Rodriguez Has Recipe In Relief As He Blanks Springs in Gables Win

JeanCarlo Rodriguez dealt six scoreless innings in relief as the Coral Gables Cavaliers came back from a 3-0 first-inning deficit to trounce 8A District 14 rival Miami Springs 10-3 Thursday afternoon for their eighth win in nine tries.

“JC just did an amazing job,” Gables coach Philip Wisser said. “He came in as our number three starter and had some troubles early in the year, but we have confidence in him and like I just told these guys, we’re going to need some one to step up every game. JC was that person for us today.”

Rodriguez came in with the Cavs down 3-0 and stifled the tough Springs lineup, painting the corners of the strike zone, switching locations and using his fastball effectively.

“Coach just told me down 3-0 to come in and relax,” Rodriguez said. “I love coming in that situation, it gives me motivation to just keep us close so that I give my team a chance to come back.”

Rodriguez didn’t just keep the Cavs close, he kept Miami Springs silent, allowing just five hits with zero walks and two strikeouts. His teammates picked up the slack rather quickly and forged a 6-3 lead after three innings.

Andres Jiron went 3-for-4 with two RBI leading off, Dillan Maya went 2-for-4 with a homer and a double, and Gerson Sotolongo finished 2-for-2 with a homer and two RBI for the Cavs. Jiron’s two-run double in the bottom of the sixth cushioned the lead to 8-3 before Sotolongo’s two-run smash to left center capped the scoring.

“I came up there just thinking ‘two more runs,'” Jiron said about the at-bat in the sixth. “I looked for something to drive with men on second and third. Just tried staying relaxed and not trying to do too much.”

The Cavs (13-6, 8-2 8A-14) started the season just 5-5 but now look to clinch the number one seed for the district playoffs. Wisser points to team bonding on their Spring Break trip as the reason for the Cavs success.

“We’ve had spring trips help before, but nothing like this one,” Wisser said. “They just look like a completely different team out there, playing together and for each other.”

The Cavs’ chemistry and poise on the field was apparent in the ninth inning, when second baseman Roland Eusenio got the first out with a leaping grab on a line drive. Third baseman Alex Pinero needed a mad dash to secure the final out on a slow dribbler down the third-base line. Coral Gables looks to continue its success when it hosts Killian on Tuesday before ending its regular season by hosting Southridge on April 13. 

Austin Voeller, Gerald Reyes and Carlos Posada each knocked in runs for Miami Springs (11-4, 6-3), which heads to defending state champs Hialeah (17-2) Tuesday as one of five games remaining in the regular season.

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