Moments in Santa Fe Baseball History - Tampa Bound (2003)

[Mike DaRoza]

TAMPA BOUND

Santa Fe stuns defending Class 3A champions Jacksonville-Bolles and will play in the Florida Finals on Wednesday

By MIKE DAROZA

The little team that could – did.
And by knocking off defending state champ Jacksonville-Bolles 5-3 in the Class 3A Regional Final Tuesday night, the Santa Fe Raider baseball team will now play in the state semifinal at Legends Field in Tampa for the first time in 28 years.
“To be very honest, if someone would have told me before the season that we’d be here celebrating a win over a team like Bolles, and were going to Tampa, I would have said ‘No way,’” said a jubilant Todd Gray, the Raiders’ first-year coach.
“But after these kids worked so hard, we’ve done just that.”
Santa Fe (19-12) shocked the host Bulldogs (19-9) in the top of the third inning when shortstop Jon Othus, second baseman Avery Barnes and centerfielder K.R. O’Steen each blasted doubles to put the Raiders on top, 3-0.
But it was Bolles’ last at-bat that supplied the most dramatic moments of the game.
Clinging to a 5-3 lead with two outs and runners on second and third, Santa Fe senior pitcher Ryan Altenhof was facing his counterpart, Bulldogs’ pitcher Tyler Rhoden at the plate.
Rhoden, who had launched a would-be homerun earlier into the trees at Hugh Donovan Field that just barely fell into foul territory, represented the potential game-winning run.
“We contemplated intentionally walking him because we knew that a base hit would likely tie the game,” said Raiders’ assistant coach Richie Warren.
“But we went with our gut feeling and let Ryan pitch to him.”
And it paid off.
Rhoden fought off a 1-2 count with three consecutive foul balls, setting up Altenhof’s final pitch.
After throwing high-and-away fastballs, Altenhof reared back and threw a hanging curve that Rhoden desperately chased with his Louisville Slugger, only to come up empty on strike three to give Santa Fe the win, setting off a wild celebration on the pitcher’s mound.
“This is the biggest game of my in any sport,” said Altenhof, who is also a standout basketball player and golfer for the Raiders.
“I knew he was their best hitter, and that was the pitch I wanted to throw him.
“The curveball was working for me all night, and when he swung and missed, it was a tremendous feeling.”
Gray said he couldn’t stand to watch the final pitch.
“Every scouting report we got on Rhoden said to pitch around him and be careful because he could hurt you with one swing of the bat,” Gray said.
“I consulted with Coach (Richie) Warren about just putting him on base, but he felt Ryan could do the job.
“And then Ryan threw the pitch of his life.”
A couple of Bulldogs’ errors allowed Santa Fe to extend their advantage to as much as 5-0 early on.
Kevin Bennett – who had reached base on his double to lead off the top of the fourth inning – scored to make it 4-0 when Bolles’ shortstop Spence Nagy booted an Othus ground ball.
Then in the top of the sixth, it was Bulldogs’ second baseman Mike Scott that couldn’t put a clean glove on a Barnes’ two-hopper in the infield that allowed Raider first baseman Matt McCracken to score and make it 5-0 after his double to leftfield put him in scoring position.
Bolles fought back in the bottom of the sixth when Scott led off with a solo homer to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard.
Then after loading the bases, Bolles’ catcher Teddy Foster’s sacrifice fly brought Nagy in to make it 5-2.
Moments later, pinch-hitter Steve Weston scored on Curtis Petrie’s extra-base single to right-centerfield, putting runners on second and third, and cutting Santa Fe’s margin to 5-3, before Altenhof squared off against Rhoden for the game-winning strikeout.
The Raiders now advance to the Florida Finals where they will face Eustis (21-9) next Wednesday at Legends Field in Tampa for the 3A-state semifinal.
The last time the Raiders made the trip to state was back in 1975, when the Raiders captured the first and only state title.
“I couldn’t be happier or more proud of a group of kids in my life,” Gray said.
“Nobody gave us a chance to go 500 and nobody gave us a chance to win the district, much less coming in here and knocking off the defending state champs in their own ballpark.
“And I have to give all the credit to these kids for everything.”