Offense Leads #5 Belen To Win Over Miami Senior

The Belen Jesuit Wolverines (14-4) were hosting the Miami Senior Stingarees (11-9) at their home field as they took the game by a score of 8-3, as they put on an offensive clinic racking up a slew of hits.

The Wolverines came into the game with high energy and spirits as they were celebrating their senior night game, a game played by all sports through out high school and college, to celebrate the seniors that are graduating and moving on from their respective program. While the festivities for the game were meant to celebrate seniors, it was a freshman that got the start for Belen.

Class of 2026 right-handed pitcher Victor Escobar got the rock to start things off for the Wolverines. He pitched a solid two complete innings, where he struck out one, and gave up only three hit, allowing zero runs to score. Escobar was put on a short leash.

Manager Jesse Fernandez’ plan for the game was to go for the win, but to also ensure each of his seniors received playing time. Wolverine senior right-handed pitchers Nick Montes and Brandon Amparo both pitched shutout innings, as Nick was given the third inning and Brandon the fourth.

The Wolverine bats were flying, as they were able to put up 11 hits. The offense started early as the Wolverines saw themselves with scoring opportunities in the very first inning. A couple of base hits and wild pitches led to the Wolverines breaking the ice to make it a 1-0 ballgame.

Then, with a runner on third, junior Markus Gonzalez came up to bat. Gonzalez crushed a double into the outfield, bringing in the run from third to make it a 2-0 ball game. Gonzalez ended the night with and impressive offensive showing, as he went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple, and more than 3 RBIs.

“I felt really confident going into today…went up there looking for my pitch and I got it,” said Markus about his day at the plate. Wolverines manager stated that Markus, while a great hitter as he’s hitting over .350, doesn’t usually get those extra base hits, “so it was fun to see him hit a couple today.”

The runs continued to come for the Wolverines, as they were able to score four more runs in the third inning. A set of back-to-back singles and a walk followed by Gonzalez’ triple made it a tough inning for the Stingarees to get through. In the following inning, Wolverine freshman Peter Lopez had a huge at bat, as he hit an absolute stinger over the center field wall, hitting a one-run home run to bring the lead to eight.

“Honestly, I was just trying to hit a line drive up the middle. I caught it off the bat, and i thought it was a double in the gap, but then as I was rounding first, I saw the outfielder looking up and I got so happy,” said Peter about his home run at bat.

The fifth inning gave the Stingarees a bit of hope as they began to rally back. Stingarees Sophomore Lucas Arriaza was able to put his team on the board, as he was able to hit a two run home run of his own. When asked about his at bat, Arriaza said, “My approach up there was just looking for a ball to hit, I saw middle fast ball, hit the ball and it went over the fence.” This helped motivate his team to put a string of hits and walks together, but it was not enough to pull out the win.

Stingarees manager Edwin Bonilla was optimistic and saw bright spots in his players performance. “Towards the end of the game, we played the best baseball we played all season. Its been an up and down year, as we only have one senior, but as long as they learn, I’m happy.”

Wolverines senior right-handed pitcher was brought in to close out the game for his team, and he did just that. He came into the game in the fifth inning with bases loaded and was able to masterfully get out of the inning and not allow any runs to score. He continued on to close out the rest of the game without giving up a single run.

Belen manager Jesse Fernandez spoke about the festivities celebrated on senior night and how much fun it was to participate in, and also what he wants to impart on his graduating class.

“We’re a family, and the way they welcomed me in and the fun we’ve had all season, I thought the best thing for today was to let the seniors enjoy their day…this was probably the best senior night I’ve ever been a part of.”

 

 

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