Gulliver Tops Key West, Closes Gap In District

The Key West Conchs made the 151-mile road trip north looking to stay perfect in the district against Gulliver Prep.

The Raiders had other plans, avenging an earlier loss to the Conchs by jumping out to a four-run first inning that led to a 7-2 win on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in Pinecrest.

“We did what we were supposed to do today,” Gulliver Prep Manager Javy Rodriguez said. “They beat us at their place, and we had to beat them here.”

The Raiders (5-5, 2-2 in District 4A-16) came in with a 3-0 home record, while the Conchs (8-3, 3-1 4A-16) were 3-0 on the road, so something had to give.

Key West was the first to blink in the bottom of the first inning. After junior pitcher and FSU commit Darren Miller forced two quick outs poised to retire the side, things got ugly for the Conchs. Junior shortstop Joseph Dunand came up to bat and hit a chopper deep in the hole to shortstop, but Dunand hustled down the line and beat the throw to first to get the Raider’s first base hit. The next batter, junior catcher Brent Diaz, came to the plate and belted a Miller pitch deep over the fence in left field for the two-run home run.

The Raiders kept the momentum going when the next batter, Henry Hernandez, laced a single down the left field line. Ricardo Pozo came up next and lined a single up the middle to put runners on first and second. A few pitches later, German Marcos poured salt on the wound with a deep line drive to the gap in right field for the bases-clearing double to make it 4-0.

Still in the first, the designated hitter, Justin Rams, walked to put runners on first and second. The Conchs stopped the bleeding when left fielder Carlos Rugo hit a single up the middle and Marcos turned third to head home, but Key West center fielder Steven Wells fired a perfect throw to home to get the out.

With a 4-0 lead after the first, Gulliver starter sophomore Davis Brown had plenty of breathing room to work with. Brown held the Key West bats in check for most of the game. He no-hit the Conchs through the first three innings before Miller connected on a single up the middle to lead off the top of the fourth.

The Raiders tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third. With Diaz leading off, the junior displayed great awareness at the plate. With the Key West infield playing back to respect his power, Diaz alertly laid down a bunt down the third-base line and beat the throw for a base hit. Diaz would finish the game 3-for-3 with two RBI and a home run.

With one on, no outs and Hernadez at bat, Raiders Manager Rodriguez called for a hit-and-run with courtesy runner Brandon Chinea on first and Hernandez delivered. The senior knocked a double deep to right field allowing Chinea to score and put Guillver up 5-0.

After Miller struck out the next two batters, the Conchs ran into more trouble with two outs. With Hernandez on second, the Rams lined a pitch down the right-field line for an RBI double to put the Raiders up 6-0.

Key West Manager Miguel Mendez had seen enough and switched Miller for Joey Figueroa, who forced a fly out to center to end the third.

The Key West bats came to life at the top of the fifth. With one out, shortstop Greg Veliz was hit by a pitch to put a runner on first. On the next at-bat nine hitter Andrew Freeman belted a double to put runners on second and third. The leadoff hitter Wells came up to bat and delivered with a single to the gap in left field good enough to bring both runners home.

Gulliver’s Rodriguez went with a switch of his own, pulling Brown for senior right-hander Isaias Jasso. Brown pitched four and one-third innings, allowing two runs and four hits, with four strikeouts for the win.

With Gulliver up 6-2 still in the fifth, Jasso would force the next batter into a four-six-three double play to end the inning.

The Raiders tacked on one more run in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Rugo hitting ninth in the order blasted a solo home run to right field to seal the deal for the Raiders.

Rugo finished 2-for-3 with a home run for the game while Hernandez finished 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and a double for the Raiders.

For Key West, Wells finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk. Andy Freeman went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored.

The win moves Gulliver one game away from forcing a three-way tie in District 4A-16 with Key West and Miami St. Brendan.

“It was huge, we beat them and then if we go out and beat St. Brendan and they go down and beat Key West now its a three-way tie in the district,” Hernandez said. “Our goal is to get first place in the district.”

Despite the loss, Key West still holds control of its own destiny in the district.

“Its big that we control our own destiny because now its all in our hands,” Mendez said. “The last two district games are at home for us, which is big. So we feel like we’re in good shape.”

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