This past Saturday, the Buchholz baseball team lost their first game of the season after 21 consecutive wins to start the year.
In their last two games, the Bobcats have outscored their opponents, 20-1, to start another streak.
Following a 9-0 win at Forest (Ocala) on Monday, Buchholz returned home on Tuesday and run-ruled Providence (Jacksonville), 11-1, in five innings at Bobcat Park.
It was the first time this season that the Bobcats (23-1) mercy-ruled their opponent.
“We’ve been close a few times and for whatever reason at the end of it they scored a run or something like that and we didn’t close it out,” said Buchholz baseball coach Ron Brooks. “But it’s good to get one of those today, especially against a really good team like that, so I’m happy for our guys.”
Providence (15-9), which entered the game ranked No. 11 in Class 2A, opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first.
Buchholz junior pitcher Aidan Kastensmidt walked the first batter of the game and hit the next.
Following a 4-6-3 double play, one of two on the night, Providence pitcher Landis Pickett doubled to center field and drove in leadoff hitter Jake Cotner for a 1-0 lead.
However, Buchholz scored 11 unanswered runs.
In the bottom of the second inning, Kastensmidt led off with a walk and senior left fielder Stuart Ding singled to right.
After sophomore Hudson Sapp walked to load the bases, junior right fielder Drew Almond reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring courtesy runner EJ Williams to tie the game 1-1.
Sophomore third baseman Roen Kresak (2 runs, RBI) grounded out to shortstop, scoring Ding for a 2-1 lead and what would prove to be the game-winning run.
The Bobcats, who are ranked No. 1 in Class 6A and No. 6 overall in Florida, broke the game open in the fourth inning.
They sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs on two hits, three walks, two hit batsmen and two errors.
Senior catcher Kai So was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, junior Zac Brown (2 RBI, one run) walked with the bases juiced, and senior center fielder Cedaris Smith singled to left field to score two runs.
Smith was named the Sonic Drive-In Player of the Game after finishing 2-for-4 with 3 RBI.
“I feel like I did what the team needed,” he said. “In the fourth, we had runners on and I knew I needed to capitalize and get some runs in.”
He drove in the decisive run in the bottom of the fifth on a walk-off hit to the gap in right center field.
“It felt great, I’ve got to be honest,” he said. “The first one of the year I loved to do it. Just being in that situation, being in the moment, it was nice.”
Everyone in the lineup, 1-9, got on base at least once for Buchholz.
“We talked earlier how confident I was in our lineup, not only because they hit the ball pretty well but because they take really disciplined at-bats,” Brooks said. “We find ways to get on base whether it’s hit by pitch, drawing walks, put the ball in play hard and getting [on base] on errors. On-base percentage is what matters. A lot of people worry about their batting average, but we have a lot of unselfish guys looking for ways to get on base and it’s worked out for us.”
Although he hit two batters and walked a pair, Kastensmidt improved to 8-0 on the year by throwing a two-hitter.
“He got better and better as the game went on,” Brooks said. “I think you saw from the third to the fourth to the fifth, the guy was throwing three pitches for strikes, really moving the ball in and out. Those guys can hit a little bit and his ability to hit spots, especially throwing the secondary pitches for strikes, was a big reason he was successful.”
Buchholz will host city rival Gainesville at 7 p.m. on Thursday and will recognize seven seniors as part of their senior night.
“We don’t like purple, they don’t like black and gold,” Brooks said. “It’s one thing I’ve taken pride in, trying to win our county, beat GHS, beat Santa Fe, beat Eastside. Whenever we play a county game it’s even more important…I’m excited about senior night and excited about the chance to play a rivalry game.”
