Fernandez Homers As Florida Christian Blanks St. Brendan

If you look up the word “dominant” in the dictionary, Alex Valverde would be the definition, at least on Thursday.

The Florida Christian Patriots gave the St.Brendan Sabres a visit for a 4A-15 match-up. It is the second time these rivals see each other this season with the Sabres winning the first game earlier in the season in February. The Sabres came into the game looking to snap a three-game losing streak against the Patriots who came in looking for their second straight win.

On this day, however, it was all Valverde and Florida Christian, in a 7-0 Patriots win.

Right off the bat, things did not look good for the Sabres. The Patriots got off to an aggressive start jumping on pitches in the zone. The Patriots capitalized on two errors from the home team to score their first run before Michael Fernandez put a charge into one over the left-field fence for a two-run home run capping off a three-run first inning.

“I was excited because I got the rally going and I know our team needed that'” said Fernandez.

While the offense started hot, Florida Christian Manager Chris Brigman felt the performance started elsewhere, in the top of the first.

“I think it starts on the mound we had a really good pitching performance today by our junior righty, and probably not with his best stuff if you ask me, but he got through it and Mikey Fern (Michael Fernandez) got us going in the first with his home run,” said Brigman on how his Patriots got the job done today.

Brigman gave the start to his ace, junior right handed pitcher Alex Valverde. From the beginning he was lights out. Combining all his pitches and throwing them all for strikes was a big reason why the Sabres had such a hard time doing any damage. Out of the four hits given up by Valverde only one left the infield.

“Everyday I show up to practice I work hard, I do my throwing and my running, and trying to be consistent every time I go up there throwing strikes and hitting my spots.”

The Sabres had a tough time getting back on their feet after the Patriots big first inning. Nick Pinto led-off the game with a bunt single but was thrown out at the plate on an aggressive attempt to get his Sabres on the board.

The Patriots did not take their foot of the pedal in the second. After two outs Jorge Iza and Brandon Chinea extended the inning and when Ruben Smeillan’s ground ball could not be handled, Iza scored. Chinea scored in the following play on the throw down to second base on Someillan’s stolen base to put the Patriots up 5-0.

Valverde kept dealing until he found some trouble during the third, when Alex Cerda led-off the bottom half of the third with a line-drive single and the next two batters followed with walks giving the Sabres bases loaded with no outs and the heart of the line-up up to bat.

Thats when Valverde zoned in, striking out the next two batters and retiring Danny Servin on a tailing line-drive to right with some help from a good defensive play by his right-fielder Erik Montero.

Sabres Manager Luis Padron went to his bullpen to open up the third but the Patriots kept the same attacking mentality going, striking for two more runs in the inning. Fernandez scored on Rodriguez’s RBI double play ground out followed by a two-out RBI double from Iza scoring Gandara.

Jorge Iza had a solid afternoon at the plate going 3-for-3 with a pair of singles and a double.

Valverde kept the Sabres quite for the rest of his outing, going five innings, with six strikeouts. Alex Nodarse took over in the fifth inning, throwing two scoreless frames and allowing just two hits, to Sabres senior Danny Servin and freshman Tyler Paige.

For first year Sabres manager Luis Padron he was the first to point out why his team had a long day on the field.

“We gave up I believe five or six runs not earned. If you look at it we couldn’t catch a ball on the right side of the infield. It’s tough when you give up runs that are not earned. The team gets flat,” said Padron on the level of play today. “Some of the guys just didn’t show up today. That is just baseball, when you make that many errors it’s tough to win and that is what happened today.”

Aside from today’s performance, Padron is optimistic about the final games of the season and the playoffs.

“I tell the kids, we’re a good ball club but we’re lucky because we get to do it again. We get to play again, we’re in the playoffs and it’s a brand new game in the playoffs, anybody beats anybody, so we’re blessed to come back and make the playoffs,” said Padron talking about his Sabres playoff berth. “It’s a tough district everybody wins all five schools can definitely play the game. We’re young but we have a lot of talent.”

The Sabres look to put and end to their losing-streak before playoff time to gain momentum going into the playoffs.

“I know we can make a run as long as we start playing together as a team, develop a little more chemistry,” said senior Danny Servin.

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