Westminster Christian Rally Falls Short In 3A State Title Game
Four seasons ago the North Broward Prep Eagles planted their flag and claimed their first state title. But that was only the beginning, as the team worked its way back every year since. On Wednesday afternoon, the Eagles returned full circle to claim another state championship, its third overall during this historic run.
North Broward broke a late tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, then held off one final push to earn a 5-4 win over the Westminster Christian Warriors, to win the Class 3A state championship at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
“It’s hard to win here, and anybody who wins here should feel good about it,” North Broward Manager Brian Campbell said. “It’s hard to get here and it’s hard to win when you do get here. Hats off to Westminster Christian, I thought that was a really electric and fun high school baseball game. You expect nothing less in a state championship game. Congratulations to them on a great season, but I am really proud of my team. A lot of work has gone into this, and some of these guys have been here all four years. I’m just really, really proud of them, and I’m proud to be their coach.”
The Warriors had plenty of exciting moments as they chased after a coveted state crown, rallying from down two runs to even the game and keep their chances alive. But some late bounces did not go their way, and suddenly the dream of glory was halted.
“Championship baseball comes down to the final wire, and the team that makes the most physical and mental mistakes and ends up on the losing side,” Warriors Manager Emil Castellanos said. “They battled and battled and battled, and they got a lot of hits in the infield and got a couple of breaks. We had a few miscues that we didn’t get, where we put pressure on them and they made a perfect throw at the end. That has been our game all year.”
Senior Mateo Gray provided his guys with an immediate spark by crushing a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to put North Broward up right away. TJ Gramesty singled to left with one out, and Gray worked the count in his favor to then jump on a 2-0 offering and send it deep and over the left field fence.
“They got the big two-run home run in the first, and everybody knows that the first inning is the most important inning, Castellanos said. “You’ve got to calm the nerves, and they struck first.”
That breathing room got a bit smaller when the Warriors split the deficit with a run in the third. Manny Marin clubbed a double on a liner to center, and Talan Beckford drove him in with an RBI single to left.
But the Eagles responded to get that run right back. Tanner Uderitz singled on a ball deep to short, Kiernan O’Neill followed with a base hit to left and Gramesty dropped down a bunt on the third base line that loaded the bases in leading the fielder with no play. Gray then came through with another big swing to deliver a sac-fly RBI on a ball deep to right.
The Warriors continued to battle back, and tied things up with two runs in the top of the sixth. Ethan Puig singled and Jose Lopez doubled to put two runners in scoring position, and James Suarez laced a single to right that had both runners flying around the bases to race in ahead of any relay throw. With the Warriors electrified in that moment, the momentum shifted.
But North Broward answered right back, retaking the lead with the deciding runs in the bottom of the inning. Nik Koorse was hit by a pitch and Max Burkholz reached on a fielder’s choice. O’Neill then hit a ground ball that got past the fielder to allow both runners to come home for a 5-3 advantage.
“It’s a tough loss for ours guys, and this one is going to hurt,” Castellanos said. “It is very difficult to get here, and it is very difficult to come short when we had our opportunities. We needed that big hit and we didn’t get it.”
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