ABF Academy Gets The Win Behind Gonzalez’s 10 K’s

The ABF Academy Cowboys (5-7) took down the Downtown Doral Dolphins (5-10) 11-1, in a match up that saw a lights out performance from Cowboys senior right-handed pitcher Zackary Gonzalez, a Lynn University commit.

The Cowboy struck first in the game, as they were able to plate a run in the first inning due to a wild pitch. The very next inning however, the Dolphins answered back with a run of their own to make it a tie ball game. After that however, both pitchers began to go to work.

No one scored on Zackary after he settled in. With a five pitch arsenal, Zackary was sure to utilize each of them in his outing. His bag contains a fastball, slider, curve ball, change-up and sinker, and all we’re crucial to get the win.

“Everything felt nice,” said Gonzalez, “I was locked in on every single pitch, some pitches got away from me, but I made quick adjustments, and that was all I needed to do.”

He finished with six innings, striking out 10, while only allowing one earned run.

The next couple of runs came in the bottom of the second as the Cowboys scored off of a wild pitch followed by a walk from Elias Culzac and RBI double off the bat of Ashton Diaz. The game continued on like that until the fifth came around. The Cowboys led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double that sparked a fuse for ABF. The Cowboys ended up going through their entire line-up, which plated six for them, bringing the lead to 9-1 for ABF.

Cowboys senior Ismael Bencosme was an offensive force for the Cowboys, as he went 2-for-2 with a walk. One of his hits was the lead off double that began the offensive onslaught in the fifth.

“Ive been seeing the ball really good lately,” said Bencosme. “I was sitting all fastballs, just leaving any junk, I got my pitches, and did damage.”

The Cowboys also put up another two run in the bottom of the sixth, which put the mercy rule into effect, ending the game once it became 11-1.

The Dolphins had senior left-handed pitcher Santiago Colina on the hill and he pitched a good game as well. He pitch 3.1 inning and only allowed one earned run.

“Before the game, I already knew a bunch of these guys and how to pitch to them. I had a pitching plan and I knew what I needed to do,” said Colina.

Dolphins Manager Alex Bravo gave his impressions on Santiago, his outing, and the performance of his team.

“Santiago been a work horse for us all year…he’s had the best focus and best drive on this team, and that’s why he’s our ace. He’s a leader on this team… he has the best grades on this team, so we’re excited to see where he goes in the future.”

When asked if there was anything he took from his teams performance, Bravo said, “It kind of got away from us defensively in the fifth inning, which is something we need to work on in practice… our pitchers are busting their butts, so it’s something we got to be prepared for.

One very special thing about this game is the amount of college signings and commits that belong to each program. The Dolphins have senior Santiago Colina, who Dolphins Manager Alex Bravo say is hoping to commit within the next few weeks, and the ABF Cowboys have a whopping seven college signing and counting involved with their program in their inaugural season.

This is all thanks to first year manager Alec Hernandez, a Lynn University Alum, who is on a mission to not only build a strong baseball program at ABF Academy, but also give his players a better opportunity for the future.

“Wins and losses come and go but preparing these kids for their next venture in life, their next chapter in life, is what I’m geared toward. That’s my main focus, to get them to the next level and prepare them. Our school does a great job preparing them from the educational standpoint, I’m just trying to relay the discipline and respect for the game needed to be successful,” said Hernandez on his role and plans for the team.

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