Miami Christian Rallies Past John Carroll For Regional Title

Ronny Cruz led a pair of three-run innings and Miami Christian got outstanding relief work to overcome an early 3-0 deficit and win the regional finals, 6-3, over John Carroll on Tuesday afternoon.

Cruz broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with a one-out double and scored Jendy Gonzalez, who walked. The Victors (20-4), ranked #3 in Miami-Dade, added two more runs in the inning on a single by Fabio Peralta, that scored Cruz, and a double by Alejandro Abreut, that brought home Peralta.

Cruz helped the Victors rally from a 3-0 deficit in the second inning. He capped a three-run outburst with an RBI-single that plated Gonzalez with the tying run. Gonzalez reached on an error that allowed Ray Yero to score the Victors’ first run of the game. M. Carriere, who singled, then scored on a wild pitch before Cruz knotted it at 3.

John Carroll (18-12), ranked #7 in Palm Beach, jumped out to the early lead. The Rams grabbed a 2-0 advantage just three batters into the game. They scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on consecutive singles by Ayson McIntosh, Taggert Cameron and Brennan Jones. It was 2-0 before the Rams made an out.

They made it 3-0 in the second inning on an RBI-double by Jaxon Pomar that scored Grady Messner, who delivered a one-out single.

But thanks to outstanding relief pitching from a trio of Miami Christian arms, they shut down the Rams offense and went to work with the bats.

Three Miami Christian relief pitchers combined for five innings of one-hit baseball. It started with Mike Palenzuela who struck out one in 0.1 innings of work. Jeffred Fermin was incredible in 2.2 innings of relief. The senior right-hander struck out four, allowed just one hit, and did not walk a batter. Of his 41 pitches, 28 were strikes.

Hector Escobar finished up with 2.0 innings of no-hit relief. He struck out two and walked one. He was the beneficiary of the Victors’ late rally to earn the win on the mound.

Willy Mendez collected two of Miami Christian’s nine hits and was part of the Victors’ top four hitters in the lineup who combined for a 6-for-13 (2 walks) afternoon with 3 RBIs and 4 runs scored.

Camrin Weeks was one of six different John Carroll batters that had one hit apiece.

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