove in four runs. Isaiah Welch and Chambers combined for the shutout, splitting the pitching duties. The Spartans came into the game 6-3 with back-to-back wins after a three-game losing streak. Coach Duran’s squad again struggled in losing 10-0 on the road at 6-3 Alonso on Saturday. The ’Rays offense ran into yet another hot starter in the Raven’s Bryan Alonso, who hasn’t given up a run in three appearances. Alonso scattered three Stingray hits in five innings of work. Three Sumner hurlers could not solve the Raven offense, although only five runs were earned. The Stingrays finally returned home and played another tough opponent in 8-2 Newsome on Tuesday, March 11, before opening the annual Saladino tournament, which will be held at host Lennard HS from March 15 to March 20. Their March 15 game vs. Strawberry Crest will be a rematch of the opener and will be at 1 p.m.; Monday, March 17, the ’Rays play host Lennard at 7 p.m.; and on March 18 they face Alonso at 4 p.m. The final two opponents and times are TBD.
Sumner softball also dropped a heartbreaker, 2-1, on the road to rival Durant. The offense couldn’t replicate the success they had in the previous game vs. King, where they exploded for 15 runs. The Cougars used a seventh inning run to walk away with a win in a very tightly played game. Sumner junior Aliyanis Stubbs tossed a complete game, giving up one earned run in another outstanding effort and striking out 12. Her Cougar junior counterpart, Betty Oderio, K’d seven Sumner hitters, coming off a 12 K effort vs. Riverview on Feb. 27. Sa’Myra Cameron went 1-2 with a double and scored the only Stingray run. Victoria Baker was credited with the lone Sumner RBI.
Francis Fedor Photo
Sumner pitchers Isaiah Welch (left) and Jaylin Chambers (right) combined on a no-hitter against Spoto on March 6. Catcher Dalton Hayes, pictured in the middle, completed the battery. (Sumner provided photo)
Coach Hernandez and her team have a busy upcoming week. They played a home game vs. the eight-win Newsome Wolves on March 11. It will be a rematch of their opener at Newsome on Feb. 18, when the Stingrays handed the Wolves one of their three losses. They continue the home-stand, playing South Shore rival Riverview on Thursday, March 13, before entering tournament play in the Home of Champions tourney on Thursday through Saturday, facing Bartow, Okeechobee and opponents to be determined, based on seeding on Saturday.
For more South Shore action, look for Steve Jackson’s write-up covering the other South Shore HS games.
Story or any parts of the story are copyright protected, including AI revisions, without permission of the editor.
Photos available for purchase at https://www.maxpreps.com/photography/photographers/ Florida-Francis Fedor
Photography/Graphics Inquiries: Email: FrancisFotography@Outlook.com Phone: 202-683-9691.