TAMPA - The wind was blowing out, and that was the perfect remedy for Tampa Catholic's hitting woes.
The Crusaders (9-8) routed Tampa Prep (9-8) 12-2 on Wednesday and overcame a hitting slump. The game ended after the sixth.
The Crusaders scored six in the second inning, including a leadoff homer by Jon Guffey that rode the wind over the right-centerfield fence.
"In the first inning we had probably the worst three at-bats of the season," Tampa Catholic coach Tom Reidy said. "Once Guffey hit that homer, the hitting became contagious."
Guffey's shot came off an outside fastball from Tampa Prep starter J.P. Goldberry.
The Crusaders blasted the ball throughout the six-run second. After Guffey's homer, Matt Quevedo reached on a throwing error and moved to third on Louis Aquila's double off the centerfield wall. Both runs scored when Andrew Dixon singled to left. He moved to second on an error and, two outs later, J.C. Suarez beat out a bunt to the pitcher's mound, scoring Dixon. Eric Rayfield, the pitcher, pounded a triple to the centerfield fence to score Suarez, and Charles Cleveland doubled to center to make it 6-0. Two runners were on when Goldberry finally got the Trojans out of the inning.
Tampa Prep came back with a leadoff homer by Craig Fedorer. Dylan Johnson doubled one out later and moved to third on a Rob Pagano single. Barrett Miningham hit a long sacrifice fly to center to score Johnson, but that was as close as the Trojans got.
Rayfield allowed one hit the rest of the way until being relieved in the sixth.
"We're way better than our record indicates," Guffey said.
The Trojans scored three in the third. With one out, Dixon walked and moved over on Mark Corripio's bloop single to right. After a walk Suarez singled in a pair of runs and scored on a double from Rayfield to make it 9-2.
