TAMPA - Turns out the best way to get to Jesuit pitcher Michael Branham is to get to him.
Sarasota's Rafael Vera lined a single up the middle, glancing off the elbow on Branham's throwing arm, causing the Tiger senior to be removed from the game one batter later. That line drive effectively put on hold Branham's amazing streak of strikeouts.
Dating back to the final two batters in the Tampa Catholic game, Branham has now struck out 27 of the last 29 batters he's faced. That includes 11 of 12 Tuesday against Sarasota in the Tigers' 5-4 win.
Branham walked the first batter of the game and then struck out the next 11 he faced, missing the chance at a perfect four innings only because the runner was caught stealing third. Branham has 65 strikeouts this season.
"He went out to warm (in the fifth) but he had a little bit of tightness so we took him out as a precaution," head coach John Crumbley said.
Jesuit's win was a duplication of Crumbley's 500th victory once week ago as Davey May singled to left to score pinch-runner Chase Arias from third in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Sam Dyson replaced Branham, striking out five in three innings to earn the first varsity win of his career.
