Miami Springs Comes Up Big With 12-2 3A Semifinal Win

Photo Gallery

Semifinal Press Conference: Miami Springs

When Miami Springs Manager David Fanshawe took his team over to the West Coast of Florida in the preseason, his goal was to get away from Miami, and see some baseball in another area of the state.

Little did Fanshawe know at the time, that little trip over to Fort Myers, would be a preview of a 3A state semifinal match-up.

But that is exactly what happened, as Bishop Verot, one of the Hawks opponents during the preseason, sat across the field from Miami Springs, and served as the only team between the Hawks, and the schools first state final appearance in any sport in 37 years.

Not only was the opponent familiar, but the starting pitching match-up was the same as it was back in February. The Hawks sent senior Kevin Roque to the hill, while the Vikings went with Blake Lavenia.

The similarities between the two match ups ended there, as Roque threw a gem, and the Hawks offense did everything right on this day, leading to a 12-2 Springs win, and an appearance in the state championship game on Tuesday.

“Our goal this year was to get to the state title game, and now we have reached that goal,” said Fanshawe. “But we still have one game to play, and we will go back to the hotel, and prepare for that final challenge tomorrow.”

The game Monday was full of surprises. The first was how easily the Hawks handled a team that had gone 32-2 this season. Much of the success could be attributed to a lineup that put on an offensive clinic.

Springs hitters racked up 12 runs on 10 hits. Six of the nine batters in the lineup had at least one hit, with Magdiel Estevez leading the way with three hits and three RBIs. Kelven Perera and Taylor Ancheta had two hits apiece.

The Hawks came into the season knowing that they had what it takes on the mound, but were unsure of their offense.

Early in the season, the offense struggled to find their way, but things changed in their regional semifinal match-up with Monsignor Pace. The Hawks put up 19 runs in two games against the Spartans, and found their rhythm at the plate.

“Things just all came together for us in that series with Pace,” said junior Yordan Torres. “Those two games boosted our confidence, and the offense has been rolling since then.”

The offense was not the only thing on display Monday. Roque threw a complete game on the mound, allowing only a two-run home run to Joey Lawson. On a day when the heat was a factor, Roque was a bulldog on the mound.

“We came in with a gameplan, and we executed it today,” said Roque. “Getting those two runs early settled me down, cause obviously in a game like this, there are some nerves. But after those two runs, I was able to settle in.”

Lawson, who hit the home run, was a big topic of discussion surrounding this game. The Vikings ace was held out of starting the game. The junior had a 9-1 record, with 113 strikeouts in 68.1 innings, with an ERA of 0.72.

When asked about the decision to go in a different direction than Lawson, Vikings Manager Casey Scott didn’t waver.

“It wasn’t really a gamble for us,” said Scott. “We have confidence in all our guys, and we had a gameplan. Our guys played a good game today, and I am proud of them. We just ran into a team that pitched well, and got some big hits when they needed them.”

The Hawks also completed their dominance in all three phases of the game by playing some outstanding defense. Shortstop Roydan Perez made the momentum-turning play of the game in the bottom of the fourth, when with the bases loaded, Jake Sedmack hit a hard ground ball up the middle, which Perez dove and stopped, then flipped the ball to Torres for an inning-ending force at second base.

“That play was a key to the game,” said Fanshawe. “We were only up 2-0 at that time, and if that gets through, its a tie game. It was a great play by Roydan, and also by the second baseman (Torres) to be at the bag.”

The win moves Miami Springs within one win of their first-ever state title. The journey, however, will not be easy, as they will face a South Walton team that is 31-3, and won their semifinal game 17-2.

“We take everything one game at a time, and don’t know much about them,” said Fanshawe, “But we will go back to the hotel, watch their game from today, and prepare for the game tomorrow.”

Leave a comment using your facebook account!