Goleman found itself in an unfamiliar position Saturday afternoon, celebrating a state semifinal berth.
The Gators clinched their first trip to the 6A baseball state semifinals by sweeping the Southridge Spartans in back-to-back games in the Region 4-6A championship series at the Monsignor Pace baseball complex.
The Gators, who were making school history just by reaching the regional final, used a brilliant pitching performance to shut out Southridge 3-0 in the first game and outstanding defense to hold the Spartans off 2-1 in the second.
''I guess these guys haven't gotten the news that they are supposed to be no good,'' Goleman coach Manny Yanez said. ``We've been proving doubters wrong all season. No one outside of our dugout has believed in this team, but that's OK because we believed and we're going to state.''
The teams played the two games with only a 30-minute rest in between, something neither team has done this season.
In the first game, Goleman pitcher Carlos Moreno set the tone early, forcing the Spartans to ground out three consecutive times in the first inning and keeping them off balance with his fastball and slider.
''This young man here [Moreno] did a tremendous job [Saturday]; he's probably the best 12-0 pitcher that no one knows about,'' Yanez said.
``Southridge is a fabulous ball club and they've proved that all season, and for [Moreno] to perform like that [Saturday] speaks a lot about the kind of player he is.''
the Gators (26-3) manufactured three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Third baseman Frank Solis drove in the first run with a line drive down the left-field line. Catcher Alex Pacheco and backup catcher Enier Perez drove in the other two runs.
The rest of the game became a pitching duel between Moreno and Southridge's Dane Stone. Moreno pitched a complete-game shutout, striking out two batters and giving up only three hits. He forced the Spartans into countless popouts and groundouts.
The second game resembled the first because all the scoring took place in the first inning.
The Gators struck first again when shortstop Andy Ruiz sent a fastball flying towards the center-field wall to drive in leadoff hitter Danny Fraga. Solis scored Ruiz on the next at bat, giving Goleman a 2-0 first-inning lead.
The Spartans responded by stringing together a couple of hits that led to Anthony Angulu driving in Esteban Ponte with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one.
The game became a battle of fielding defense and pitching after that.
Southridge got a strong pitching performance from James Young, who kept the Gators guessing with an array of different pitches.
Goleman's starter, Jerrald Mejia, kept the Spartans in check.
Spartans coach Ed Doskow said that his team left too many stranded runners.
''We left a lot of runs out there on the field [Saturday],'' Doskow said. ``We didn't do some of the things we normally do and we paid the price.''
Southridge made a final push in the bottom of the seventh inning, putting the potential game-winning run on first base with no outs.
But Goleman closer Joe Coto, who is still rehabbing a shoulder injury, struck out the Spartans' James Young. Coto sealed the victory on the next at-bat, forcing Southridge's Mark Linfors to ground into a double play to end the game.
The Gators will play Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley at 1 p.m. Friday in the state semifinals at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.
Sou 000 000 0 --0 3 0 Gol 300 000 0 --3 8 0
WP: Moreno. LP: Stone.
Gol 200 000 0 --2 5 0 Sou 100 000 0 --1 5 0
WP: Mejia. LP: Young.
• Region 4-2A finals Game 3 -- Pompano Beach Highlands Christian 8, Miami Christian 4: The Victors took an early lead but could not overcome costly errors in the second inning that led to the loss in the decisive game of the series at Miami Christian.
The Victors (20-12) made their first regional final appearance in four seasons.
Miami Christian took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Catcher Christian Torres hit a run-scoring single, and left fielder Stefan Singh got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
But after Highlands Christian (18-12) put two runners on base to lead off the bottom of the second, Victors' second baseman Derek Peña missed a sharp ground ball off the bat of Ethan Perla that rolled into center field, allowing Jordan Chapman to score.
Trailing 6-2 in the top of the fourth, Peña started a two-out rally with a double to right field. Two batters later and with the bases loaded, Leo Parrondo drew a walk from Baker to cut the lead to 6-3.
But Knights reliever Peter Graffio entered the game and got Torres to fly out to center to end the inning.
Miami Christian's Noel Garcia and Miguel Leon reached base to lead off the top of the fifth. But Graffio retired the next three batters, only allowing a run on an RBI ground out by Marrero.
Jon Ruiz, who went 3 for 4 with four RBI, gave Highlands some insurance in the bottom half of the inning on a double down the right-field line that scored two runs.
-- ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ
