Bates pitches 1-hitter for Hornets
Englewood Lemon Bay’s hitters weren’t ready for a pitcher like Bishop Moore senior Josh Bates in Wednesday’s FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal in Fort Myers.
And the Manta Rays hitters almost were spared having to see him after the Hornets’ first four batters reached base in the opening frame. With the bases loaded and a run in, Bishop Moore coach Tony Mehlich sent another pitcher down to the bullpen to throw some warm-ups at Hammond Stadium, spring-training home for the Minnesota Twins.
Bishop Moore plated two runs in the first inning. Asked postgame how many it would have taken for Mehlich to go a different route with his pitching and perhaps save Bates for the final, the third-year head coach wore a smile and said: “A few more.”
Bates didn’t squander his last start in a Bishop Moore uniform, however, coasting through the Lemon Bay lineup and carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning. He finished a complete-game one-hitter as the Hornets rolled past the Manta Rays for an 8-0 victory.
The Hornets (19-12) will play for their third state title today at 4:05 p.m. against Jacksonville Bolles (20-10), which scored two runs in the top of the first inning and held on to win 2-1 against Pompano Beach in Wednesday’s early semifinal.
“This is who Josh is. He dominates the strike zone, gets swings and misses, and gives our defense a chance with some light contact,” Mehlich said.
Bates struck out eight and needed just 80 pitches to get the complete game. Lemon Bay got a Trey Fields single with one out in the seventh to spoil the no-hit bid.
Seth Martin led off the game with a double for Bishop Moore, followed by a Bobby Spitulski single, and they cashed in on RBI hits from Kyle Mock and Quinton Martinez.
“I was expecting what we always expect from Josh,” Mock said.
Bishop Moore added a run in the fifth as Martinez drove in one on a fielder’s choice. The Hornets scored three more in the sixth highlighted by an RBI pinch-hit single from McGwire Holbrook.
Mock (a sophomore and Troy oral commit) rounded out his three-hit game with an RBI single in the seventh.
A change of heart led to a dream season for a pair of Timber Creek baseball players.
After years away from the game, Marcos Roque and Paxson Chambers have played a big part in helping the Wolves advance to this week’s state tournament.
“This was just going to be something I was going to do for fun, then we started winning and it got even more fun,” Roque said. “It’s felt like the best choice I’ve ever made. It’s been amazing.”
Timber Creek (23-7) takes on Jupiter (22-6) in a Class 9A semifinal on Friday at 7 p.m. The winner plays in Saturday’s state final against either Orange City University (24-6) or Miami Palmetto (22-6).
Roque packed away his bat and glove as a 10-year-old in favor of a basketball. He decided to give baseball one more chance in the fall, this time with a renewed effort.
The junior first baseman enters the final four batting .303.
“I played baseball as a little kid and my dad would push me a lot, but I didn’t see the big picture at first,” Roque said.
Chambers wrapped up his varsity golf career at Timber Creek before having a revelation of his own.
“I decided I’d come back for my senior year since it’s the last chance I’m ever going to get to play baseball, if I don’t play in college,” said Chambers.
The senior outfielder, who chose golf entering high school despite excelling in both sports while in middle school, is batting .295 as a left-handed hitter.
It’s could have been an unsettling senior year for Brian Ellis after he lost his former high school baseball coach, the coach he expected to play for at UCF, and his scholarship offer.
Despite all that, Ellis maintained his focus and helped Hagerty return to this week’s 8A state tournament. He has generated a team-best .432 batted average with 37 runs scored and 13 extra-base hits.
The Huskies (22-8), state runnersup a year ago, face Sarasota (22-8) in a semifinal on Friday at 1 p.m. at Hammonds Stadium in Fort Myers.
Ellis, a lefthanded hitter, had his scholarship offer pulled by UCF in the fall after Greg Lovelady replaced Terry Rooney as the Knights’ new coach.
“I felt really disappointed. I was committed there since the summer of my sophomore year,” Ellis said. “I just had to deal with it.”
“We’ve talked a little bit about his (college) options, but it really hasn’t affected him on the field one bit,” said new Hagerty coach Matt Cleveland.
A failing math grade cost Jesus Ruiz his sophomore season at Orange City University.
The humbling experience only motivated the infielder, who has turned in two of the biggest hits for the Titans this postseason.
“It was horrible. I was used to having practice every single day, but then I had to go straight home after school,” Ruiz said of sitting out last season. “And for the games, I was just sitting in the bleachers watching all my friends play.”
University (24-6) plays Miami Palmetto (22-6) in a 9A semifinal Friday at 4 p.m.
Ruiz is batting just .236, but he helped the Titans advance with clutch RBI hits in 2-0 region road wins against Jacksonville Mandarin and West Orange.
“This has been an amazing season,” Ruiz said. “It’s what we wanted from Day 1.”