PREP BASEBALL: Venice avenges 2023 district loss to Mustangs

VENICE — The Venice baseball team earned its revenge against Lakewood Ranch after falling to the Mustangs in last year’s 7A-8 district championship.

The Indians were paced by starting pitcher Carter Cox, winning 3-1, and securing the 16th district championship under head coach Craig Faulkner on Thursday.

“This has been our main focus from day one,” said Faulkner of the district title. “We wanted to get that 16th district championship. This was our top goal, because we haven’t been a district champion for the last couple of years. I’m really proud of what this team has accomplished.”

Venice (24-3) scored two of its three runs in the bottom of the third.

Brady Schumaker’s RBI triple scored August Backman, then an error from Lakewood Ranch on a ground ball hit by David Dubrule allowed Schumaker to trot in from third.

The Indians made it a three-run game in the fourth inning after an RBI groundout by Jonathan Mauro scored Michael O’Connell.

On the mound, Cox left the Mustangs (12-14-1) without a ton of answers at the plate. The sophomore threw five innings of one-hit baseball, striking out three during his outing.

Reliever Nate Winterhalter (2 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 strikeouts) surrendered Lakewood Ranch’s only run during the top of the seventh. Later in the inning, he slammed the door with two on and two out following a lineout by LR’s Lochlan Radloff to secure the win.

SOFTBALL

Lakewood Ranch 4, Venice 3: The Indians (13-11) found themselves in a grudge match with the 5-20 Mustangs before getting upset at home in Thursday’s 7A-8 district championship.

After failing to capitalize on a bases-loaded opportunity an inning prior, Venice took advantage of the same chance in the bottom of the fifth.

With two outs, Molly Sullivan connected on a 1-2 pitch from Lakewood Ranch starter Lexi Meneely and shot a grounder through the right side of the infield to plate two and hand Venice a 3-2 lead after five innings.

The Indians had a chance to secure the district title in the top of the seventh, but a two-RBI single by Meneely ended up being the difference in the contest.

Venice would go 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, completing LR’s upset bid.

The Indians will now be sweating a bit when the regional brackets are unveiled.