Public Team Evens Series With Big All Star Victory
Over the course of their careers, the 2015 Miami-Dade senior baseball players provided tons of memories for friends, family and all of their fans to enjoy. On Friday night the top players from around the county provided one final hurrah to close out their high school careers with an exciting and unforgettable game played in the HSBN Miami-Dade Senior All-Star Game, played at Florida Christian School in Olympia Heights.
Behind some big offensive innings down the stretch, the blue Public Team pulled away to a 20-7 victory over the red Private Team. The Public Team evens the all-time series at a game apiece, in the second year under the team format that pits the private-school players against the public-school players.
While the debate between these two teams stands deadlocked for now, a larger competition may also be brewing. In the bottom of the fourth the teams lined up on the baselines and took a moment to thank their families for all the support over the years. The players were then thrust into a spirited dance-off, a showdown that was as close to call as any. In the first version of this event, the Public Team also scored the victory.
Hialeah’s Carlos Reyes had a nice night at the plate to boost the Public Team to the win. The catcher had a flyout to center field with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, breaking a tie ball game and putting the Private Team in the lead for good when South Dade’s Sergio Lopez tagged up and scored on the sac-fly. Lopez and American’s John Ham walked to start the sixth, and Dr. Krop’s Diego Rodriguez was hit by a pitch to fill the bases and bring up Reyes.
The red squad added two more runs in the sixth to account for the difference in the game. Reagan’s Edgar Pages had an RBI single to right field to score Ham, and, after Dr. Krop’s Phil DiMartino walked to reload the bases, Goleman’s Erick Delgado supplied another RBI single.
Carlos Reyes made is biggest statement in his next at bat, after again getting the bases loaded in the top of the eighth. Ham and Killian’s Eddy Demurias singled with two outs, and Diego Rodriguez walked to bring Reyes back to the plate. This time the former Thoroughbred put a charge in a pitch and slugged it high and deep over the left field fence for a grand slam home run that closed out the scoring.
The Public Team celebrates its big victory.
American’s Romy Gonzalez also got himself a home run, which opened the scoring in the top of the first. Braddock’s Anthony Alvarez worked a two-our walk and Gonzalez belted a shot over the 320-foot sign in left field for the two-run home run. The Public Team added another run when Hialeah Educational Academy’s Peter Baldrich and Coral Gables’ Coco Montes both walked to keep things going, and Killian’s Keith Stevens hit an RBI double to drive home Baldrich. The red club extended it to 4-0 an inning later when Ham reached on an error and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Blue Team responded back to jump in front in the bottom of the second. Columbus’ Jackie Urbaez singled up the middle and then swiped a pair of bases, before coming home on a throwing error. Westwood Christian’s Brandon Nayor and Miami Brito’s Marcos Bolano both walked, and Nayor also stole a base before scoring on a passed ball. Florida Christian’s Kendrick Garcia followed with a single to put two ducks on the pond, and St. Brendan’s Benito Varela came up big by lacing a shot deep to center field for a two-RBI triple.
With the game now tied, Palmer Trinity’s Evan Steinman put the Private Team ahead with an RBI single past second, before he also scored on an RBI single from Miami Brito’s Jan Carlos Hernandez. After a career of subbing out for a courtesy runner as a catcher, JC Hernandez was finally able to run the bases. The former Panther seized his chance and stole second base for his only steal of the season.
The blue team evened things back up in the third. Goleman’s Erick Delgado walked and TERRA’s Yasser Santana reached on error. Mater Lakes’ David Seijo also reached on an error that allowed both base runners to score and even the game at six runs apiece.
After going ahead in the sixth, the Public Team put things out of reach with a seven-run seventh. Yasser Santana walked, stole second and then advanced to third on a passed ball. When David Seijo walked the two executed a double-steal that worked to see Santana stealing home. Seijo went to third when Coral Shores’ Daryl Chou singled to right, and he scored on a wild pitch. Chou scored next when Mourning’s Alex Perez reached base on an error.
Hialeah Gardens’ Chris Clara kept things going with a single to left field. Braddock’s Willie Padron came next and charged the ball deep to center field for a two-RBI triple. Coral Gables’ Elih Marrero and Anthony Alvarez both had RBI singles to follow. Baldrich singled to the right side, but then the Private Team stranded a pair to finally close out the inning.
The Private Team also got a run in the sixth. Marcos Bolano walked, Kendrick Garcia singled on a chopper to short and Evan Steinman blooped an RBI single into shallow center field.
While the game had been an offensive showing all night, the pitching tightened up at the end of the contest. Killian’s Joey Gonzalez worked out of a jam after allowing walks to Ransom Everglades’ David Lanster and St. Brendan’s Nico Lares, catching a pair of infield pop ups to record a scoreless seventh. Goleman’s Michael Pelaez struck out two for a 1-2-3 eighth, and South Dade’s Jose Gorordo closed things out with a 1-2-3 ninth that also included a pair of strikeouts.
Miami Brito’s Marcos Bolano surrendered a single to Yasser Santana in the bottom of the eight, but worked out of trouble with his second strikeout to end his scoreless frame. Gulliver Preps’ Michael Gonzalez worked out of trouble in the fourth after loading the bases with a single to Willie Padron and walks to Elih Marrero and Anthony Alvarez. Gonzalez dug in and got an infield grounder that the defense gobbled up to end the threat.
Fellow Gulliver Prep hurler Davis Brown also got some help from his defense with an inning-ending double play in the fifth. Baldrich walked, but Brown bounced back with a strikeout and then got a grounder for a 5-3-5 double-play.
The blue team showed off some nice pitching as well, such as Coral Gables’ starter Andrew Cabezas supplying a 1-2-3 first against the top of the Private Team’s order. South Miami’s Ernesto Pino allowed a walked to Belen Jesuit’s Marcos Perez, but did not allow any runs. TERRA’s Frank Bartow gave up a single to St. Brendan’s Gabriel San Roman and also hit Westwood Christian’s Kenneth Prado with a pitch, but got out of trouble.
Palmetto’s Felix Garcia had an unorthodox 1-2-3 frame. He gave up a leadoff triple to Columbus’ Danny Casals, who was thrown out at the plate trying to stretch it into an inside-the-park home run. Garcia got an infield groundout, and then showed off a nice pickoff move by catching Westwood Christian’s Brandon Nayor, after he reached on a base hit.
All-Time HSBN Miami-Dade All Star results:
2014 – Private Team 5, Public Team 0
2013 – Rained Out
*Thanks to everyone for their generous donations of used baseball equipment to area Chicago White Sox Scout Pepe Ortega. The equipment will be shipped to the Dominican Republic to help underprivileged ballplayers. Special thanks to Grant Miller with Community Newspapers for donating the meals for the All-Star players, which was provided by Mama Jenny’s in Miami. HSBN also thanks Florida Christian for graciously hosting the event.
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