Park Vista Improves To 6-0 With 2-0 Shutout At District-Rival Spanish River

Park Vista prepares to face Spanish River.

Baseball Tonight’s “Web Gems” aside, defense is the least appreciated aspect of the game, or at least the most taken for granted. There were some web gem worthy plays in Tuesday’s District 8A-10 game, such as Ryan Berger’s sliding catch and doubling up of the baserunner in the first frame for the Spanish River Sharks.

But in a well-pitched game from both Spanish River starter Mike Chambers and Park Vista starter Brandon Rhodes, the difference in the ball game was the two unearned runs scored by the visiting Cobras, who went on to win 2-0.

Although Rhodes started the game by mowing down six of the first seven batters he faced via strikeout, Chambers was more methodical. After giving up the first hit of the night to Trey Amburgey to start the second inning, another single and a throw that missed the cutoff man allowed the runners to advance to second and third with none out. However, a ground-out to third, a pop-up to short and a timely strikeout got Chambers and the Sharks out of the jam.

In the next inning, Chambers again worked his way out of the inning and two more Park Vista runners were stranded on base.

Rhodes gave up a walk and a hit in the third inning but two outfield assists to second and third base, respectively, ended the inning for the Cobras (6-0, 2-0) without any damage.

“It gives you more confidence as a pitcher when you know your guys are doing good work behind you,” Rhodes said.

He credits much of their early success this season to chemistry and experience.

“We all gel really well. We’ve been pretty much playing together all our lives, growing up together,” Rhodes said.

Brett Lashley led off the fourth for Park Vista with his second of three hits on the night, a single up the middle, and a sacrifice bunt advanced him to second. An Abe Nasser grounder to short and subsequent throwing error allowed him to score.

Spanish River (2-4, 1-1) threatened again in the fifth when Emerson Dresser drove a pitch into the left-field gap, but a clean pick and good throw from the center fielder held Dresser at first. Next up, Jesse Weinberger laid down a bunt and Dresser beat the throw to second, leaving two on with none out. Then Mark Jahrsdoerfer successfully moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt.

But Brandon Rhodes battled to a full count with Alex Demchak before striking him out looking, and then striking out the following batter swinging.

The Cobras added another run in the sixth on a walk, sacrifice bunt and an infield error. That was all the run support Rhodes needed as he slammed the door shut on the Sharks by striking out six of the last eight batters he faced. He had 13 strikeouts in all in the complete-game shutout.

Mike Chambers turned in a very solid performance himself, scattering seven hits over six innings pitched and walking none. The Sharks’ defense, however, committed four errors and cost the team two runs in the end.

“Every time Mike takes the hill, we’re going to have the opportunity to be successful,” Spanish River head coach William Harvey said. “We just have to be able to catch it and throw it. We changed districts, and it didn’t get any easier for us. Park Vista is one of the best teams out there. But we still have to compete. When we come and we compete, we can play with anybody.”

Park Vista head coach Larry Greenstein is more concerned with fine-tuning as the season continues.

“Brandon did another outstanding job, and on defense, we played a flawless ballgame. We faced a good pitcher in Mike Chambers, but he kept his composure and pitched out of a lot of big innings,” Greenstein said. “Right now, we have to continue to focus on the little things, and we need to improve our situational hitting. There are a lot of good teams out there.”

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