Flores Fans Ten As Chaminade Survives Late Scare From Somerset

Chris Flores enjoys the pressure of being Chaminade-Madonna’s ace pitcher.

The junior left-hander has started all of the team’s District 15-3A games this season and has been the man who Lions coach Paul Herfurth wants on the mound with the game on the line.

So after pitching a two-hit gem over six innings against Somerset Academy Monday evening, it was tough for Flores to sit in the dugout and watch as the host Jaguars nearly stole away the win in their final at-bats.

Freshman right-hander Michael Nader forced an infield fly out with the bases loaded to preserve the victory as Chaminade-Madonna prevailed 6-4 at Broward Community College Field in Fort Lauderdale.

 Chaminade (9-11) takes sole possession of fourth place with a final district record of 2-3.

Flores threw 125 total pitches, recording ten strikeouts while walking four to improve to 4-6 on the season.

“It was hard to watch the end from the dugout, but we came out with the win,” said Flores. “The team counts on me in these tough games and I have confidence all we need is a couple of runs [in support].”

Chaminade wasted no time in supplying that run support, as sophomore Luis Guillorme began the contest by drawing a lead-off walk, stealing second and advanced to third on an overthrow. Guillorme then scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly from senior Matthew Wagener for a 1-0 lead. The Lions lead-off hitter provided a sac fly of his own in the second to plate junior Manny Rodriguez.

Junior Eddie Guardarrama scored the deciding run in the fifth off an RBI single from senior Adrian Garcia. Guardarrama was 2 for 4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored, and Garcia was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI.

The Lions were patient at the plate, drawing seven walks, and aggressive on the bases in swiping four bags. Senior Frank Duffin was 1 for 1 with three walks and three stolen bases.

“That is actually the style of play we always aim for,” said Herfurth. “Tonight we got an early lead, which allowed us to put pressure on them. But the pitching set the tone and Flores has responded well when we have put him in big situations.”

After being blanked through the first six innings, the Jaguars (8-15, 0-5) got on the board in the bottom of the seventh when freshman Andre Rios drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in sophomore Andrew Denis. Sophomore Kevin Abraham followed with an RBI ground out, and two mores runs came in on wild pitches before Nader ended it with the pop out to record his first save of the season.

Reliever Franklin Paulino took the loss for Somerset, despite allowing only two runs over four innings of work. He struck out three while falling to 0-2.

“This is kinda how our games have gone,” said Jaguars’ coach Onel Garcia. “Defense has been our Achilles heel all year. That, and not coming through with guys on base.”

Sophomore Jaden Garcia accounted for two of Somerset’s three hits, and junior Kida De La Cruz was 1 for 2 with a pair of walks.

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