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Middle infielders key Crystal River's success
By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer CRYSTAL RIVER -- Crystal River's pitching staff arguably is the best around. No. 1 starter Jimmy Metz is 10-1. Will Bleakley, William Bunch, Zac Cole, Ryan Starkey and Clayton Trenary are a combined 17-2. The Pirates have a 1.40 ERA and almost four times as many strikeouts as walks. But as coach Brent Hall said, "a pitching staff is only as good as its middle infield." That explains a lot. Shortstop Jonathan Runnels and second baseman E.J. Gerrits, both juniors, form one of the best middle-infield tandems around. Runnels, Crystal River's leadoff batter, is hitting .471 and is a capable fielder. Gerrits, who bats ninth, is at .402 and is one of the Pirates' best players in the field. "We work together real well," Gerrits said. "This is our first year playing together, but I think we've jelled. It took practice, and we've worked hard. But right now, we're playing well." Runnels, a two-year starter who transferred from Seven Rivers Christian after the ninth grade, was a Times first-team All-Citrus/Hernando pick last year after hitting .490 with 12 doubles and 35 RBIs. This season, he has eight doubles and is fourth on the team with 28 RBIs. "I've put some work into hitting, but it basically comes naturally," Runnels said. "I've got to work a lot harder on fielding than swinging the bat." Hall believes better positioning would make Runnels a stronger fielder. "He's a good fielder. He's just got to learn to read the ball off the bat better," Hall said. "As he continues to improve that skill, he'll become a complete player." Gerrits' strength is in the field. "E.J. had one bad game, but outside of that, he's been our best defensive player besides (first baseman Marcus Galvan)," Hall said. "He's made circus plays out there all year." He's not bad at the plate, either. Gerrits, a first-year starter who played second base for the junior varsity in 2001, has three doubles and 26 RBIs, the latter would lead the other three county teams. "He's an extremely clutch hitter," Hall said. In the field, Runnels and Gerrits have combined for 20 double plays, with a game-high of four. "They're a great complement to each other," Hall said. "They're absolutely the quickest pair in the area turning the double play. "Their mechanics are flawless, and they understand the game." And they understand this: Without each at his best this week, the Pirates are not likely to advance far in the playoffs. "If we want to continue," Runnels said, "me and E.J. need to make some plays."
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