Springs tops Gables in GMACs, remains undefeated
In the midst of putting together a historic season, the Miami Springs baseball team kept its record perfect on Monday afternoon when the Golden Hawks topped Coral Gables 6-3 in a GMAC quarterfinal playoff game at Springs High School.
The win moved Springs’ record to 22-0. The Hawks, ranked No. 20 in the nation by Baseball America in last week’s poll, will host Westland Hialeah in a GMAC semifinal on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, Springs, on the strength of a two-RBI double from Lazaro Hernandez and towering home run over the center-field fence by Jason Torres, rallied for five runs and coasted from there.
Anthony Nunez added a solo home run from Springs in the fourth. Carlos Rey was the winning pitcher going 5 2/3 innings, striking out five. Brandon Villabrile got the save but not before the Cavaliers loaded the bases in the seventh. But, with the tying run on first, he struck out Gerardo Rodriguez to end the game.
“Believe it or not, nobody really talks about it,” said Springs head coach David Fanshawe when asked about Springs’ unblemished record, a first in program history. “It’s not like we purposely avoid talking about it either. We set a goal at the start of the season to win our district again and try to advance deep in regionals which continues to be the goal. Anything beyond that including being undefeated is a bonus.”
OTHER GMAC QUARTERFINALS
▪ Westland Hialeah 5, TERRA 2: The Wildcats trailed 1-0 going to the bottom of the fifth but rallied for two runs to take the lead and added three more in the sixth to snap a 2-2 tie to record the win at Walker Park in Hialeah.
Ray Sobrino came through with an RBI single in the sixth to break the tie before Jaliesky Garcia stepped up and doubled in two more.
Danny Resilez (2-for-2), Angelo Piloto (1-3, RBI double) and Adrian Mondeja (1-for-2, 2B, RBI) also enjoyed a productive day. Starter Michael Uz went five innings on the mound for Westland (20-3), striking out five, while Robin Fernandez pitched the final two innings to record the win.
▪ Columbus 4, Hialeah 2: Albert Espinosa homered, John Velazquez had a two-RBI double and JP Herrholz an RBI single as the host Explorers built an early 4-0 lead and then held off a late Hialeah rally to record the win. Columbus (20-3) will host Southridge in a GMAC semifinal Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Columbus starter John Gonzalez had a no-hitter through five innings before the T-Breds chased him in the sixth with a two-run rally. Rickie Collado inherited a bases-loaded one out jam in the sixth but got out of it before recording the side in order in the seventh to end it.
▪ Southridge 4, Goleman 2: Like Columbus, the Spartans jumped out to an early lead and then hung on late. Jacob Stone, Janniel Berroa and Joseph Zamora all came through with RBI hits to give their team an early lead.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo Gallo pitched 4 2/3 innings, striking out seven, before giving way to Johnny Vazquez who recorded the final seven outs without giving up a hit to get the save.