Pine Crest Wins Spring Break Title Game Over Fort Lauderdale

Michael Pierson worked seven innings for the win in the championship game for Pine Crest

It has been a roller coaster season for the Pine Crest baseball team so far, but Wednesday the Panthers guaranteed they would take at least one title away from this year. The Panthers defeated the Fort Lauderdale Flying L’s 6-2 to take home the Monarch Spring Break Tournament trophy. 

“It was good to win the Championship in a tournament and that was one of our goals,” said Pine Crest Head Coach Glen Pierson, “Our bats weren’t as hot as they’ve been but we got some good timely hits.”

The Panthers took the early lead by scoring two in the bottom of the first.  Lead-off batter Alex Perez walked and Lance Kirschenbaum singled to start the rally. First baseman Zack Kessinger knocked in both runners with a single.

The Flying L’s answered with one in the top half of the second, held the Panthers scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, and then tied the game with one more in the third.

Christian Shields led the top of the second off with a single to left and after the ball got by the left fielder on a diving attempt, shields was able to reach third.  Alec Bryant singled to the shortstop and Shields was able to score on a throwing error by the shortstop.

In the top half of the third, the lead-off hitter for the Flying L’s Kris Chatman led the inning off with a double, his second hit of the game.  He was sacrificed to second, and would later score on a RBI single to center by shortstop Stetson McCollin.

Both teams would then go scoreless until the fifth, when Pine Crest put up four runs to make it 6-2. The Panthers sent nine batters to the plate.

Perez singled to lead the inning off, Michael Pierson singled two batters later and was followed by a two-run double by Kessinger, who would score on a RBI ground out by Michael Pozzuoli. Harrison Meister closed the scoring in the title game when he knocked in Ben Arkin with a single.

Pierson started on the mound for the Panthers and worked all seven innings for the win.  He was efficient and faced the minimum over the last four innings and struck out the last two batters of the game.

“Michael (Pierson) pitched well, a lot of strikes today and he controlled their hitters for the most part,” said Head Coach Pierson of his starting pitcher.

Brad Smith received the loss for Fort Lauderdale going four and two thirds allowing six runs.  He struck out three and walked two.

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