Mulberry Returns To State Final With 3-2 Win Over Jesuit

Dominick Gotauco scores the deciding run for Mulberry in its 3-2 state semifinal victory over Jesuit.

The Mulberry Panthers are back in the state finals. It has been a long time coming.

Winners of the 1951 and 1960 state championships, in more recent years the program struggled. But as the Panthers held on for a 3-2 win over the vaunted Jesuit Tigers in Monday’s Class 4A state semifinal at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, those recent woes are now long forgotten. Mulberry has reached the summit again, and a special group of players and coaches has restored that Panther Pride to their community.

“The turnaround that we’ve done at this program in the last couple of years has been incredible,” Manager David Gotauco said. “It was just an incredible turnaround for the program. The community has been behind us 100%, and at this point we are really playing for them. They rallied behind us and got us here. They donated and did whatever they could to make it happen for us. We don’t have everything over there at Mulberry; it is a public school that is scratching and clawing. To make it this far with these guys is incredible.”

With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the seventh, that fate dangled in the balance. Cannon Murtagh led off with a walk, Kaden Waechter singled and Vincent DeCarlo was hit by a pitch that filled up the bags and signaled the end of the outing for started Gavin Stedman. After an impressive, gutsy performance from Stedman once again in these playoffs, it was time for Coby Anker to do what he has also done best in closing these tight games out.

Anker delivered. A swinging strikeout and a strong liner straight to center recorded the final two outs, and the Panthers (27-9) could finally celebrate.

Gavin Stedman earned the win for the Panthers, tossing 6.1 innings and striking out five.

Stedman earned the win, after striking out five in six-and-a-third innings. He allowed both earned runs on seven hits and five walks against the Tigers, the two-time defending champions.

“Gavin Stedman has been incredible the whole year long, especially down the stretch,” Coach Gotauco said. “He started game one for us in every regional series, and he has been pitching his butt off. He was a little rocky in the first couple of innings, but he settled down and got the to end of the game, and then Coby came in and cleaned it up.”

Mulberry jumped out for an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Dominick Gotauco reached on an error, Nic Partridge singled to right and then Hayden Wyatt stroked an 0-1 pitch down the left field line for a double that drove in both base runners.

Wyatt was looking for the fastball, but the pitch he hit ended up being the curveball. Although he has struggled against that pitch this season, his swing was true in that big moment.

“I just ran into that one,” Wyatt said. “I wasn’t trying to do too much, just trying to get the job done. It just kind of worked out.”

The Tigers (27-10) answered back with a run in the bottom of the first. Waechter and DeCarlo both singled with one out, and Bryce Besece next loaded up the bases with a single to first. Wilson Anderson then worked an RBI walk to put Jesuit on the scoreboard.

Mulberry got the winning run in the top of the third to take a 3-1 advantage. Brock Thielen walked and Dominick Gotauco reached on a fielder’s choice when his bunt went right back to the pitcher, who then erased the lead runner in Thielen. But Partridge came through with a double to right that put Dominick ninety feet away, and a wild pitch gave him that opportunity and he raced across the plate.

“What a game! It was a competitive game; those guys are incredible,” Coach Gotauco said. “Hats off to them; they made the plays. They made just one mistake and we ended up capitalizing on it, and that’s the way the game went. It just rolled our way.”

Jesuit got one back in the bottom of the third to stay right in the battle. DeCarlo singled and gave way to courtesy-runner Colin Kenny, Robby Santana walked and Anderson hit into a fielder’s choice that allowed Kenny to score.

After awakening the program with a magical playoff run right to this same round at the state semifinal last season, the Panthers used all of that experience to return much better prepared this time. They actually did it totally different this year, as they came up a day early, rented out facilities and held multiple practices, and kept hitting nonstop. The prep everywhere was very different. They got in early to the hotel, had a good meal and came to the field feeling both physically and mentally ready.

“We got used to the atmosphere and it wasn’t just to roll off the bus and play,” Coach Gotuaco said. “That was tough last year.”

Many of the players from that team are back for this return run. There has been more of a business approach to the task at hand, but these guys have also not forgotten how special this moment is that they are living together.

“It means everything to all of us,” Nic Partridge. “We’re all family here, and just for us to come from where we came from to make it all the way here is really special.”

The funds to cover a trip to the state tournament is not simple. But the Mulberry community stepped up and found a way to make it happen. They showed out in force and filled the team with inspiration as they sent them off on their trophy chase.

“When we were leaving for the bus, we got a bunch of goodie bags, and everyone was there cheering. It feels better having people behind us,” Brock Thielen said.

Leave a comment using your facebook account!