Sharks 'Shepard' In New Season

BROOKSVILLE - Bob Shepard inherited a Nature Coast Technical team that broke through to become one of the area's elite programs last season.

The Sharks' former pitching coach has taken over as head coach this year, after the departure of Dan Garofano to Savannah Country Day (Ga.) after four seasons.

Nature Coast finished as the Class 4A, District 8 runner-up in 2007, receiving votes in the state poll and putting a scare into eventual state champ Orlando-Bishop Moore Catholic in the regional quarterfinals.

Rain and the threat of tornadoes postponed Tuesday's season opener at Hernando High, so the home opener versus Lecanto High on a cold and windy Wednesday night became the team's first official contest with Shepard at the helm.

Despite an early 4-1 deficit, featuring two home runs by Panther shortstop Brian Aleman, the Sharks rallied for eight in the second inning and received a stabilizing five-inning relief stint by Brandon DeRespiris in a 12-7 triumph.

"The boys showed a lot of heart coming back," Shepard said. "We got down early, a couple of home runs but they battled back on a cold night and I'm proud of them.

"...I told the boys I appreciate the hard work getting my first win. They said this one was for me. But we have 24 more games to go. We'll take it one game at a time."

Forcing the issue

The first two hitters in the Lecanto (0-1) line-up accounted for major damage in the first two innings off starter Kenny Treverton, a four-year varsity player making his first prep appearance on the mound.

Leadoff man Justin Medina doubled in each of the first two frames, scoring when the next hitter, Aleman, drilled a pair of home runs to center field.

Down by three runs heading into the bottom of the second, Nature Coast (1-0) made it 4-2 on back-to-back doubles to right-center by Jack Diven and Mike Adams, and then used 'small ball' tactics to pull ahead.

The Panthers misplayed two consecutive bunts by Joe Silvestri and Anthony Demeo, allowing two runs to score to tie the game. Treverton followed with a single to load the bases.

Aleman made a nice diving stop on a grounder by DeRespiris, but couldn't make a play, thus the county's defending champ in runs batted in tallied his first of the year on an infield single.

Travis Murray notched the first of three RBIs on a sacrifice fly to center, followed by Lecanto botching another bunt, this time by Chris Jones.

Diven hit a slow roller that the third baseman cut across to field, firing wildly to first allowing DeRespiris and Jones to come across.

"That's our game plan this year, that's how we'll try to operate," Shepard said of the bunts. "Make things happen, apply a little pressure, do what we have to do."

DeRespiris relieved Treverton to start the third. He yielded two unearned runs in that inning, one on a bad throw to third by the catcher on a stolen base attempt and the other on a double by Christopher Lozado.

In the fourth, he hit Aleman, who eventually scored on a wild pitch. That was the only base runner DeRespiris permitted after Lozado's double, the senior retiring the last 11 batters he faced and 13 of 14.

He struck out nine overall, five in the final two innings including the side in the seventh.

"It feels good. My first senior win," DeRespiris said. "In the beginning I was kind of nervous, but I started settling down when I got comfortable.

"My fastball and curveball were pretty good. I was spotting my fastball pretty good and getting my curveball over the plate."

"Brandon has a lot of guts," Shepard said. "Brandon pitched big tonight, for the first game of the season. He hasn't pitched a lot in the past. He wants the ball this year. He wants to be able to throw and he'll have the opportunity to do it."

NATURE COAST 12, LECANTO 7
123 456 7 R H E
LEC 222 100 0 -- 7 6 6
NCT 181 020 X-- 12 8 2
LEC - Lepore, Beuis (3), Herrin (5) and Ennis.
NCT - Treverton, DeRespiris (3) and E. Adams.
W - DeRespiris (1-0). L - Lepore (0-1).
2B - Medina 2, Ennis, Lozado (LEC); Diven, M. Adams, Murray (NCT).
3B - none.
HR - Aleman 2 (LEC).
Records - Lecanto (0-1), Nature Coast (1-0).