Garcia Is The Hero As Pines Charter Picks Up First Win

Derick Garcia said he didn’t even feel the ball come off the bat.

With Pembroke Pines Charter losing 7-5, down to its last strike and staring a fifth straight loss to open the season square in the face, Garcia ripped a three-run double to right-center, giving the Jaguars an 8-7 victory over Fort Lauderdale.

“I was waiting for that pitch,” said Garcia, who also picked up the win. “A fastball down the middle.”

Pines Charter, who defeated the Flying Ls (2-5, 0-2) three times last season, trailed three times in the contest and faced a 7-3 deficit in the middle of the sixth, but Manager Carlos Iglesias had faith throughout.

“I always tell the players that we always play until the last out is made,” Iglesias said. “The kids had been fighting all game, and I had a feeling something would happen. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

The evening’s proceedings began with starters Chase Navarro and Patrick Mitchell having some control issues that led to each team putting up a run in the first inning. Both ended up allowing three runs on six hits with two strikeouts on the night, neither factoring in the decision.

Heading into the fifth inning with the score tied at three, a couple of fielding errors by the Jaguars with no outs were followed by a deep two-run double by Enrique Rodriguez, his second and third RBIs of the evening.

It looked as if the Jaguars would hit back immediately in the bottom of the inning when they put two on with two outs, but a fine defensive play would put pay to that.

A hard grounder by Anthony Nogueiras to the right side took a nasty bounce right in front of Fort Lauderdale second baseman Matthew Gibson. The senior flinched as the ball hit him hard in the chest, but he maintained his focus, picked the ball up and fired to first for the out, ending the inning and the threat.

When the visitors doubled their lead in the sixth thanks to a beautiful Kenny Miggins squeeze bunt and Alec Bryant scoring on a wild pitch, it looked as if another loss was in the cards for the Jaguars.

But a Jake Jacobs RBI double off reliever Brandon Rodriguez in the sixth brought Pines Charter within two, setting up the finale.

Kevin Ellenbogen led off with a scorching double down the left-field line before, and with one out, Nogueiras was walked and Alex Monge-Rodriguez singled to load the bases.

Anthony Gomez had the first chance to be a hero, but he struck out swinging, bringing Garcia to the plate. He waited for the pitch he wanted, smacked it to opposite field, and although he may not have felt the ball come off the bat, everyone else in attendance did.

“I told them, enjoy this one, you deserve it, but tomorrow we start looking at the next game.,” Iglesias said. “It’s not so much about getting this first win, it’s about learning and taking each game one at a time.”

Leave a comment using your facebook account!