Hialeah’s Alexis Herrera Stymies Miami Beach

A powerful outing from Alexis Herrera and one inning of offense was enough to lead Hialeah past Miami Beach 3-0, in an 8A-14 game on Thursday night at Flamingo Park.

“This was a big district game for us. We’re pretty much battling to get in the three or four spot,” Hialeah Manager Johnathan Hernandez said in regard to the five-team district that has only four playoff spots.

Miami Beach fell to 4-8 overall and 2-5 in the district. Meanwhile, Hialeah (3-9, 3-3), which started the season with seven straight losses, has its first winning streak.

“We’ve got two wins in a row,” Herrera said. “The guys are pretty positive, in the duguout, in the bus, in school. We’re all happy faces and smiling.”

Herrera had plenty to smile about. He registered a career-high 12 strikeouts as the 6-foot, 190 pound senior fired a complete game three-hitter with one walk and one hit-batsman.

“Alexis has been our workhorse all year,” Hernandez said. “He could be one of the better pitchers in the county. He’s been working really hard. There’s a reason why Bethune Cookman offered him a scholarship and that’s where he’s going to go. Last week he threw well against Hialeah Gardens. It looks like he’s turning the corner.”

A gutsy four-hit effort from Miami Beach’s Jonathan Gonzalez was overshadowed by Herrera, who allowed only a single and double to Christian Almonte and a towering first inning triple to Trent Bryan.

“I had to adjust to the mound a little bit because my curveball wasn’t biting, so I had to switch to another pitch,” Herrera said.

That pitch was a nasty slider that Miami Beach batters unsuccessfully chased all night.

“The slider was biting good tonight,” said Herrera, who struck out five batters in a row during a sizzling stretch that included fanning the top of the order in the third inning.

When he needed to work out of jams, Herrera didn’t flinch. Miami Beach had runners in scoring position with one out in the second, but Herrera ended the threat with two strikeouts.

Ending innings with strikeouts was a theme for Herrera, who whiffed the final batter of an inning five times.

All of the offensive support for Herrera came in a three-run fourth inning. After being held without a hit for the first three innings by Gonzalez, Hialeah’s bats finally woke up.

Following singles by Arnaldo Brito and Adrian Gomez, Ramid Alvarez drove in the game’s first run with a single. Two more runs came home when Damion Irigoyan reached on a bunt that included an error.

The hiccup in the fourth was the only inning Gonzalez allowed a hit. Gonzalez also went the distance and allowed just one walk against six strikeouts on the night.

Although Miami Beach was hampered by four infield errors, the Hi-Tides received an outstanding night in center by senior Gabriel Obregon, who made two tough running catches that were labeled for extra bases.

Hialeah’s defensive gems came from catcher Carlos Reyes, who threw out a runner, and infielders Brito and Branden Perdoma, one of four starting freshmen on a club that might be looking at brighter days following its rough start.

“It had a lot to do with the youth and inexperience we have,” Hernandez said. “But the guys are finally buying into our program and our philosophy. I can’t knock these guys down. Ninth graders are getting thrown into the fire. They’re playing against older guys. They’re buying into the philosophy. Every time at practice they’re having fun. That’s what I want to stress.”

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