Cowboys ousted by Bradenton Manatee
By Kyle LoJacono
The Gaither baseball team surprised many by winning the 11th district championship in program history after losing 12 seniors from last year, but the Cowboys must wait another year for their first state title.
Gaither (16-9) dropped its Class 5A regional semifinals contest at Bradenton Manatee 13-3 on May 7. The Cowboys did reach the semis for the first time since 2009 and for the second season in five years.
Jose Gonzalez got the Cowboys on the board first with a solo home run in the second inning, but Manatee answered with a nine-run bottom of the frame. Hurricanes pitcher Scott Kelly threw a complete game four-hitter in the contest.
Gaither pulled out a 1-0 win in the regional quarterfinals at home May 3 against Venice. Senior pitcher Robert Johnson (8-0) threw a complete game seven-hitter with one strikeout without walking a batter in the victory.
“I came out of the pen and my arm felt great today,” Johnson said. “I just went out there and tried to hit my spots. Let them hit the ball and let the defense take care of it behind me.”
The Cowboys defense committed no errors in their three games in the district tournament and they were again spotless in the field against Venice.
“It wasn’t perfect, but we got by,” Johnson said. “Not a lot of strikeouts and they hit the ball very well, but we have defense to back me up. Our defense is what won the game. We had a lot of fantastic plays in the field.”
One of the biggest defensive plays came with one out in the seventh. Indians’ third baseman Kevin Guthrie ripped what appeared to be a sure double into the gap in right center field, but senior Zach Jackson made a diving grab to help close out the inning.
“Off the bat I didn’t think I had a chance to catch it,” Jackson said. “I was just trying to keep it in front of me. My center fielder said he had my back, so I went for it. Just gave it everything I had.”
Gaither coach Frank Permuy also gave credit to his infield defense.
“Oscar (Mercado) made some nice plays at shortstop on difficult hops early in the game and Cody (Robinson) at second made a good catch running back into the outfield,” Permuy said. “Then that play by Zach in right field was the play of the game. That was tremendous.”
Gaither had just three hits in the contest to Venice’s seven, but all three came in the third inning. Alejandro Brunet led off the third with a single, followed by another single by Gonzalez. Two batters later junior left fielder Hayden Kelley, a Cambridge Christian transfer, hit an RBI single for the game’s only run.
“I’d been swinging at bad pitches all night, but he left a ball about knee high and I hit it into left field,” Kelley said. “It feels good to get a win against a good team. They more than doubled our hits, but we got them when we needed them and Robert went out and threw a great game.”
The trip to the regional semis is even more surprising considering the youth on the Gaither squad this year. The Cowboys lost 12 seniors, five who signed athletic scholarships, from last year’s team that set a program record with 21 wins. Gaither was knocked out of the regional quarterfinals at Venice last year.
“I don’t think anyone expected us to do anything this year because we are so young,” Permuy said. “We went over there last year and Venice got us. I know the guys still had some revenge factor.”
Gaither will lose only three senior starters, but two of those are Jackson and Johnson who accounted for 12 of the 16 wins for the pitching staff.
