Columbus Strikes Early To Advance Past Coral Park

Columbus didn’t waste any time to punch its ticket to regionals.

The top-seeded Explorers scored all their runs in the first two innings as they eliminated No. 4 Coral Park, 9-2, in an 8A-15 semifinal Wednesday evening at Southwest High School.

Columbus (21-5) will face No. 2 Coral Gables in the district championship Friday at 7 p.m. at Southwest’s Andre Dawson Field. Anthony Martinez will get the start for Columbus, which rebounded this season after being ousted in the semifinals a year ago.

“Anything short of at least making a regional is a complete failure,” said Columbus Manager Joe Weber. “After what happened last year, the kids were here and they talk about it. I’m sure they were aware of it.”

Back-to-back home runs from Ryan Alvarez and Danny Diaz highlighted a seven-run second inning for Columbus, which scored all of those runs before the first out was registered.

Alvarez’s third home run of the season — a three-run shot — came after the future Miami Hurricane battled back from an 0-2 count. The lefty sliced a 2-2 breaking ball over the left-center field fence. Alvarez, who has a team-high 34 RBIs, finished 1-for-3 with four RBIs, marking the ninth game he has driven in two or more runs.

Diaz drilled a fastball over the left field fence. His team-leading seventh home run of the season smacked an SUV in the parking lot and gave the Explorers a 9-1 lead.

“In today’s BBCOR bat, seven home runs in a year is a lot of home runs,” Weber said.

Leadoff man Danny Casals had a strong night at the plate, reaching base in all four trips with an RBI single and three walks. Christian Garabedian had an RBI single for Columbus, which mustered just six hits, but took advantage of six walks and two errors.

Starting pitcher Matt Marini scattered seven hits over six innings to up his record to 9-0. Marini, who fanned six and walked three, retired the side in order just once as he battled from behind in the count most of the evening.

“He didn’t have his best stuff tonight. This is the first time I’ve ever seen him struggle, but he gutted through it,” Weber said. “He needs to be better next Thursday in the regional.”

Despite facing a large deficit early against one of the county’s top teams, Coral Park (12-12) remained upbeat throughout the rest of the game. Even when first-year Manager Juan Carnicero addressed the team for the final time this season after the game, players sported smiles and didn’t hang their heads.

“We competed until the last out. It was one bad inning that we had and they capitalized on that inning,” Carnicero said.

The loss marked the final game for eight Coral Park seniors, including bearded relief pitcher Christian Feliu, who exited with a memorable outing. Feliu took the mound with his team down 9-1 and no outs in the second and promptly fired scoreless, no-hit ball the rest of the way against a powerful lineup. He fanned one and walked three in five impressive innings.

“He went out doing well. He shut them down,” Carnicero said.

Feliu wasn’t the only Rams senior who shined. Catcher Danny Lopez threw out a runner at second and had a single and a walk. Left fielder Christopher Martinez scorched a double into the right-center gap in the fifth for the final hit of his high school career. Third baseman Edduin Diaz notched a single.

As for the younger players, shortstop Ramon Ferreiro, a junior, led the way with two singles and two RBIs.

Coral Park showed plenty of improvement this season. The Rams won five more games this year compared to each of the previous two seasons.

“It took a lot of work from these boys to get to where we’re at now,” Carnicero said.

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