Palm Beach Gardens Comes Back For 2-1 Victory Over Miami Pace

In a game that had a playoff feel to it, the good news for Miami Pace is that it was not. The Spartans will wake up this morning, and there still will be games left to be played.

But after the tough way that their contest against Palm Beach Gardens on Thursday night was played, it may be difficult to remember that this game did not have such huge playoff stakes after all.

The visiting Gators scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning on a big hit from senior Zion Bell to come back for a tough 2-1 victory in a game played at Miami Pace.

With the playoffs actually set to begin on Monday, both teams could not have asked for a better regular-season finale to get them ready for it.

“That’s why we schedule these games,” Spartans coach Tom Duffin said. “Tonight the hardest out to get was the last one. This is a good friendly rivalry, except they always seem to find a way to get us. It’s always a good, hard win for either of us though.”

The Spartans (18-7) broke a scoreless tie with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 1-0 lead, an advantage that appeared as though it would hold up the rest of the way.

Andrew McCoy drew a leadoff walk and then advanced to second base on a wild pitch to put Pace in perfect position to finally mount an offensive attack. Bryan Bermudez smacked a shot through the left side of the infield that easily sent McCoy home for an RBI double.

But the Gators (16-9) proved just how tough they have been this season, fighting back to earn the tough victory.

In the top of the seventh Gardens’ Matt Williams led off with a single through the left side of the infield to provide the offense with a spark. After the Spartans recorded the first out on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt, Nick Oberg drew a walk. Nick Gallo followed with a hit to third that erased Williams, but Gallo was able to slide safely into first base and beat the throw for the back end of the double-play attempt, bringing Bell to the plate.

“We didn’t capitalize on a ground ball double play and the next guy up made us pay for it,” Duffin said. “My hats off to them; we wish them well in the playoffs now.”

Both teams pitching staffs were stingy, as the clubs combined to strand 11 base runners.

Rapheal Vazquez got the start for the Spartans, tossing five shutout innings while scattering four hits and two walks and recording four strikeouts.

The loss snaps a five-game winning streak for the Spartans, and they have not lost to a team from Miami-Dade since March 13 when they fell to Hialeah.

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