After following up Saladino Tournament play with a season-high six-game win streak, Durant baseball ultimately saw that win streak end as they fell to 10-2 on the year with a 9-4 loss to Newsome on March 28. Setting up yet another crucial battle among two of the top teams in a loaded 7A District 6 group that also features 16-5 Winter Haven, 14-6 Haines City and 12-6 Strawberry Crest, Durant responded to the loss with three consecutive wins over Bloomingdale, East Bay and Riverview before getting their revenge last Friday with a 3-1 win over Newsome — moving to 14-3 on the year.
“It was tough because we had already beaten them three times in a row since last year and a fourth time is just about impossible,” Durant head coach Butch Valdes said. “(Newsome starter) Evan Dempsey is one hell of pitcher so we knew that it would be a battle. We kind of prepared a little bit differently for this one, we went out there with Blaine Rowland and we needed this one for sure.”
Entering the night at 2-0 on the year, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 33 hitters across 24.1 innings, junior Blaine Rowland took the mound for the Cougars. In similar fashion to his first nine appearances of the year, Rowland started strong with a perfect first inning in which he coaxed a pair of ground balls and a fly out to right field. After a strikeout and a line out to center opened the bottom of the frame, the Cougars put a pair of runners on as junior Noah Morales reached on an error and Rowland drew a walk. The duo moved up to second and third on a double steal, but a strikeout ended the early threat.
Rowland notched his first strikeout of the game in the top of the second inning, followed by a pair of fly outs to mark another easy 1-2-3 inning, but the Cougars were only able to muster one baserunner on a two-out base hit to left field from senior Aidan Welsh before another inning-ending strikeout wrapped up a scoreless second.
After Newsome’s leadoff hitter in the third quickly fell into an 0-2 hole, he punched a soft liner down the right field line that quickly put the Wolves’ first baserunner into scoring position with no outs. A ground out to second base would move him over to third and with the infield in, a hard chopper to the left side slipped into left field between third base and shortstop to drive in the run and give Newsome a 1-0 lead. Despite conceding the score, Rowland bounced back to retire the next two hitters.
Leadoff hitter Nick April-Gath opened the bottom of the third with a base hit, followed by a double ripped into right center by senior catcher Dylan LaPointe, quickly giving Durant two runners in scoring position with no outs. Back-to-back strikeouts left Newsome just one out away from escaping the jam, but a passed ball allowed April-Gath to come across and score to knot the contest up at 1-1 after three.
Both offenses were then sat down quietly in the fourth and Rowland worked through the top of the fifth with ease before Durant jumped out to their first lead of the contest in the bottom of the fifth. After a flyout marked the first out of the frame, April-Gath reached first on his second hit of the contest — a single up the middle. LaPointe then reached on a walk and a ground ball to shortstop from Morales was misplayed, allowing April-Gath to score all the way from second as LaPointe and Morales each reached safely. A double steal attempt left Morales as the Cougars’ lone baserunner at second as Newsome’s catcher nabbed Durant’s courtesy runner for LaPointe at third for the second out of the inning, but a spinning ground ball off the end of the bat from Rowland leaked past the Wolves’ first baseman and into right field for an RBI single to give Durant a 3-1 lead after five.
Offenses were once again quiet in the sixth and Newsome stepped up for their last chance to mount a comeback in the top of the seventh. After a lineup to left field and a ground out to second the Cougars were just one out away from sealing the crucial victory, but a walk put a runner on for Newsome and brought the tying run to the plate. Despite pressure building, Rowland was able to induce a ground ball to first base and shut the door on Newsome for a 3-1 victory.
Despite just five total hits for Durant’s offense, the Cougars were able to move to 14-3 on the year with yet another stellar start from Rowland — a night in which he allowed just one earned run, four walks and three hits while striking out four across seven innings in the complete game effort.
“Blaine had a good night tonight because when he pitched he had to battle,” Durant head coach Butch Valdes said. “He wasn’t as crisp as he normally is but again, now you can see what kind of athlete he is and he battled through it. Four walks, I think only four strikeouts or something like that which is not a typical night for him, but he only gave up one run. He battled through it, he did well, he pitched well, it’s what we expect from him. It’s huge. Being able to battle like that is what I expect out of him because he’s that type of athlete. He’s always been that type of kid and that’s why he’s up there on the hill and leading the squad right now.”
Following the win over Newsome, Durant turned right around and moved to 15-3 with a 3-2 win over Sumner. The Cougars will return to action on Thursday as they host crosstown rival Strawberry Crest.