They finally did it: After 31 consecutive losses, Sunset Knights win a baseball game

Twenty-one dreadful and consecutive losses entering this year, including an 0-17 record in 2021.

Ten straight losses to start this season.

Success had become elusive.

But when the Sunset Knights finally won a baseball game on Monday, center fielder David Gutierrez raced in from his position, eager to finally celebrate with his teammates.

“If you would’ve clocked me,” Gutierrez said of his sprint, “I probably would’ve set a world record.”

Gutierrez wasn’t the only thrilled Sunset player. The entire team — including coaches, parents and other supporters of the program — rejoiced after Sunset’s 17-0 win over Westland Hialeah on April 18. It was the first victory by the Knights in more than two years — since Feb. 26, 2020.

That’s 31 consecutive losses for a once-proud program that helped send Raúl Ibañez to a 19-year playing career in the major leagues, including a berth in the 2009 All-Star Game.

More recently, Michael Paez — who graduated from Sunset in 2013 — earned fame by leading Coastal Carolina to a shocking national title run in 2016, the same year he was drafted in the fourth round by the New York Mets.

In fact, Sunset’s baseball program had a winning record of 12-7 as recently as 2018.

So, what happened?

How were the Knights outscored by a combined 284-3 last year, getting blanked 15 times in 17 games?

Challenges for the school

For starters, Sunset’s enrollment over the years has shrunk from a high of 5,000 to its current student body of about 1,200. Many students have left for private or charter schools.

Either way, fewer kids at Sunset has meant fewer potential baseball players.

In addition, there has been coaching upheaval of late. Nick Quintero left for Coral Reef after coaching Sunset for just the 2021 season.

Enter Julio Mendoza, 30, whose last stop had been as an assistant at SLAM.

Mendoza’s first task at Sunset?

Repair the field — which, like the program — had fallen into disrepair.

“When I got there in September, the baseball field looked like the Amazon,” Mendoza said. “The infield clay wasn’t even visible. There was grass all the way up to your knees.”

The roster was another major issue: Only nine players showed up for Mendoza’s first team meeting.

It took one month of sweat equity, but Mendoza and his players resurrected the field.

Pretty soon, word got out about the revitalized baseball team, and the roster size more than doubled.

There are 19 current team members, including catcher/first baseman Jayden A. Phillips, who was at Sunset last year but chose not to try out for baseball.

This year, though, he’s all in on the Knights.

“I heard there was a new coach with a great reputation,” Phillips said of Mendoza. “I’ve seen the players he’s taught at his academy (Lime Athletics).

“They are great players. I figured this would be a good opportunity for me to grow as a player, and it’s worked out.”

It has … but not without major turbulence.

How the 2022 season unfolded

Sunset’s 2022 season started with a 6-5 loss to Reagan. That was highly encouraging for the Knights, who lost 24-0 to that same school last year.

On March 3, Sunset was set to play Mourning High, but the game was canceled when the Knights’ bus broke down.

Sunset nearly got a win on March 11 at Westwood Christian. The Knights tied the score 6-6 in the top of the seventh inning. But that field has no lights, and the umpires called the game due to darkness.

Due to FHSAA rules, the game reverted back to the last completed inning, which meant a heartbreaking 6-4 loss for Sunset.

Then, on March 15, Sunset started another streak of bad luck as four consecutive games were canceled due to rain, against Booker T. Washington, SLAM, Dade Christian and Northwestern.

The Knights finally got back on the field on March 31, losing 12-0 to Riviera Prep. The Knights, who hadn’t played a game in 20 days due to the rainouts, weren’t sharp, making 10 errors in that contest.

Four more losses followed, including the closest defeat of the season, 4-3, to Homestead on April 7.

In addition, the Knights had lost three starting players due to season-ending injuries from mid-March to mid-April.

On March 11, Knights center fielder Joel Rodriguez dislocated his left shoulder diving back to third base. During a practice on April 4, shortstop Mauro Garcia was hit by a pitch, fracturing his right thumb.

Then, during an April 11 practice, Phillips jumped up to field a line drive. But the ball, which had a lot of topspin, hit him in the face, smashing his left cheek.

“At first, it was a shock,” said Phillips, who should return to baseball activities this summer. “There was blood everywhere.”

With the injuries mounting on a young team with little depth, Mendoza worried.

“Our kids remained positive,” Mendoza said. “But I couldn’t ignore that we were 0-10 and running out of opportunities to win at least one game.”

‘We hugged up and celebrated’

That victory finally came on Monday, when Sunset pitcher Danny Perruc struck out the final Westland batter, and the swing-and-miss fastball settled in the glove of catcher Yan Pons.

All the Knights players jumped over the railing for a celebration that started near their dugout and ended joyously out in left field.

“Everyone was smiling, laughing and cracking jokes,” Phillips said. “It was good to see everyone play and have fun. We hugged up and celebrated.”

Added Gutierrez: “The win was a long time coming. Last year was not fun. The energy wasn’t there. This year, we have chemistry, and that has instantly made us 10 times better.”

Mendoza is confident Sunset can do much more than win one game.

He feels Sunset’s district is rich in baseball talent, and there’s no reason – in his view – why the Knights can’t return to former glory.

“We have our own field, and we have everything we need,” Mendoza said. “Sunset is the perfect school.

“For now, it feels good to get that first win out of the way. It’s exciting to see a ‘1’ on the left side of the ledger.”

Walter Villa can be reached at wvilla07@yahoo.com .

This story was originally published April 22, 2022 at 9:00 AM.