West Broward Gets Past McArthur 5-2 In Both Teams’ Opener

West Broward took advantage of a couple of McArthur miscues and got some timely hits to defeat the host Mustangs 5-2 on Tuesday in the season opener for both teams.

The Bobcats got strong pitching performances from senior right-handers Austin Gray, the starter, and Alex Zapata. The duo combined for 11 strikeouts and gave up consecutive hits only twice.

McArthur also had good starting pitching from Dylan Segula, who kept West Broward scoreless while giving up two hits in his three innings on the mound. He also had two hits, as did Michael Bosco.

The Bobcats broke the scoreless tie in the fourth. Cody Newell led off with a double before two of the next three batters walked. Mike Mordente came up next and smacked a double to drive in Newell and Russell Young. Cody Swavely extended the lead to 3-0 as he came home on a passed ball.

Undaunted, McArthur fought back in its half of the fourth when Cody Swackhammer doubled in Javier Aguilar, who also doubled to open the half inning. Cesar Feliciano was hit by a pitch before Michael Velez singled to load the bases. Zapata entered for West Broward and promptly got Oliver Vallejo to pop up to end the inning and get West Broward out of the jam.

The Mustangs got within a run in the next inning. Michael Bosco hit a leadoff single and was able to score when a hard-hit ball by Segula landed between first and second and bounced into right field.

Zapata beared down and struck out six of the next nine batters to preserve West Broward’s lead, which was extended in the top of the seventh. Pinch-hitter Luigi Perez got on with a fielder’s choice and was brought in by Swavely’s double. Swavely’s pinch-runner, Aires Rivera, took advantage of a wild pitch to tack on the final run for West Broward.

West Broward had more opportunities to score, but McArthur got the big out when it needed to at times. The Bobcats stranded 11 runners from the second through the sixth, twice leaving the bases loaded.

West Broward coach Sergio Ambros, who said he wasn’t using his regular lineup, acknowledged he was concerned about the stranded runners early on.

“I thought that would come back to haunt us,” Ambros said. “But our senior leadership stepped up with some big hits.”

It was that same senior leadership that Ambros said kept the Bobcats cool, calm and collected to battle through the adversity.

“They don’t get too high, and they don’t get too low,” Ambros said.

McArthur coach Brian Clark said his team has work to do on the “little things” as it prepares for its district opener next Tuesday against St. Thomas.

“They (West Broward) are one of the better team’s in the county,” Clark said. “We can’t make little mistakes, bunting guys over, dropping pop-ups. Our pitching did well for the most part. We got the big pitch when it counted.”

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