Heritage Ends A Year Of Frustration With Win Over Archbishop McCarthy

When two of the most successful programs in Broward County get together on the baseball field, it tends to attract plenty of attention. Nobody could have predicted, however, that over 400 fans would turn out for a preseason game. That is exactly what happened at Archbishop McCarthy on Tuesday night.

The Mavericks played host to their neighborhood rivals, American Heritage, and this was one game that lived up to the hype. The two programs have both won state championships, and their preseason battle has become an annual event.

Last year, Archbishop got the better of Heritage, and then as the season played out, the Patriots had to watch as their crosstown rivals captured the state championship. With last season in the books, Heritage only had one thing on their minds Tuesday – revenge.

With both teams playing at a level that seems fitting for a district championship game, American Heritage finally had their redemption from last season in defeating the Mavericks 6-4.

Junior Brandon Lopez was the star of Tuesday night’s game for Heritage. The junior hit an opposite field three run home run in the top of the sixth to erase a 4-3 deficit, but it was what he did on the mound that stunned the fans in the stands.

After the home run, Lopez took the mound for the final two innings and not one Mavericks batter put the ball in play. Twenty of Lopez’ thirty-three pitches went for strikes and the junior struck out the side in the sixth and seventh innings to seal the win.

Of course, baseball is a team game, and Heritage had several players step up early. Brandon Sedell followed a Lopez walk in the first with a two run homer. Esteban Puerta and Brandon Diaz also had hits in the inning, and it looked as though Heritage was ready to blow the doors off the game, but Archbishop’s Andre Martinez settled down and escaped with only three runs allowed.

“Our kids showed a lot of courage and a lot of heart,” said Heritage head coach Todd Fitz-Gerald. “We battled tough and it was a great game.”

The Mavericks did their damage in the second inning, tying the score on a bases loaded walk by Adam Duerte and a two run single by Chris Thompson. Archbishop then took the lead in the third when Nick Basto reached on an error and scored on a Garrett Kennedy base hit.

The score would then stay the same until the sixth inning when Heritage took the lead for good. While both teams understood this was only a preseason game, the atmosphere and excitement was not lost on the coaches.

“The atmosphere, this is great high school baseball, it’s great for the community, right across the street from each other. They beat us last year, nine innings, 3-2, and we returned the favor tonight,” said Fitz-Gerald.

The good news for Archbishop McCarthy comes from the learning experience associated with a game that will have no meaning weeks from now. Heritage will be back in action tonight against American High, and the Mavericks will conclude the tournament Friday against Gulliver Prep.

All proceeds from the tournament are being generously donated by Archpishop McCarthy to the families of Roger Castillo and Amanda Haworth, Miami-Dade officers who lost their lives while serving on the force less than two weeks ago. The families of the officers will be honored before Friday night’s game.

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