Somerset Academy Hands American Heritage Its First Loss

Somerset Academy earned a huge win Tuesday as it took down one of the top teams in the county, giving American Heritage its first loss with a 5-4 win.

The Panthers took a 5-1 lead in the top of the sixth. Kenny Moreno-Costa got a base hit to open the inning before Teixera reached on an error. Jack Khawly singled in Moreno-Costa, and Varela hit a sacrifice fly to score Teixera. An error allowed Khawly to score.

Both teams scored in the first to set the tone. Derek Cartaya reached on an error and scored on Juan Teixera’s sacrifice fly to give the Panthers (9-2) a short-lived lead. Heritage (8-1) answered in its half of the inning. After a strikeout, Travis Holt, who finished 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, doubled to right. Tristan Casas was hit by a pitch before Jacob Pino was walked. Following a strikeout, Alfonso Guillen singled to right to score Holt.

Somerset got the lead back in the top of the second. Jose Varela led off with a line-drive double to right, and Luis Chavez got a base hit to put two men on. Ricardo Leonett’s sacrifice fly brought in Varela.

Heritage threatened in the bottom of the third as Holt doubled to left and Casas walked. Casas was put out in a fielder’s choice, and the Panthers turned a double play to get out of the jam. Heritage got two on in the bottom of the inning, but again, the Panthers’ defense came through, getting the Patriots to fly out and ground out to end the threat.

Somerset loaded the bases in the top of the seventh but got nothing out of it as the Patriots got two strikeouts and a fly out to send it to the bottom of the seventh. There, the Patriots mounted a three-run comeback. Oscar Vergez walked to lead things off. After a strikeout and a groundout, Holt brought him in with a single to right. Casas doubled to score Holt and came home on an error. Jacob Pino walked before Santiago Garavito got on with an error that allowed Casas to score. Pino tried to score as well but was put out at home to end the game.

Brandon Valentin got the win for Somerset, allowing one run over three innings while striking out two, walking three and giving up three hits.

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