Pace Ends 12-Year Losing Streak to PB Gardens

Every year going back for a couple of decades, Monsignor Pace and Palm Beach Gardens meet up in a late-season contest.

For the past 12 meetings, Gators Manager Joe Russo had watched his team come out victorious.

But on Wednesday night, the visiting Spartans finally ended that streak, holding off a late comeback bid for a 5-4 victory in a game played at Lilac Field, which is affectionately known to the locals as Joe Russo Field.

Every year these two clubs meet in a beneficial tune-up game to get prepared for the postseason, and often in recent years the Spartans (14-4-1) fell but an out or two short of the victory. So it was only fitting that Wednesday’s chapter in the series also ended in dramatic fashion, on a well-hit ball to right fielder Andrew McCoy with the tying run 90 feet from home.

“Anytime you can come into Palm Beach Gardens and pull out a win, it’s good,” Spartans Manager Tom Duffin said. “I have the utmost respect for Gardens and Coach Russo and the program he runs. Maybe I won’t win for another 12 years, but at least we’ll enjoy it tonight.”

After coming close other times in recent match ups, Duffin was not surprised to see the Gators (16-5) rally back from a two-run deficit with their final swings in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“Unfortunately, it’s always been the other outcome,” Duffin said. “We made an error late in the game and then here we go again. It’s never over until it’s really over.”

In a contest that saw four lead changes in all, the Spartans took the lead for good in the top of the sixth.

Second baseman Derek Cartaya chopped a high bouncer deep to third base, leaving third baseman Matt Williams with no time for a throw as the speedy freshman charged up the line for a leadoff single. Cartaya then moved into scoring position as leadoff hitter Bryan Bermudez laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt.

Pace finished the game with 14 hits in all, yet it was several perfectly placed bunts that made the biggest difference on the night.

“We stress that you have to play fundamental baseball, and honestly every time we asked for it we got it,” Duffin admitted. “The thing is we have not been a very good bunting team for the whole season. As of late when we’ve needed to, we’ve been able to execute. Playoff baseball you’re going to have to get that done, and fortunately for us we’re starting to get it where it needs to be.”

Thanks to this execution, Spartans first baseman David Palenzuela then found himself coming to the plate in a 3-3 game in the sixth with the go-ahead run represented in Cartaya at second base.

The left-handed hitter responded with his second double of the night on a liner that sailed into the left field corner to easily bring Cartaya around third and home.

Leftfielder Brandon Gomez followed by slicing the ball over third base for an RBI double that sent home courtesy-runner Benji Urra with the deciding run, after Urra came in to run for Palenzuela. The hit was also the second double on the night for Gomez, who was 2-for-3.

The comeback helped earn the victory for Spartans starter Jonathan Hernandez, who was the pitcher of record after going five full innings before his offense rewarded him with the winning runs in the top of the sixth.

The left-hander held Gardens to three earned runs while tossing 89 pitches and limiting the damage to three hits and four walks.

Showcasing a fastball in the upper 80s, Hernandez did a great job of mixing up his pitches while working his off-speed pitches outside and then pounding the inside corner with his fastball.

“That was one of the better games I’ve seen him throw all year,” Duffin said. “The umpire was great. He was very consistent for both sides and his zone was tight. He was consistent, so we knew where to throw it, and Johnny hit his spots. He made some really good 3-1 pitches with change-ups that really kept guys off and got us out of innings. It was a good outing all around.”

Although it is forbidden to argue balls and strikes in baseball anyhow, it is worth noting that Wednesday’s crew called an incredibly solid game that left no question that the outcome was based solely on the play on the field.

“They swing the bats well and it was well-played on both parts,” Russo said. “We know they’re going to be a solid club, and that is why we schedule them late in the year. It was a good game, but it would have been nice to win it there late.”

Yet despite all of the game’s late-inning heroics, it all began on a bunt single.

Pace had put seven runners on base through the first three innings, including a bases-loaded situation in the third. Yet when Andrew McCoy stepped to the plate leading off the fourth, the Spartans had yet to score and had stranded five runners.

McCoy laid down a bunt on the third-base sideline that softly came to a stop on the infield grass as the speedy right fielder easily raced safely to first base with the hit.

McCoy scored on a throwing error, and then Cartaya singled on a high chopper that bounced into the left infield hole to send home Leroy Garcia and give Pace its first lead at 2-1.

McCoy added an RBI sacrifice flyout in the fifth that scored Palenzuela as the Spartans bats continued to sizzle.

“Our guys swung the sticks, and this is what we’ve been hoping for,” Duffin said. “We’ve been juggling our lineup all year, but if we can get this type of productivity all the way through, then maybe we can finally get going. The last few games we’ve swung the bats pretty well.”

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