Costly errors keep Mater Academy baseball from a chance at state title repeat
As the reigning state champions in Class 5A, and having returned several of its key players from that squad, Mater Academy’s baseball team entered as a favorite to repeat.
But few likely would have expected the Lions to finish Monday night’s state semifinal with more errors than runs.
And yet five costly errors plus other miscues cost Mater Academy its shot at back-to-back titles following a 7-4 loss to Tallahassee Lincoln at Hammond Stadium. The Trojans advanced to play Winter Springs for the championship on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
“Usually we don’t make those mistakes, but they cost us the game tonight,” Mater Academy coach Humberto Bencomo said. “This is the type of game where you can’t afford them because there’s no tomorrow.”
Fielding errors by the Lions (26-7) in the first and third innings led to Lincoln jumping out to a 3-0 lead after three innings.
Two batters after Jonathan Esponda’s leadoff walk in the fourth inning, Bryan Fernandez belted a towering, two-run home run to right field to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Lions then tied the game when Brandon Lorenzo, who committed one of those early miscues, took advantage of one of Lincoln’s own five errors, to reach base. He then stole second and scored to tie the game on a failed pickoff throw that sailed into left field foul ground.
Sophomore Bryan Mesa, who also committed one of Mater’s errors, smacked a go-ahead solo homer to left field to put the Lions ahead 4-3 and seemingly back in control of the game.
The two home runs were Mater Academy’s only two hits in the game.
“I’m not surprised we did that because we’re dangerous between the fourth and sixth innings,” Bencomo said. “We did what we could. We had a chance to win the game and had it in our hands and couldn’t make the plays when we needed to make them.”
But in the bottom of the sixth, Mater starter Leodan Rodriguez lost his command and walked the bases loaded with one out.
Senior Steven Gonzalez entered in relief and induced a high chopper to short by Lincoln’s Jason Parker. The ball got past Lorenzo and into left field, allowing the Lions to retake the lead at 5-4. A bunt single by Cody Garber scored Bennett Malone and Carson Koch followed with a single to push the Trojans’ lead to three again.
The game started two hours after its originally scheduled time due to a two-and-a-half hour weather delay during an earlier game between Miami True North and Tampa Berkeley Prep.
But Bencomo didn’t think that had any effect on his team.
“We had opportunities, but we didn’t take advantage. We have to play whenever you’re told. I don’t believe in that,” Bencomo said.
“We still had a great season. We played very good baseball. Some of these kids have been with me since the eighth grade and were a part of a state championship last year. It’s hard to win a state title and back-to-back. But one game can’t knock what was a great season.”
