Columbus Nabs Big District Win Against Coral Gables

When two titans meet, the fans always enjoy it. When Coral Gables met Columbus in a District 8A-15 showdown Tuesday, it came with a pair of district leaders tied at 4-0 who are also ranked among the county’s top programs.

It was a contest that lived up to the billing, as the Explorers gained a big 2-0 shutout victory.

Columbus improved to 9-2, while also taking sole possession of the lead in 8A-15.

Columbus Manager Joe Weber didn’t put too much pressure in the game. He simply took the best from his team and acknowledged the great things from his opponent.

“I thought we executed well. We laid down the bunt, when we needed it to get the bunt over. We got a sacrifice fly when we needed a sac-fly,” Weber said. “We knew their kid was good and he was going to come at us; so you need to get your scoring opportunities when you get them.”

From the warm-ups the game was defined; this was a pitching matchup. Coral Gables’ Andrew Cabezas squared off against Columbus ace Matt Marini. Both pitchers silenced the offense, and the crowd only saw lapses of batting prowess. The difference in the game ended up being timely hitting and execution of fundamental plays.

Marini was able to shut down the Cavaliers (7-2) with intelligent pitching, using his breaking ball and putting the ball in play. He finished the complete game by only allowing five hits, all of them singles, while surrendering one walk and striking out five batters. He was also aided by his defense that was nothing short of spectacular.

“I felt I was on the zone tonight working with all my pitches,” Marini said. “At the beginning of the game I was leaving my pitches up. So, I had to make some adjustments and when I got hit my team played great defense. This was a huge game for us. This win is a huge confidence booster and I hope to keep the momentum going.”

Marini’s opponent kept the game as close as it could be. Cabezas, a right-hander with a blazing fastball that gets over 90 miles per hour, did his part. He pitched six innings, struck out eight Explorers, surrendered four hits and gave up two runs.

It was a tough loss for a Cavaliers offense that was blanked in support of such a strong outing from Cabezas.

“I think we had some nice hits, we just couldn’t get the big hit and they did,” Coral Gables Manager Phillip Wisser explained. “We had our opportunity. We had runners on in scoring position, and we just couldn’t get that big hit today.”

Wisser feels that Cabezas can become a better pitcher if he keeps working on his craft.

“We have been working hard on him. He has been struggling a little bit,” Wisser said of his starter. “We spent a lot of time this week working and he made major adjustments. The pitcher that pitched today is the pitcher we know he is.”

On a night were pitching was abundant and the hitting scarce, the Explorers came out on top by being extremely opportunistic and using what their opponent provided for them.

The first run was scored in the third inning, after Danny Casals got hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. From there, Casals advanced to third after a high bouncing ground ball by Dominick Reyes helped him beat the tag at first base. Pablo de Armas then hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field that scored the first run of the ballgame.

The only other run of the game was earned with power. After lefty Ryan Alvarez hit a sharp line drive, the third baseman Danny Diaz hit one of the longest doubles someone can hit. The ball left his bat and everyone in the stands and the field assumed it was gone, only to be surprised by the sight of the ball hitting the top of the wall on the deepest part of centerfield.

Diaz settled for the RBI, extra-base hit, and was 2-for-3 on the night.

“I have to give it to Columbus. They bounced back after the first two innings, starting being more patient and waiting for my fastball,” Cabezas said. “My breaking ball was good today but you have to throw it for strikes, and if you are not ahead you cannot throw it.’’

Both teams deserved a win, and ties have no place in baseball. This fact is highlighted by the 6-6 deadlock these two clubs left hanging earlier this season, a contest that will be concluded at the end of the month.

The outcome of that game could determine a lot in the entire district seeding.

“This is a marathon, it’s not a sprint. You want to go out and win every game, but you have to get hot at the end,” Weber said. “We want to get better as the year goes on, so we are playing our best baseball in April and May.”

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