Hialeah Comes From Behind Twice To Beat Pace in Nine Innings

The Hialeah Thoroughbreds trailed by as many as four runs at one point in the second game of their Selective Recruiting/Sir Pizza Invitational tournament game against Monsignor Pace, but they ultimately took down the Spartans 7-6 in nine innings.

“Whatever would have happened, I would’ve been proud of my team,” said Hialeah coach Michael Fulton of the team’s come-from-behind win. “Hialeah baseball is known for never quitting and finding a way to win, and that’s what we did tonight. I’m just proud of the way we fought.”

Number two-ranked Hialeah stays undefeated with their 11th win of the season, while Pace picked up their fifth loss of the season, making them 6-5.

The Thoroughbreds jumped on the scoreboard first, but Pace answered in the third. Andrew McCoy doubled to left field, and Alex Perez drove him in with a single. Bryan Bermudez then hit a two-run home run to give Pace a 3-1 lead.

Anthony De La Cruz singled in the fourth for Pace, and Raphael Vazquez hit a double to knock him in, giving the Spartans a 4-1 lead.

Jonathan Hernandez started on the mound for Pace. He only given up one hit in four innings, but in the bottom of the fifth, Hialeah broke through after Jonathan Diaz was hit by a pitch, and Nestar Cortes’ single loaded the bases with no outs. Hernandez struck out the next two batters, putting him within one out of getting out of the jam, but Jeff Izquierdo was able to get a single, bringing in courtesy runner Adan Gutierrez. Then Lain Roque hit a two RBI single. Jorge Rey tied the game when his single up the middle brought in Izquierdo. Luis Deville then relieved Hernandez and closed the inning with the game tied at 5.

Pace made an effort to regain the lead in the sixth after Hialeah gave up its fourth walk of the game. Micheal Rodriquez came in relief with one out and runners on first and third. He efficiently got Pace to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the Thoroughbreds’ threat. Pace left seven runners on base for the night.

“We didn’t capitalize on things and they did,” Pace head coach Tom Duffin said. “That’s a possible seven runs. You got to be the man to get it done. Unfortunately we didn’t get it done. That’s baseball.”

The scoring then took a hiatus all the way into the ninth when David Palenzuela’s double drove in McCoy to give Pace a 6-5 lead.

Hialeah had been on a three-inning drought without a hit going into the bottom of the ninth. After Silva found first by virtue of a base on balls, Izquierdo singled, breaking the Hialeah hitless streak. Roque then singled for the second time in the game, this one knocking in the tying run. Pace decided to intentionally walk Rey, loading the bases for Henry Perez. Duffin then went to relief, but on the first pitch the reliever struck Perez on his forearm, advancing Izquierdo from third for the winning run.

Hialeah’s next game is against Archbishop McCarthy. McCarthy head coach Rich Bielski teaches at Hialeah and used to coach under coach Fulton.

“We’ve had a long friendship,” said Fulton of his relationship with Bielski.

“We’re going up against probably the premier pitcher in the state in Andre Martinez,” said Fulton of the game, which will be tonight at Archbishop at 7:30. A win against the Mavericks could put Hialeah in the championship game of the Selective Recruiting tournament, which is determined by best record and then lowest runs allowed among undefeated teams. The Thoroughbreds allowed six in this game and shutout Archbishop Carroll in their first game, so they have a good shot at advancing if they can pull out the win.

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