Prep baseball | Braden River bounces back at Sarasota Baseball Classic with win against Bartow

SARASOTA -- The Sarasota Baseball Classic began as poorly for Braden River as the Pirates could have anticipated. With a seven-run loss to Miami Palmetto on Monday at Sarasota High School, BRHS started spring break with the worst letdown imaginable. After a stunning three-game sweep of Lakewood Ranch last week, Braden River shuffled into the losers bracket after one game in Sarasota.

Head coach Craig Page had to recalibrate the Pirates expectations before they took the diamond Tuesday for their second game at Ronald K. Drews Field. They won't finish any better than ninth place, but they can go 3-1.

"When you play in an event like this, with the caliber of teams that are coming, we said after yesterday, 'Hey, we can't win a championship, but our goal is to

go 3-1," Page said. "If you go 3-1 in a tournament like this, that's a successful week in my opinion."

With its ace on the mound, BRHS bounced back for a 9-1 win against Bartow. Tyler Dyson, a Florida signee, tossed a three-hitter with five strikeouts and only one walk. The Yellow Jackets' run was unearned, so the senior pitcher still has not surrendered an earned run in 34 innings this season.

"When Tyler's on the mound I think it helps the energy level get up a little bit," Page said. "They know he's going to battle and we're going to be in every game that he pitches, so with him on the mound today we expected our guys to come out ready to play."

After the second batter of the game scored for Bartow, Braden River (11-4) clamped down on the Yellow Jackets (6-7) and rode a first-inning burst of its own to the blowout win. With one out in the bottom of the first inning, infielder Gavin Root started a rally with an infield single. An error and wild pitch moved him to third, and Dyson drove him in with a single to right.

Dyson was also one of the Pirates' most productive players at the plate, going 1 for 2 with two walks. Root added a 2-for-3 effort with a walk, two runs and two RBIs, and outfielder Zacc Wiedeman scored a pair of runs and stole two bases.

By the end of the first inning, BRHS had taken a 3-1 lead, although all three runs were unearned after two errors by Bartow. The Yellow Jackets only hit one ball out of the infield in the final six innings.

"As you go throughout the game, you get to learn the hitters, and what they want and what they like to see," Dyson said. "First inning-- Adrenaline's up, but you've got to maintain that throughout the game."

Braden River chased Bartow pitcher Riley Troutt, a West Virginia signee, after just four innings. A handful of defensive gaffes meant only one of the six runs he allowed was earned, but the Pirates did rack up six hits and two walks against the senior.

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 11:50 PM with the headline "Prep baseball | Braden River bounces back at Sarasota Baseball Classic with win against Bartow ."