Tampa Jesuit denies Heritage its chance to repeat state title
FORT MYERS
American Heritage relied on its pitching to win plenty of low-scoring, close baseball games this season.
The goal on Saturday for the Patriots was to follow the same formula spearheaded by another strong outing from junior right handed pitcher Talan Holiday.
But revenge-minded Tampa Jesuit had other plans.
The Tigers tagged Holiday and Heritage with five runs over the first three innings to build what would be an insurmountable lead as the Patriots’ hopes of a state championship repeat evaporated with a 5-2 loss in the Class 5A state championship game at Hammond Stadium.
“It was a tough game and we knew it was going to be a battle,” American Heritage coach and athletic director Bruce Aven said. “We were able to get some guys on base most innings, but just couldn’t get the big hit. They did a good job of executing and we just didn’t have enough ammo and couldn’t get the big hit when we needed it.”
Instead, it was Jesuit (26-6), which won its second state title in the past three seasons and seventh overall, that produced the timely hitting in what was a rematch of last year’s 5A final.
Noah Sheffield, the son of former Marlins star Gary Sheffield, and Jack Clark each hit doubles in the first off Holiday, who entered the game with a 1.12 ERA over his 62.2 previous innings this season.
After Jesuit added a third run in the second, Sheffield sparked the Tigers again with a hit and came around to score. Problems compounded for Heritage when a fifth run scored on a play in which the Patriots should have tagged Clark out in a rundown between first and second to end the inning. But Heritage second baseman Chris Levy dove to make the tag and missed Clark’s foot, allowing him to return to first safely and a fifth run to score.
“We’re not known for 9 runs, 12 runs. We’re inning to inning. We’re at-bat to at-bat,” Aven said. “We’re known to get the big hit. That’s how we even got to this game. That was our identity. When you fall behind, we don’t have the guys that can change the score with one at-bat.”
Holiday allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks and struck out four on 105 pitches.
“I’m using this as motivation to come back next year and keep working hard like I’ve been doing,” Holiday said. “I wanted to be in this game last year and I started the one before. Now I have to wait a year, but I’ll be back.”
Heritage (21-11) mounted its best chance at a comeback in the top of the fifth. Luca Ramirez, a Tennessee commit, belted a ball deep to center and past Jesuit center fielder DJ Pirela to drive in Levy to cut the deficit to 5-1.
After Sebastian Garavito worked a walk, Jesuit removed starter and Florida commit McCall Biemiller and replaced him with Wilson Anderson. Andrew Ortiz was hit by a pitch to load the bases. But Anderson proceeded to strike out Rafael Furcal and induce an inningending fly out by Zach Wilson.
“A good hit right there could have changed the game, but they had good defense and their pitchers did a good job mixing up their pitches,” Aven said. “I think we had to be more aggressive today. I think we were a little too selective with our pitches. The umpire had a big zone but he was consistent. We had to adjust to the umpire.”
Aven said he hopes the result will fuel a desire for payback all offseason in his team the same way it did for Jesuit.
“Last year, they sat there and watched us celebrate. We had to sit there and watch them celebrate this time,” Aven said. “Now we have something to motivate us to come back and play for that championship. I love the fact that Jesuit wanted to beat us. We have to get back to that and feel that same way. We have to refocus and see what we need to do to come back and beat them next year.”