Pablo Arevalo Pitches Belen Jesuit Past Doral Academy

A game at the home of the Belen Jesuit Wolverines that featured the Wolverines against 6A-16 rivals Doral Academy took place on Thursday afternoon. In front of a loud and rowdy student section, passionate parents and a few scouts that came out to see the local talent the Wolverines used effective pitching from Pablo Arevalo and big-time hitting from Christian Del Castillo to defeat the Firebirds 7-3.

The victory moves Belen (5-2) into a tie for first place in the ever-competitive district, where it shares a 2-0 mark with TERRA Institute. Doral remains right in the hunt with a 1-1 district mark.

They say the only way to beat a guy as good as Arevalo is to get him early and make it count. Although the Firebirds (4-4) got a run off of him in the top of the first inning, that was all he would surrender through his six innings of work. Arevalo was dominate on the mound, possessing stuff that kept the Firebird hitters off balanced all game and enabled stikeouts and fly outs all afternoon.

“Pablo was our guy last year as a sophomore. He was terrific last year and is off to a great start this year,” said Manager Jerry Albert. “He’s got his little moxy to him and he is a competitor.”

The 2014 First Team All County selection allowed only four hits, one run, two walks and struck out seven.

“I felt good, and I didn’t feel like I did too much,” said Arevalo. “I mean, my coaches called a great game and I have an amazing defense behind me, so I really just go out there and do what my coaches tell me to do. I know that my teammates have my back; so if it goes well, it goes well, and my teammates will always be there.”

Arevalo’s was not the only impressive performance on Thursday, as his teammate Christian Del Castillo stole some of the spotlight with a 3-for-3 day that included a home run, double, single, an intentional walk and three RBIs. He fell just a triple shy of baseball’s greatest accomplishment as a hitter, hitting for the cycle.

“I’m never trying to do too much and always make contact,” said Del Castillo on his performance at the plate.

The Firebirds started things off quickly in the first inning on Harold Alverez’s RBI double. The Wolves were quick to respond with a solo blast that got out in a hurry by Del Castillo.

Del Castillo connected for an RBI double in the bottom of the third inning, and then CJ Vazquez singled to right to drive in Castillo and put the Wolverines ahead 3-1 heading into the top of the fourth inning. Once the Wolverines took the lead, they didn’t give it back.

“Del is outstanding, he’s locked in right now and swinging the bat real well and he’s been doing a terrific job all year for us,” said Albert.

After a flawless top of the fourth inning for Arevalo, the Wolverines tacked on another run to up their total to four. A single from senior Michael Gomez, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Nick Ureta forced a pitching change for the Firebirds. New pitcher Kylan Lopez was called upon to prevent any further damage from being done, but walked the first batter he faced and then gave up an RBI single to Del Castillo.

After getting the next batter to pop up to the catcher for the final out of the inning, the Firebirds threatened in the top of fifth with a leadoff single from Harold Alvarez. Alvarez advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by the five-hole hitter, Andres Valbuena. Arevalo then got Christopher Liriano to ground out to short and Brandon Gonzalez to line out to center, stranding Alvarez on third base.

The Firebirds kept the Wolverines at a manageable distance all game until the bottom of the sixth inning. The inning started with a hit batsman, followed by the second sacrifice bunt of the day for Ureta. A flyout to center marked two down for the Firebirds, but due up next was the ever-dangerous Del Castillo. Firebirds Manager Ralph Suarez elected to intentionally walk Del Castillo and take his chances with three-hole hitter, CJ Vazquez.  The sophomore made them pay with a single to right to load the bases.

A pitching change, an RBI walk and then the dagger in a double by Marcos Perez would plate three more runs and make the score 7-1 heading to the Firebirds seventh.

“It was a 4-to-1 game there until the sixth inning and then we gave up that big hit,” said Suarez. “If we get out of that inning without giving up those runs, I think things are a little different. We got to do a better job offensively, especially with guys on base. We left a lot of guys on today.”

The Firebirds showed no quit and fought until the very end. The top of the seventh inning would prove to be too great a deficit for the ‘Birds, but the fight was still there.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, the nine-hitter Nelson Montilla singled up the middle, giving the bench something to cheer about. After a hit-by-pitch advanced Montilla to second and put leadoff man Yasel Fabra on first, Belen reliever Michael Gomez got a strikeout for the second out of the inning. Carlos Pino then singled on the very next pitch to load the bases for the hot-hitting Alvarez. Alvarez would come through the hard way, by recording an RBI by way of a hit-by-pitch. But that would be all, as Gomez struck out the next batter for the final out of the game.

“We’re going to fight, absolutely,” said Suarez. “My kids don’t quit. I’ve won nine state championships so I’m not going to let them quit. If they quit they are going to be in trouble, because I don’t quit on them.”

Leave a comment using your facebook account!