Sports: Plant breaks through in ninth

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Plant breaks through in ninth

By MIKE READLING, Times Staff Writer

TAMPA -- There was a different air about Wednesday's Hillsborough-Plant game.

The atmosphere at the matchup of the oldest schools in the county was a tad more intense. There was more than a playoff-game feel to the nondistrict game -- there was a buzz running through Billy Reed Stadium.

This game just felt a little more important.

"There are a lot of ties," Plant coach Bo Puckett said, referring to the longest-running rivalry in the county between schools located a few miles apart.

Maybe it was the fact Hillsborough coach Pat Russo, who left Plant two years ago, was coaching against his former players for the final time before they graduate.

"There was a lot of hype about this game," Russo said. "It's still Pat Russo vs. Plant."

Or maybe it was the fact that with every passing inning, the pressure seemed to rise as neither team could push anyone past second base, much less across the plate.

Whatever the reason, the fact that Plant scored twice in the top of the ninth, thanks in part to a player making his first start of the season, to beat Hillsborough 2-0 did nothing but add to the aura surrounding the game.

"You could have just flipped a coin at the end," Puckett said.

The game was dominated by the starting pitchers.

Plant's David Gandy pitched seven innings, allowing no runs on four hits and striking out three. He retired 14 in a row at one point.

His counterpart, Ryan Clark, went all nine innings, only to be done in by two errors in the ninth to take the loss.

Hillsborough (16-9) loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out, and Gandy fell behind T.J. Alonzo 3-0. After Gandy answered with a strike, Alonzo hit a dribbler to first baseman Andrew Kuykendall, who threw home to nail Devon Cason and preserve the scoreless game.

The next batter lined weakly to Kuykendall to end the threat.

Kuykendall opened the ninth with a double to center and advanced to third on an error. He scored on Ricky Del Rosal's sacrifice fly for the first run. Dennis Paleveda, making his first start and seventh plate appearance of the season, later lined a single to center to score Ryan Hudson with the insurance run.

"I've been telling them all year to take advantage when they get the opportunity for some playing time," Puckett said. "He took advantage tonight."