Gandara’s Homer Lifts Florida Chr. To District Title

The cheers and jubilant screams rang out from through the Florida Christian closed locker room, letting everyone outside who had just attended the District 3A-16 title game know who the champions were.

Chris Gandara’s two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning lifted the defending district champs back into another title-celebration with a tough 2-1 victory over Westminster Christian on Friday night.

Both teams showcased some of the best baseball that has been played this year and fulfilled what is expected in a district championship game.

“We just told them what we told them all year, keep digging and keep trusting,” Florida Christian Manager Chris Brigman said. “We respect those guys a whole lot and every time we play them it’s like a war.”

The game seemed like what could have been a majestic night for the Warriors, as their starting left-handed pitcher John Gonzalez pitched a perfect game into the sixth inning.

But the game went awry as Gonzalez began to complain about leg cramps in the bottom of the sixth while he was warming up, and asked for some help to stretch out his right calf.

“In the game of baseball, to see a perfect game is sometimes impossible,” Westminster Manager Emil Castellanos said. “When you see a kid driving, and you see something that takes control of his body, and cramps up, and doesn’t allow him to continue, it hurts. It hurts to lose in that fashion, because you had a chance to witness something that’s great.”

Gonzalez was relieved after walking Kevin Roque with some low pitches, forcing a cold reliever onto the mound to pitch he mound because of the unexpected cramp up.

That’s when Florida Christian saw a window of opportunity and took advantage, and with a change of atmosphere, the left fielder Gandara stepped up to the plate and switched around the upset with the biggest hit of the game.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” said Gandara, who sailed an inside fastball over the right field fence which extends 30 more feet than the rest of the outfield. “I knew that we had one out and the person in front of me did his job and got on base, so I just tried putting the ball in play with two strikes.”

The Patriots (14-11) turned to its defense and pitcher Christian Pelaez to do the rest of the work.

Pelaez had come on in relief in the fourth inning, and he worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning to secure the victory. The senior allowed a hit and a walk while striking out four in his four innings of work.

“It was surreal,” Pelaez said about the win. “This rivarly with Westminister — every single game, it’s been the same way. I have not been a part of a [Westminister] game that has not been heated like this. Honestly, I respect them a hundred percent. They know how to play, and they play hard. All we got to do is keep playing together, because we might see them one more time.”

The Warriors (16-8-1) pulled out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as Gonzalez got things started with a leadoff single against Patriots starter Andrew George.

Dakota Robbins reached on a fielder’s choice, and John Ruiz and Julian Infante each followed with a single. Robbins was replaced by courtesy-runner Matt Sabates, who then came home on a wild pitch to give Westminster Christian the early advantage.

Infante finished 2-for-4, the only hitter for either club with multiple hits on the night.

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