West Broward Wins Pitchers Duel Game Of The Week
One never knows how teams will respond to being featured in an HSBN Broward Game of the Week. With nerves running high in a key 9A-12 match-up Thursday afternoon, West Broward and Everglades put on a pitching clinic, with the Bobcats squeezing in a run in the bottom of the eighth to pull off a 1-0 victory.
Glenn Carlton and Garrison Hadley also combined on the eight-inning no-hitter for the home team.
“All three pitchers did a great job of controlling the game,” said West Broward Manager Matt Garcia. “With the wind blowing in the way it was, and the way the pitchers were throwing, you just knew the game was going to come down to one play here or there that would be the difference.”
That one play came in the bottom of the eighth. Zach Revilla led off the inning with a single, only the second hit off Everglades starter Victor Valentin. Cory Clement then reached on an error. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Garcia called on the suicide squeeze, but the first attempt ended in a strikeout.
That brought lead-off hitter Tyler Zayas to the plate. Zayas came through, laying down the bunt, and securing the 1-0 district victory.
“It all started when I was on deck,” said Zayas. “I was thinking if I have to come up, whatever my coach does, if he gives me the sign, I am going to drop down the bunt. When I came up, he gave me the sign, and I did it. That was my only job, to lay down that bunt, and I did it.”
The loss was tough for the Gators, who received one of the top pitching performances on the season from Valentin. The crafty lefty junior threw a complete game, allowing only two singles.
“You have to tip your hat to their pitcher,” said Zayas. “He threw a great game, and kept us off-balance all day.”
West Broward, however, had their own ace on the mound. Carlton had a perfect game going into the seventh that was broken up by a fielding error. Still, he allowed no hits in his seven plus innings of work. Hadley finished out the no-hitter, and Garcia reflected on how hard it was to pull his ace.
“It is always a tough decision when you have a guy throwing a no-hitter and throwing as well as Glenn was today,” said Garcia. “Glenn is the leader of this team right now, and he threw a great game. But we also know it is early in the season still, and we had a pitch count in our heads, and when he it that pitch count, we had to get him out of there.”
Asked if it was tough coming out of a game he was in control of, Carlton did not hesitate.
“It’s always tough, but whatever coach thinks is best is what I am good with. it is a long season, and the most important thing for us was to find a way to win this game today. Whether it is me on the mound, or Garrison, the most important thing was the win.”
The win allows West Broward to keep pace in what is developing as a three-team race for the top seed in the district. The Bobcats are tied with Flanagan and Cypress bay, all with one district loss. The teams took turns beating each other in the early part of the year, and head into the second half of the season with the coveted top seed still up for grabs.
“We know we play in one of the most competitive districts in the state,” said Garcia. “We saw that today. No game in our district is easy. Today was important for us coming off the loss to Cypress Bay. It was good to see our guys find a way to win.”
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