McArthur’s Henning Edges Plantation’s Cinquino 2-1 In District 11-6A Semi-Final
Henning pitched dominantly to lead his team to the District Championship Game.
The first and last innings of a baseball game will often dictate the outcome. And so it was last night at Miramar High School Field where McArthur and Plantation squared off in a stunning pitchers duel to determine who was going to advance to the District 11-6A finals.
The Colonels seemed ready to take the early lead when Brian Gentry lined a sharp single to left field leading off in the top of the first inning. Adam Shorr followed suit, putting runners on first and second with no outs. A walk to Kody Jones and the bases were full of Colonels as clean-up hitter Ian Pubillones came to the plate.
Baseball can be a game of inches and that point could not have been more appropriately made when Pubillones drilled a screaming line drive just to the left of second base. As the ball left the bat, it certainly looked as if Plantation might pick up a couple of runs. Instead, a perfectly positioned Kevin Rosario [at shortstop] snared the liner and stepped on second for the bang-bang double play. Rosario then alertly turned and fired a strike to third, narrowly missing a triple play. A harmless ground out ended what looked like a promising inning without any score.
By contrast to the Colonels ‘almost’ big inning, the Mustangs started out far less spectacularly but with more success. A one out walk to Jake Welch led to the games first tally when after he stole second base, he was able to come all the way around to score when catcher Daniel Vasquez’s throw ricocheted off his shoulder, winding up in center field. The run became ‘earned’ when one out later DH Kody Swackhammer grounded a single up the middle.
The score remained 1-0 entering the fourth inning. Kody Jones got things started for Plantation, lining a double down the left field line. After he moved to third on a fielders choice, Anthony Birchall delivered the run with a sacrifice fly to center, knotting the score at one apiece.
It didn’t take long for the Mustangs to break the tie. Swackhammer drew a walk leading off the home half of inning four. After he moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, Kevin Velez delivered him with what proved to be the game-winning RBI, doubling to the gap in LCF.
Henning was able to settle into an excellent groove, retiring eleven consecutive batters after Jones’ hit leading off the fourth inning, bringing him within one out of a complete game win. But with two down in their final at-bat the Colonels got a pair of singles to left field by Mark Ramcharitar and pinch-hitter Jhulian Spaulding. With the tying and go-ahead runners on base, Henning wrapped up the victory retiring Vasquez on a slow roller to the right side.
Henning improved to 7-1 on the season. He gave up six hits, while striking out five and walking only one in his route-going performance.
Cinquino takes the heartbreaking loss, dropping his record to 4-2, after yielding only three hits in his six inning stint.
McArthur will face South Plantation on Thursday, 7 PM at Miramar High School for the District 11-6A championship.
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