Posted on Tue, May. 20, 2008

Brito knew it would have to play near-flawless baseball to upset defending Class 1A state champion Jacksonville Eagle's View -- a team motivated to avenge a loss to Brito in the 2006 state championship.

Brito was down to its final out in that game before rallying to win the state title.

The Panthers were never that close Monday.

Brito finished with 10 hits, three more than Eagle's View, but never got the timely ones it needed in a 9-2 loss in the state semifinals at Ed Smith Stadium.

Making its ninth appearance at the state final four, Brito (22-6) committed four errors in a morning game that was played under a light rain almost from start to finish.

The Panthers lost in the state semifinal round for the first time. Their nine appearances rank second all-time in Dade behind Westminster Christian's 12.

Brito's defeat left Miami-Dade County without a baseball state champion for the second consecutive season after having at least one in each of the previous 11 years.

The Panthers' high number of hits against Eagle's View's pitching tandem of Aaron Reed and Tyler Green was deceiving, since nine were singles.

Brito's only extra-base hit was a double by shortstop Manny Machado with Brito already behind 9-1 in the top of the seventh inning.

The Panthers left 10 runners on base, had a runner on base in every inning and had at least two runners in six innings.

''We out-hit them, but obviously we didn't make the plays we needed when we needed them,'' said Brito athletic director and coach Lazaro Fundora.

Eagle's View (24-8) will try to win its second consecutive state title and third in four seasons Tuesday at 4 p.m. when it plays Tampa Cambridge.

The Warriors' impressive regular-season résumé coming into the tournament included wins against two of this year's state champions, Dunedin (Class 5A) and Jacksonville Providence (2A), and Tallahassee North Florida Christian (2A runner-up).

Eagle's View took advantage of three Brito fielding errors, including two on one play, to take a 7-0 lead after the third inning.

Brito's biggest miscues came in the bottom of the second when freshman third baseman Jose Aguiar missed a ground ball by Warriors right fielder Kyle Russo that advanced center fielder Tyler Jackson to second base.

When Machado missed the throw back to the infield from left fielder Ricardo Espinal, it allowed Jackson to reach third and Russo to get to second.

After an intentional walk to Danny English loaded the bases, Eagle's View third baseman Matt Allen singled to right field to drive in Jackson.

Shortstop Matt Bergquist belted a three-run double off the center-field wall that gave the Warriors a 4-0 lead.

Eagle's View catcher Austin Maddox led off the third inning with a towering solo home run over the left-field wall.

Another Brito fielding error kept the inning alive for Russo and Allen, who each had singles to drive in the sixth and seventh runs.

''After the first couple of errors, I think we weren't into the game anymore,'' Machado said. ``We lost our focus.''

Brito had a chance to get back in the game in the top of the fourth inning after Machado singled and Aguiar walked to start the inning.

After Espinal struck out, pitcher Tony Suarez drove a single to right center field to load the bases.

Reed hit Brito center fielder Hochi Urbaez with a pitch, forcing in a run and prompting Eagle's View coach Gil Morales to put Green on the mound. Green struck out sophomore catcher Leo Rojas, Brito's top hitter, to end the threat.

''We had lots of runners on and I think if we could have driven in a few more earlier, it might have been a much different ball game,'' Fundora said.

``We felt like we had the right pitcher and that we were prepared. [Eagle's View] was ready for us.''

Brito 000 100 1 --2 10 4 Eagle's View 043 011 x --9 7 0

WP: Aaron Reed (5-0). LP: David Vidal (3-1).