Westwood Christian Charges Late With A Nine-Run Fifth To Down Miami Christian

Five: Number of home runs Westwood Christian Warriors and Miami Christian Victors accounted for in the 2A regional semifinals Wednesday afternoon. Nineteen: The amount of hits both teams totaled. Fifteen: The amount of runs scored by Westwood Christian, 10 more than Miami Christian.

In a game of numbers, it was the Westwood Warriors who governed the stat sheet. The Warriors put 22 men on base on 15 hits, 11 RBIs and six unselfish sacrifice bunts.

The Westwood Warriors exchanged runs early but coagulated late and rallied in the fifth inning en route to a 15-5 win to advance to host Friday’s regional final against Sheridan Hills.

In his first year playing ball, Westwood senior Alex Hernandez tallied in three home runs to help his team advance to the regional finals.

“I’m the happiest guy in the world,” said Alex Hernandez, “It was a battle the whole time, but we came in big with some great fielding, pitching, and coaching. We just got to keep working hard.”

The Warriors forced two quick outs to start the game, but an error on a routine fly ball put Brian Gonzalez on base and a stand-up double by Frank De Izaguirre helped the Victors jump out to a two-run lead.

Westwood entered the bottom of the first inning already trailing, but Jean Carlos Cardenas laid down a bunt for a base hit and stole his way to third. Cardenas then came home on a wild pitch.

Anthony Penas was walked and Hernandez followed with a two-run home run over the shallow right-field wall,  giving the Warriors their first lead.

“I told Hernandez he’s the state MVP,” said Warriors coach Luis Padron. “In his first at-bat, I told him they’re going to come right after you, and you’re going to have a great day. He’s just guts. Man, he can play.”

The Victors’ Brian Gonzalez was walked in the third inning with two outs, and De Izaguirre pelted a shot deep past the center-field wall for a two-run homer.

Westwood’s Jose Suarez was walked in the bottom of the third. In an attempt to pick-off Suarez at first, the ball was thrown behind first base, allowing Suarez to advance to second base. Penas then struck a single up the middle, putting Suarez on third and the altruistic Warrriors brought in Suarez with Josh Cedeno’s sacrifice fly.

The game was tied at four in the top of the fourth inning, but Anthony Diaz wouldn’t keep the game tied for long. Diaz got on top of a pitch and yanked one past the fences for a solo home run.

Alex Hernandez moved from left field onto the mount in relief for the Warriors ace Danny Garcia. Hernandez finished the game, recording two strikeouts and giving up zero runs.

“Danny’s our number one,” Padron said. “He was flat today, but I told Danny that if he got us to the fourth inning in a close game we’d have his back. Our kids get comfortable having our ace going, so it was important for Danny to take us to the fourth inning.”

With just three innings left, it seemed this game would come down to the wire, but the Warriors felt differently. Hernandez shook the bleachers with his second home run of the game to start the bottom of the fifth. Then an error put Cedeno on first, forcing a pitching change by the Victors, but the side arm pitch of Richard Barbella hit Claudio Rubiera, and a bunt by Luis Padron loaded up the bases for Ariel Bello.

The selfless Bello dropped a sacrifice bunt for an RBI, bringing in Cedeno. Lead-off hitter Robert Hernandez struck his second hit of the game down the right-field line, bringing in Rubiera. Suarez then added with a two-run double, and Penas followed with his own RBI double, bringing the batting order back to Hernandez. Hernandez took a dropping side-arm pitch for a sky-rocketing two-run home run, his third of the day, giving the Warriors an eight run lead, two runs short of a mercy-rule.

“My second hit I was trying to be clutch,” Hernandez said. ”When I hit my third homer, I had two strikes, and I needed to get a hit for my team, and I was just hacking at it.”

Hernandez and the Warriors’ defense shut down the Victors in the sixth inning, only the third inning the Victors were held scoreless.

Robert Hernandez led off to start the bottom of the sixth and singled up the middle. Cardenas emulated Hernandez and singled up the middle as well, but the Victors stiffened and forced two outs, putting Alex Hernandez at the plate. Alex Hernandez was walked and with the bases loaded, Cendeno could end the game by bringing in two runners. Cedeno, with ice in his veins cranked one into the outfield, bringing in Robert Hernandez, and Cardenas for the Warriors 15th run and a 10-run mercy rule.

“One game at a time,” Padron said. “We played one run at a time. We just kept the same approach and now we’ll go Friday against Sheridan Hills in the regional finals.”

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