Pembroke Pines Charter Arms Stifle Gibbons Bats In Pitchers Duel

In a display of mound artistry, Pembroke Pines Charter pitchers Brett Kelley Jr. and Alejandron Kan, spent the late afternoon yesterday locating their pitches as precisely as an air traffic controller locates planes on a clear and sunny afternoon. The result was a stunning two-hit, 2-1 victory over District 15-4A rival Cardinal Gibbons.

The Chiefs started strong, as they set the Jags down 1-2-3 in the first, with center fielder Jack Crittenberger making a beautiful catch on a sinking liner to end the inning.

Shane Sibley and Crittenberger then led off the Cardinal Gibbons first inning by pulling ground singles through the left and right sides of the infield. That was the extent of the Gibbons offense on the day. Sibley did, however, manage to score on a Jimmy Noonan RBI ground out, to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead.

Kelley Jr. settled in after the first, with eight consecutive batters going down before a Gibbons runner reached base again.  Crittenberger opened the fourth with a walk, only to be erased on the front end of a 4-6-3 double play. Kelley Jr. closed out the inning by making a beautiful stop of opposing pitcher Thomas Woodrey’s bid for a hit up the middle.

“He pitched a tremendous game,” said Head Coach Carlos Iglesias. “He struggled at the beginning but he found himself and his rhythm in the second inning. He was making every single pitch.” 

When asked about using freshman Kan to close out such a nail biter, Iglesias quickly responded, “He’s been working very hard since the fall season.  He’s a kid who improved most on the team.”

The Jaguars scored their runs on three hits in the second and fourth innings, respectively.  The key hits were Kelley Jr.’s prodigious RBI double to center in the second, driving in Carlos Lopez, Jr., who had opened the frame with a single.  In the fourth, Nicholas Eyrich hit a flair to short right field scoring Ryan Tucker from third.  He was on via an infield hit.  Tucker then stole second and continued on to third on a throwing error, setting the stage for Eyrich’s game-winning hit.

Coach Iglesias attributes much of his pitchers success to senior catcher Aramis Garcia. 

“He makes all the pitchers better,” said Iglesias.  “The pitchers have tremendous confidence in him being behind the plate. He’s the pilot. He takes control out there.”

In his five innings of work, Kelley Jr. yielded only one earned run on two hits, while notching his first win of the season.  In relief, Kan snared a grounder and fired to first closing out the sixth with the bases loaded. He then retired the side in order in the final frame to pick up his first save.

Leave a comment using your facebook account!