BRADENTON
It’s pretty simple math: if your pitchers never allow a run, you’ll win every game you play.
It’s beginning to look like Riverview High has the arms to back that up.
Peter Bozek and Alex Moore combined on a three-hit shutout Friday night — three days after Riley Gilliand did the same against top-seeded Palm Harbor — and freshman Kevin Szafran delivered a two-out, seventh-inning single to give the Rams (13-14) the only run they needed in a 1-0 victory over Manatee High in the Class 8A-District 8 championship at G.T. Bray Park.
Fourteen innings. No runs.
“Our pitching’s been our focal point, our strong point, all year long,” said Riverview coach Chuck Antczak. “They work hard every single day. There’s never a day where the pitchers have the day off. Some programs, maybe, pitchers just shag. In our program, they do work every day.”
In the district tournament, they punched a perfect timecard.
Bozek, a 6-foot junior, struck out six — including cleanup hitter Jake Domminick on his 99th pitch to cap his night in the sixth — and Moore fanned all three batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh, after the Rams had pushed across the game’s lone run.
“I knew we were going to score, it was just a matter of time,” Bozek said.
Everyone else had their doubts. Neither starter — Bozek or Hurricanes right-hander P.J. Reed — gave up a walk until the seventh inning. But freshman Steven Wilmer, part of a Rams infield that includes three ninth-graders and a sophomore, worked Reed for a leadoff walk.
He stole second, but was thrown out at third on Patrick Rodgers’ ground ball to shortstop Colin Moore. Rodgers stole second and Trent Sinkfield flew out to center, before Reed walked Mark Townsend, setting up Szafran’s at-bat.
The 15-year-old drilled a 1-0 fastball up the middle, and Antczak waved Rodgers around third with little hesitation.
“The center fielder (Tony Diaz) literally had the ball in his glove,” Antczak said. “But in high school baseball, you’ve got to put the pressure on and see what happens.
“It worked out. (Diaz) threw it to the backstop. But even if he throws (Rodgers) out at home, I’m still OK with the decision.”
Szafran, the ninth batter in Riverview’s lineup, said he had only one thought at the plate.
“Get a base hit and knock him in. That’s my only job, to put the ball in play,” he said. “It turned out good.”
The Rams will host Tampa Wharton in a regional quarterfinal on Wednesday, while Manatee (18-9) will travel to Tampa Alonso.
“I told our guys, the season’s not over,” said ’Canes coach Rob Viera, whose team split a pair of regular-season games against Riverview. “This is just a setback.
“We don’t play at home, so what? Sometimes you lose a baseball game. We didn’t go out and make 15 errors and lose 16-2. We lost a good baseball game. It happens.”
Reed allowed only four hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out six. Sinkfield touched him for a one-out triple to deep right in the second, but second baseman Shane Rocklein’s relay throw nabbed Wilmer – trying to score from first – at home plate.
The Rams didn’t get another hit until Szafran’s game-winner, with a pair of errors accounting for their only baserunners during that span.
But Bozek, then Moore, matched him pitch for pitch.
“Our pitching has been good all year,” Bozek said. “That’s the reason we’ve gotten most of our wins. Zero runs in two straight games? I mean, that’s unheard of. I think we have a lot of momentum heading into regionals.”
Jonathan Aragon had two of Manatee’s three hits, a leadoff single to left in the second and a liner off Bozek’s leg with two outs in the fourth.
“All year long, we’ve watched (Riverview), and they’ve gotten better and better and better,” Viera said. “They’re a young crew, and they’re going to continue to get better.”
