Archbishop McCarthy Pounds Out Big Win Over Pace

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It is almost that time of year again.

Wednesday night’s friendly rivalry in Miami Gardens provided baseball enthusiasts a sneak peek at the 2015 playoffs. Monsignor Pace played host to Archbishop McCarthy in the latest installment of a long and exciting series history. With the season rapidly hurtling towards the start of the playoffs, the game took on added intensity as both sides used the quality competition as a litmus test.

The final result favored Mavericks fans, as McCarthy pulled away late for a 9-4 victory. After the Spartans inched within two runs, the Mavericks added on four runs in the top of the seventh to put things away. Dylan Bautista had a two-RBI single that scored Alex Toral and also sent home AJ Hendricks for his second run of the night. Kobe Lopez drove in Bautista, and Alex Carballo singled in Adan Fernandez to seal the game’s fate in the seventh.

In many ways, both McCarthy Manager Rich Bielski and Pace skipper Tom Duffin seemed to agree that the game was won and lost much earlier on. Just like both can expect to see once district tournaments begin, the margin of error was small and little things along the way proved to make huge differences in the end result. With two strong teams facing off, momentum constantly shifted and remained up for grabs for the first few innings. Both sides wrestled for that tide to shift in their favor, and once the Mavericks succeeded with that it seemed to stay in their corner.

“We had an opportunity early on in the game with runners on first and third, with a chance to get a couple in early and maybe start the momentum on our side. They got out of it and we didn’t get any runs,” Duffin said. “Tonight they just came out and flat out beat us. We were behind basically every hitter 3-1, and when you have a good offensive team like that they are going to make you pay for it. We cut it close and I’m proud of my kids for battling back, but it just got away from us late again. I was happy that our guys stayed the course and kept fighting through it, but tonight they were clearly the better team.”

McCarthy catcher Jake Anchia helped turn the game in the second. The catcher led off with a solo home run to left field to put the Mavericks (17-3) on the board with a lead they would never surrender. An inning later Anchia came back up with two ducks on the pond, and he poked a single to right field to send home Carballo and Toral. Hendricks came on to run for the veteran backstop, and he scored on an RBI single from Fred Matos.

Those runs proved to be all that Mavericks starter Daniel Federman needed. The right-hander was strong on the mound, pounding the zone on 62 of his 83 pitches. Federman allowed three earned runs on six hits and a walk, and he struck out six.

“We’re going to have to figure out ways in these bigger games that are coming up that we are going to have to clutch up and make those plays,” Duffin said. “I feel bad for the guys because they were looking forward to showing better tonight, but we just have to learn from this game and move forward. Hopefully it doesn’t happen in the playoffs.”

The Spartans (13-8) got a lot of production from both bookends of the lineup. Nine-hole hitter Jonathan Reyes-Diaz reached base three times and scored all three times, thanks to leadoff hitter Jorge Arenas having four quality at bats. Arenas excelled in putting the ball in play and hitting well behind his runners. After a single in the first, he then got the ball on the ground with a runner on third in his next two at bats to drive them in both times, and he capped it off with a sacrifice flyout in the fifth.

Manuel Rodriguez had a triple and scored for Pace, and catcher Andres Sanchez had an RBI single.

Both clubs currently sit at the top of the district standings in their respective districts. Coming off some tough opposition during Spring Break in the HSBN March Madness Shootout, both teams know the schedule only keeps getting harder the rest of the way.

“Every year we put one of the toughest schedules together, and they do as well,” Duffin said. “The thing is we always want to play these games as things are getting closer to the district tournament, and you want to see where you stand and how you face. You want to play the best competition right now, because if you are not playing your best you could be taken by surprise by anybody.”

While these two teams may not take one another by surprise, they can always trust that they are going to see one another’s best. It is a game both sides always want to win, and it is the closest it can come to feeling like the playoffs on the first day of April.

“I think a lot of teams are doing the same thing and really trying to backload their schedule with tough games against tough teams that are going to prepare you for the playoffs,” Bielski said. “So this was a perfect playoff atmosphere tonight. Tommy always has a great team over here; they always play very hard. We’re very blessed to come out with a great performance by our hitters.”

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