Hepple’s Grand Slam Carries Highlands Christian To District 14-1A Championship

Highlands Christian took a big lead early then held on late to defeat Sheridan Hills Christian 8-3 in the District 14-1A final on Thursday. Senior catcher Jason Hepple again proved to be the star for the Knights.

Hepple has been one of the most feared hitters in Broward County this season. He has been among the county leaders in batting average, home runs, and RBIs all season long.

With that type of resume, it is no wonder that Sheridan Hills Christian Head Coach Paul Barrios intentionally walked Hepple in his first and third at-bats Thursday afternoon in the District 14-1A final between the two teams. It was the second at-bat, however, where Barrios’ hands were tied, and Hepple made the Sharks pay.

Hepple came to the plate wit the bases loaded in the second inning of a 2-0 game. The senior then launched a Chris Meyer pitch deep down the left field line. The home plate umpire ruled the blast a home run, and it appeared the Knights would have a comfortable 6-0 lead. After huddling with the other umpires, the call was overturned and ruled a foul ball, which to all in attendance, was the right call.

Hepple appeared unfazed by the “almost” home run. Instead of worrying about what could have been, Hepple made sure there would be no doubt about his next swing, launching a ball to left-center for a grand slam. The blast put Highlands ahead 6-0.

“The effort was good,” said Barrios. “We just gave up two big hits. The Hepple ball with the bases loaded, that was four runs. We lost 8-3. Coach Shadowens does a great job with his guys, and hopefully we’ll see them again.”

Kirvin Moesquit had a big day on the bases for the Knights, scoring three runs and stealing two bases. Jason was not the only Hepple that performed well, younger brother Eric, a freshman, was the winning pitcher. Eric struggled at times with his control, but was able to throw enough strikes to keep the Sharks’ hitters off-balance.

As for the older Hepple, getting intentionally walked has become commonplace late in the season. That frustration is something he has had to deal with.

“It’s definitely not the best feeling,” said Hepple. “Sometimes, I don’t even get to walk to the plate and I’m getting walked.”

The two teams may again find themselves on opposite sides of the field later on in the regional playoffs. Highlands and Sheridan Hills will only have to win one game each on Tuesday to meet for the fourth time this season. If that happens, Knights Head Coach Joe Shadowens knows that some things will need to be cleaned up if his team wants to advance deep into the playoffs.

“We’ve got to do a better job of hitting with runners on base and in scoring position,” said Shadowens. “We’ve got to be aggressive at the right times. And then we’ve got to tighten up on defense as well. We’re better now than we were a month, two, three months ago, but at the same time, we’ve got a long way to go. I have no problem with us still making improvements during the playoffs.”

Leave a comment using your facebook account!