Timid. Scared.
Those are two words you don’t want to hear used when describing a baseball team. But both were thrown around by Columbia following a disheartening loss to Buchholz at home Friday night.
The Class 6A No. 1 Bobcats used a five-run fourth inning, which included a two-run home run by Cedaris Smith, to turn a close game into a rout, rolling to a 10-2 win over the Class 5A No. 3 Tigers. It was an all-around subpar effort by Columbia, which managed just three hits and committed three errors while its pitching staff surrendered 11 hits, four walks, two hit batters and two wild pitches.
Buchholz (12-0) entered the night not only undefeated but also ranked second overall in the entire state in the first FHSAA rankings released this week.
“We got our (butts) beat,” Columbia coach Chris Howard said. “Buchholz is a good team. They hit the ball all over the field. I felt like we played a little timid, and it was kind of like being in the ocean with sharks. Buchholz felt it too and took it to us.”
What does Howard exactly mean by “timid?”
“We’re kind of hoping that we do good instead of getting after it,” Howard said.
Starting pitcher Ayden Phillips echoed his head coach following the loss after he allowed eight runs but just two earned on five hits and two walks while striking out eight in four innings. Phillips was honest after the loss, believing the Tigers have put too much pressure on themselves after entering the season with high expectations.
Columbia (7-6) appeared to be on the rise following last week’s 8-0 win over IMG Academy Gray but Friday’s loss, coupled with a blown lead in Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to Creekside, now has the team back near .500 at the midway point of the season.
“Right now the record that we’re sitting at, I feel like we’re supposed to be winning and that’s what we thought at the beginning (of the season), so every loss, or big loss like tonight, is magnifying itself and it’s bigger than our wins,” Phillips said. “We’re not looking at the positive right now and staying positive. They’re a really good team and if we’re going to go where we want to go, we’re going to have to beat teams like that. I think we can do it. I think coach Howard makes the schedule like he does for a reason and it’s all going to work out in the end.”
How do the Tigers get their mojo back and make sure that happens?
“We have to be scrappy the rest of the season,” Phillips said. “We have to have some fire behind us and go at it more, not worry about mistakes and what we’re doing in the field and at the plate. Stop being scared and just go play some baseball.”
Columbia showed some fight after Buchholz took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning thanks to a sac fly RBI by Stuart Ding and a pair of errors. Trayce McKenzie led off the bottom half of the frame with a walk and Colton Mote immediately followed with a single to set up an RBI double by Goose Lord.
Casen Maddox then hit a sac fly to score Mote to quickly make it 3-2 against Buchholz starting pitcher JJ Gardner. But the Tigers only mustered one more hit the rest of the night, which was a single by Bynton Edge in the fifth that ended Gardner’s night after 4 1/3 innings where he struck out seven and walked three.
Columbia’s team batting average dropped to .248 on the year, which is being held up heavily by Phillips (.371) and McKenzie (.366).
“We’re killing ourselves up there,” Howard said. “Like I told our guys, it seems like the harder the pitcher throws the harder we swing. Hopefully we learn from this and it pays off if we’re fortunate enough to get in the playoffs.”
The game got away from Phillips and the Tigers in the fourth inning. Zac Brown led off with a double before Hudson Sapp followed with an RBI single and then scored on an RBI double by Stuart Ding, who then scored on a wild pitch.
Then, after Roen Kresak reached base on an error, Smith homered down the left field line. Smith also homered in Buchholz’s 8-0 win over Columbia on Feb. 14, which came off McKenzie.
“It was a great pitch but an even better swing,” Phillips said. “I thought it was a good pitch but it was an even better swing.”
The Bobcats added two more runs off relief pitcher Kyler Keen in the sixth inning via a pair of RBI singles from Blake Brewer and Aidan Kastensmidt.
The Tigers will have to quickly put the loss behind them because they have two tough contests next week. They host Class 1A St. Johns Country Day (10-4, ranked 17th overall in the state) on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. before traveling to Episcopal School of Jacksonville (12-2) on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. start.
“It doesn’t get any easier but this is for a purpose,” Howard said. “If we’re fortunate enough to get in the playoffs, these tough games will pay off in the end.”
SCHULER AWAY FROM TEAM
Columbia first baseman Max Schuler was sent home for the rest of the week after being benched during Tuesday’s loss to Creekside following a confrontation with an umpire. Howard said the team will evaluate Schuler’s status next week.
“Max needed to stay home tonight,” Howard said. “It’s a personal thing with Max…We’re going to decide next week what’s really going on.”
With Schuler gone, Howard shuffled around his infield against Buchholz, starting Case Bennett at first while moving Logan Brooks to second and Lord to third. McKenzie also moved from shortstop to right field and freshman Madden Mann started at short instead, where he made a pair of errors.