North Broward Prep Blasts Six Homers In Slug Fest

In the season’s first unofficial Home Run Derby, North Broward Prep doubled Coral Springs Christian’s total of three bombs by drilling six of their own, en route to an 11-9 victory Tuesday night.

On this truly incredible evening of long ball, the Crusaders opened the scoring in the top of inning two, as starting pitcher Nick Lamberti took opposing starter A.J. Fidalic downtown with a line shot over the center field fence.

Not to be out-done,  North Broward senior first baseman Mike Vigliarolo responded by launching a mammoth blast, which not only cleared the left field fence easily, but also the house roof-tops well beyond the fence.  The drive traveled some 430′ from home plate, a blast that would have cleared most major league fences.

“I couldn’t tell you how far it traveled, but I’ve been at North Broward for nine years, and that’s probably the longest ball I’ve seen hit since I’ve been here,” said coach Brian Campbell. 

Nick Marsit then doubled home Jecid Tarazona, who was on via a hard single lined back through the box for a 2-1 NBP lead after two innings.

In the top of the third, CSC scored a pair of runs on a walk, a single, a throwing miscue and two wild pitches.  It was then that Derek Barra offered his version of long ball, ripping a home run deep over the center field fence.  A single by Kyle Pitts, followed by a walk and a 6-4-3 double play produced another run for a short-lived 5-2 Crusaders lead.

Things really started to heat up in the bottom of the third, as North Broward unloaded back-to-back homers on the first two pitches of the inning.  The homers were stroked by Sarkis Ohanian and Justin Bard and closed the NBP deficit to 5-4.  Another hit by Vigliarolo, this one only a mere single, was followed two out later by a two-run homer off the bat of Christian Correa and NBP regained the lead 6-5 after three.

As if six homer runs in three innings wasn’t enough, Jesse Feyers pulled another one for CSC leading off the fourth, to knot the score at 6-6.  The Crusaders added three more runs in the top of the fifth, without the aid of a homer.  A hit batter and a walk were followed by Zach Butler’s two-run double increasing the lead to 9-6 after 4 1/2 innings.  Lamberti and relief pitcher Ryan Morse kept North Broward in check in the fourth and fifth innings.

After the Eagles closer, Ohanian hurled a scoreless top of the sixth, the fire works were about to start once again after CSC pitchers issued a pair of lead-off walks.  However, after one was erased on a base running blunder, scrappy second baseman Kevin Fagan entered the home run derby, hitting a towering drive over the center field fence to put NBP within one, 9-8, setting the stage for a miraculous finish.

As clean-up hitter Vigliarolo strode to the plate, you could almost sense the outcome.  A pitching change could not alter the inevitable, and once again NBP came from behind, riding the broad shoulders of their mighty slugger, who failed to disappoint.  Vigliarolo lifted an opposite field, game winning three-run round tripper to give North Broward Prep the exciting win, 11-9.

Closer Ohanian picked up the win in relief and Ryan Milner took the loss. 

“It’s good to have a guy like Sarkis, who you can bring in with good stuff and can close the door,” said a happy Campbell, adding, “He competes out there.  He puts his head down and goes to work.”

Six lead changes, one tie and count ’em, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine homers marked this exciting contest between two Broward power houses to kick off their 2011 season.

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