By FRANCIS FEDOR
Sumner opened the week with a 5-3 conference loss vs. Newsome on Mar. 11, getting an 11-1 home win vs. Tampa Bay Tech and closing the week with a 17-7 loss to open the annual Saladino Tourney on Mar. 15.
Sumner welcomed the Newsome Wolves to the Tank. The Wolves came in with an 8-2 record and are off to a hot start to the season. Their only losses were to Plant, to open the season, and Plant City, two games prior to the Sumner match-up.
Francis Fedor Photos
Lennard head coach Victor Martinez and Sumner head coach Kennedy Duran renew acquaintances ahead of Saladino Tournament, where Lennard is the host and Duran was formerly the head coach.
Winston Pennant celebrates a first inning HR with his teammates on Mar. 15 vs. Strawberry Crest.
Newsome got on the board first with a two-run second inning and added a run in each of the next three innings. The ’Rays got two back in the bottom of the third and another in the fourth but couldn’t find the offense to get the home win. Jalyn Chambers had the only hit for the Stingrays and drove in a run. Ethan DeJesus continues to match-up competitively against other opponents’ top starters and gave the ’Rays a chance to win in each of his starts. Ethan Dejesus took the loss, giving up just two earned runs on five hits and five K’s.
The ’Rays added a home game against 2-9 Tampa Bay Tech on Thursday, Mar. 13. The Stingrays got off to a quick start, scoring four runs in each of the first two innings to put the Titans into an early 8-0 hole. The four-run first was keyed by Sebastian Peralta’s double, which drove in two of the four runs. The second inning runs were a result of a number of pitches that eluded the catcher and a misplayed fly ball. Winston Pennant hit his first HR of the season. The early lead allowed coach Duran to get his subs some playing time. Juan Ovalle got the nod to start, threw three innings of one-run baseball, and K’d five for the win.
Stingray senior Sebastian Peralta launches a HR in action vs. Strawberry Crest on Mar. 15.
Sumner #4 scores a run, getting by the Strawberry Crest catcher on Mar. 15 to open the Saladino Tourney.
The Stingrays opened the Saladino Tournament with a tough draw in a rematch of their home opener. Strawberry Crest, now with nine wins, won the game 3-2. Sumner went with starting pitcher Ethan DeJesus, who was the hard luck loser in that first game. The Stingrays opened the scoring with a two-run HR by Winston Pennant, his second in two games. But the Chargers posted a five-run bottom of the first. The wind was a factor for the game that saw two other homers, ’Rays Sebastian Peralta with his second of the season and Chargers Chase Conti, his first of the season. A number of balls carried past the outfielders in the jet stream. Crest followed up with a four-run second and three-run third to put Sumner in a tough position. DeJesus, who leads 7A District 7 with 44 K’s, had his toughest outing of the season, giving up nine runs. The Stingrays look to bounce back in the tourney with a game on Monday vs. Ruskin rival and one of the tourney hosts, Lennard. The ’Rays will also play on Tuesday vs. Alonso with a game on Wednesday, based on seeding.
Jesse Robledo applies the tag just after the Strawberry Crest runner safely returns to the base on Mar. 15 to open the Saladino Tourney.
Sumner girls softball defeated South Shore rival Riverview 10-3 at the Tank on Mar. 13 and played in the Home of Champions Softball Tournament, losing to Bartow in a wild 22-19 game and rebounding with a 14-5 win over Okeechobee. A battle of the bats ensued in the sixth inning of the Bartow game, where the teams combined for 19 runs. The Stingrays outhit the Yellow Jackets 20-12 but couldn’t overcome the outburst of 10-win Bartow, ranked 26 in Florida. Coach Hernandez’s squad came back with a 15-hit performance, led by Aliyanis Stubbs and Karlee Salisbury, both hitting 2-4 and each with a triple combining to drive in seven of the 14 runs. The ’Rays ended the week with a 9-5 loss against Evangelical Christian on Mar. 15. They now have a week off before returning to play on Mar. 25.
For more South Shore action, look for Steve Jackson’s write-up covering the other South Shore HS games.
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