Goleman Outlasts Douglas For Eighth Straight Victory

Goleman starting pitcher Michael Pelaez and closer Jeremi Garcia were backed by some great defense for a tight 5-4 win over a tough Douglas Eagles squad. The Gators’ eighth straight win moves them on to the finals of the Dick Rushin Hall of Fame National Classic on Friday night.

The good defensive effort for the Gators began as early as it possibly could have. In the first at-bat of the day, Douglas’ Pemron Burrows smacked a ball in to the left-center field gap that would have gone for at least a double if not for a great catch by center fielder Justin Barreneche, who laid out on a full run to rob the lead-off man.

Manager Jose Lopez said that even though it occurred as early as it did, it not only took probable runs off the board for the Eagles but also invigorated the Gators’ morale. It may have decided the contest before it even fully started.

“Whenever you make a play behind your pitcher, the team gets pumped,” Lopez said. “So the play to lead off the game might have been the play that won the game. If that ball finds the fence and we may be looking at being down one or two runs in the first inning, and that’s the difference in the game.”

The catch set the tone for the rest of the day for the Gators defensively. They had their pitcher’s back all afternoon, making plays whenever they were needed. Though he struggled with his breaking stuff early, Pelaez proved to be up for the challenge. Using a good sharp curveball which he located well on the outer half of the plate, a filthy diving changeup, he worked six quality innings, getting the game in the hands of his closer. He tallied four strikeouts to five walks.

“We faced a tough Douglas team that has a lot of power so our plan was to keep his breaking pitches down and throw low strikes,” Perez said. “Early in the game, his breaking stuff wasn’t working so we were a little concerned. But later in the game he was able to find it and strike some guys out in key situations.”

Pelaez allowed two home runs early as he settled in and adjusted to the strike zone. But he conceded that he had to differ from his usual game plan on the mound.

“It was hard to throw strikes with that umpire,” Pelaez said. “I just had to put it down the middle and challenge them. There was nothing else I could do. When you’re forced to do that against a good hitting team; that’s how they got two big bombs. I was just fortunate I was able to find it and limit them.”

Despite his struggles early which led to Douglas plating two in the second and putting three men on base via walks in the third, Lopez lauded his ace’s ability to show composure beyond his years. He adjusted to the situation and put together a strong outing, but also admitted Pelaez’s ability to adjust to any situation is something he has come to expect.

“This may have been the best team we’ve played all year long, so I’m extremely proud of Michael,” Lopez said. “However at the same time we expect him to have some great outings. He’s done it all year long against teams like McCarthy and Felix Varela so we expect it. He’s our number one.”

In addition to his great play in center field that paced his defense, Barreneche also paced the Gators’ offense. Leading off the first inning, Barreneche got the Goleman bats kick-started with a single and, after a one-out single by Erick Delgado, coming in to score his team’s first run on an error induced by Michael Gomez. Michael Avendano then followed with a two-RBI single to give the Gators an early 3-0 lead.

Barrenche came up in the next inning in an RBI spot. His success at the plate continued with a double that plated a Kevin Perez single. The two hits were Barreneche’s eight and ninth in his last 15 ABs, a span which has helped improve his slash line to an outrageous .457/.594/.674.

“He’s definitely been on fire for us,” Lopez said of his senior outfielder. “I always tell him, ‘You’re the heart of our team’. He’s been great with the bat all year long; he’s one of the tops in Miami-Dade right now. He’s a great ballplayer with an excellent attitude. I cannot ask for anything else. The only thing I can ask for is to have another guy like him next year.”

Although he was plenty proud that his team was able to take down one of Broward’s best teams for the right to advance to a championship game, Lopez withheld that now is not the time to take things for granted and let up in any way. Instead, he plans to keep the Gators focused by increasing the workload and further perfecting their game as they head towards the playoffs.

“It’s great for the program and kids to get some recognition here in Broward and in Miami-Dade as well,” Lopez said. “We are excited that we are playing great baseball right now but we still have a month to go in the season. We just want to stay concentrated on winning games and doing what we are supposed to do. We have to keep working.”

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