SPORTS WRAP Pirates stop FPC baseball at home

   Matanzas carried a big third inning of scoring and superior pitching by Sean Sparling to an 8-3 win over Flagler Palm Coast at home March 5 to gain a split of the 2021 intercounty baseball series.

   Sparling was staked to a 5-0 lead after two complete innings, but much of his success also came on the hill as he struck out 13 Bulldogs and held the visitors scoreless until the top of the fifth. Although neither team hit the cover off the ball, Matanzas made the most of its chances by erupting for five runs in the bottom of the second off FPC starter Byron Nunez.

   Nunez walked three and struck out two over the course of two innings, and two of the runs scored off him were unearned. The Pirates had six hits off Nunez and reliever Brady Araujo, who yielded two runs in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth while striking out five.

   At the plate, Matanzas got a lot of offense from Sparling, who drove in two and reached base three times on a single, a walk and being hit by a pitch, and Michael Martinez, who had two RBIs on a single. Jake Vannucci drove in three runs and scored once himself, and Jack Rainey walked three times and scored two runs. Bailey Rainey, Bailey Russell, Gabe Breckenridge and Ethan Dattilio scored the other runs.

    FPC managed only three hits, but had the only extra base knock on a double by Christian Diaz. Noah Trawick singled and scored a run, Braydon Stuart had an RBI and Araujo singled and walked in three plate appearances. FPC scored twice in the top of the sixth and once more in the seventh.

Matanzas 5, Pine Ridge 0

   The Pirates made it two in a row with the March 8 win by riding a ton of Pine Ridge mistakes and getting effective pitching from Rex Robich and Ethan Dattilio.

   Robich pitched six complete innings and struck out five while giving up only two hits and walking four. Dattilio pitched one inning of shutout relief, getting a strikeout and giving up one hit.

    Three of Matanzas’s runs were driven in by players who did not have an official hit. Dattilio, Gabe Breckenridge and Michael Martinez collectively were 0-for-9, but Breckenridge drove in one on a sacrifice fly and Martinez scored once as well as getting an RBI. Jack Rainey and Sean Sparling each singled once and scored and Brady Novak had the other hit.

    The Pirates broke a scoreless tie by scoring twice in the bottom of the third, added the other three in the fifth. Pine Ridge pitcher Jaden Millian gave up only three earned runs as the Panthers had six fielding errors.

Matanzas 20, Crescent City 2 (March 9)

   Matanzas won its third straight game in a three-inning rout of the Raiders with four players getting multiple hit games and every player in the starting lineup scoring at least one run. It was also a combined, though flawed, no-hitter for Jacob Cope, who issued nine walks that led to two runs in the Crescent City second inning, and Sterling Leia, who relieved Cope with two outs in that inning.

   The Pirates’ big inning was the top of the third, when 14 runs crossed the plate. The team combined for 11 hits and eight walks over the course of the game. Sean Sparling’s double was the only extra base hit of the contest, and he drove in two on the double and a sacrifice fly. Jack Rainey went 3-for-3 and scored three times, Bailey Rainey was 2-for-4 with two RBI, Bailey Russell drove in four on a pair of singles and a walk, and Ethan Dattillio singled in two runs.

SOFTBALL

Matanzas 13, DeLand 5

   Emma Wood hit a three-run homer and pitched a complete game in the Lady Pirates’ March 10 win over the Lady Bulldogs at Pirate Field. Nikki Perrine drove in three runs and hit a double, Chloe Baker double home a run and Lauren Sampselle hit a two-run double. Alyssa Payne’s triple accounted for another run and Lovie Haley was 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored.

    Wood handcuffed DeLand until the fourth, when the Bulldogs scored once off her and gave up another three in the top of the fifth. The junior gave up only two earned runs, struck out seven while walking two and scattering eight hits.

Matanzas 1, Seabreeze 0

    The pitcher’s dual March 5 at Matanzas saw Wood hit a solo home run in the third for the only run of the ball game off Seabreeze starter Julie Kelley. Wood’s three-hitter included 14 strikeouts, while Kelley gave up four hits and fanned 15 Lady Pirates.

GIRLS LACROSSE

Gainesville 10, Matanzas 2

   Alissa Sambolin and Emelia Kern scored the goals as the Lady Pirates finally broke through for scores for the first time this season. Cameron Delgado and Claire Hutton each scored three times to lead Gainesville. Matanzas scooped up 32 ground balls.

East Ridge 15, Flagler Palm Coast 7

    Kylie Terrell scored four goals, Katie Kornacki had two and Hannah McGuire also scored as the Lady Bulldogs lost for the first time in 2021 in the March 10 match. Kornacki had four assists and McGuire two more while goalie Abigail Hald logged six saves and faced 21 shots in the contest. Bella Mims had a seven goal, two assist game for East Ridge.

BOYS TENNIS

St. Augustine 5, Matanzas 2

   Ilya Korolev won the only singles match at No. 1 position by an 8-1 score, defeating Jackson Hazel, and Matanzas also won No. 1 doubles in an 8-6 pro sets match. Three of Matanzas’s other singles matches were close losses, including Lucas Grace by a 9-7 score at No. 2, Josh Ramotor in an 8-6 loss at No. 4 and an 8-5 loss at No. 5.

Nease 6, Matanzas 1

  Korolev won 6-0, 6-2 in straight sets for Matanzas’s only win in the March 3 match at home. He and Grace lost a close pro sets match 9-7 at No. 1 doubles. 

DeLand 4 5, Flagler Palm Coast 3

    Daniel Berenblit took the No. 1 singles match 8-1 and Alessandro Bevacqua won No. 5 singles 8-1. At No. 2 doubles, Mervyn Gong and Alan Hale won 8-1 for FPC’s other match victory.

GIRLS TENNIS

Matanzas 4, St. Augustine 3

   Nia Duncan, Sarah Fairchild and Jessica Krayter all picked up wins in singles play, and the Duncan-Krayter team, comprising two ninth-graders, won 8-3 at No. 2 doubles. Duncan won No. 2 singles 8-2, Fairchild at No. 3 by an 8-4 score and Krayter won 8-1 at No. 4 singles. Kaitlyn Gerard lost the No. 1 singles match 8-6 and Victoria Arce lost No. 5 singles by an 8-1 score.

Flagler Palm Coast 7, DeLand 0

   The Lady Bulldogs kept their season record perfect at 6-0 with the win in pro sets play March 10. Marcella Warner won No. 1 singles 8-0 and teamed with Priyan Tomberlin for an 8-0 win in No. 1 doubles. Tomberlin won No. 4 singles by an 8-1 score, Aniya Subachev captured No. 2 singles 8-2, Ania Marynuk won 8-0 at No 3 singles and FPC won No. 5 by an 8-0 score.

Seabreeze 4, Matanzas 3

  Nia Duncan won 8-6 at No. 2 position and Sarah Fairchild took No. 3 singles 8-2. The No. 2 doubles team of Duncan and Jessica Frayter won 8-6. Krayter, Gerhard and Acre all lost their singles matches.