SEBRING — The past two seasons, Braden River’s baseball team has whisked through district play, to the tune of 24 consecutive regular-season victories.
And, well, Friday in the Class4A-District 10 championship game, Braden River made quick work of host Sebring, breezing by the Blue Streaks 13-3 in five innings.
“We came out fired up, and we hit the ball hard,” Braden River coach Ryan Hilton said. “We knew here at their place they were going to be fired up, so we were able to string some hits together and take advantage of some balls that went behind the plate, and we ran with it.”
The Pirates (23-3) collected 14 hits, and only two batters struck out.
Braden River scored five runs in the second inning as pitcher Stephen Fischer sparked the rally with a run-scoring double to right field, and Nathan Pittman capped the surge with a three-run blast over the right-field fence.
Fischer also hurled a complete game, allowing three runs on seven hits.
“I came into this game thinking I have to show my teammates what I can do,” Fischer said. “When I was out there on the mound, I wanted to take it one pitch at a time and relax. I worked my change-up early and threw my curveball at the end, and it worked well for me.”
Hilton was impressed with his pitcher’s performance.
“Fisch is one of those guys we haven’t used a ton on the mound,” Hilton said. “We tried to save him for the back half of the year. He pitched a good game, and he’s been stroking the ball lately. He had a great game.”
With the win, the Pirates host the runner-up of District 9 Tuesday in the Class 4A-Region 3 quarterfinals.
Braden iced the game in the fifth, scoring eight runs on four hits, four walks and three wild pitches. Things got testy in the fifth when Blue Streaks relief pitcher Gus Williams threw several fastballs high and tight to Pirates hitter Marc Monroe, causing tension to flare between the teams.
Bickering carried over after the game, and an umpire ejected Pittman for using profanity.
Blue Streaks coach Hoppy Rewis said Williams didn’t intentionally throw at Monroe.
“We’re not going to hit somebody, because if you hit somebody at this point, they’ll throw you out,” Rewis said. “If we throw at them they are hit. We aren’t throwing at their chins, we’ll throw at the middle of their backs. We’ve thrown at two people in 12 years here, so we weren’t throwing at them.”
Pittman was visibly dejected at the umpire’s ruling, because he could be suspended for the regional quarterfinal.
“I don’t know what the process is,” Hilton said. “He was ejected after the game, so we have to see if they file it in Gainesville, but you know we don’t want to lose him.”
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