Coral Springs Opens Second Round With Win Over Pine Crest

The Coral Springs Colts knew they were going to have to play better baseball in the second round of the HSBN/Perfect Recruits Fall Classic tournament than they did in round one. Coral Springs flirted with not even making the second round early in the tournament, before rebounding and capturing a spot late in pool play.

On Wednesday night, the Colts made it apparent that they do not plan on playing with fire this time around. Playing game one of their best-of-three series with Pine Crest, Coral Springs used a five-run fourth inning to blow open a tight game, and then cruised the rest of the way, winning 11-0 and taking a one game series lead.

The Colts’ Dalton Wolchik and Pine Crest’s Alex Perez were locked in a pitchers’ duel into the fourth. Each pitcher had cruised through the first three innings, with Wolchik giving up only two first-inning singles and Perez allowing only a double to Vinny Cerullo in the first three frames.

In the fourth, Perez got the first out of the inning before allowing an infield single to Lewis Brinson. Alan Sharkey, who was held out of the first round because on injury, returned to the lineup Wednesday and promptly blasted a two-run homer on his second at-bat back. The home run gave the Colts a 2-0 lead.

After a strikeout, a hit-by-pitch and a walk, Joey Silvani hit an opposite-field double down the line, driving in Ian Delamadrid and Vinny Cerullo. Silvani scored when the next batter, Michael Montalvo, hit a triple into the right-center field gap.

That would be all the offense the Colts needed on this night, as Wolchik dominated the Panthers’ lineup. The Colts right-hander did not give up another hit after the first inning and finished the evening with six innings pitched, giving up no runs while striking out six. Cole Bumbales came in and closed out the game in the seventh, but by then, Coral Springs had widened the score to 11-0. Wolchik, normally the Colts’ closer, got to see what it was like to stretch out his arm.

“I felt like I was getting warmed up as the game went on,” the Colts senior said. “I kept my fastball down as the game wore on.”

When asked about the difference between closing and starting, Wolchik offered this analysis: “I come out throwing not as hard at the beginning when I’m starting. I try to build up and keep getting stronger as I go, and try to last longer into the game.”

Pine Crest has a chance to regroup and come back today to try to even the series at one. The Panthers have had a Jekyll-and-Hyde persona throughout the tournament, having big wins over Flanagan and Piper, and losing to Olympic Heights. On Wednesday, the young, inexperienced Panthers showed up, but head coach Glen Pierson knows that Thursday could be a different story.

“We battled really well into the fourth inning tonight,” Pierson said. “Alex threw a great game. Got to give them (Coral Springs) full credit. We work very hard. These kids go hard in training and work hard on the field, and that’s the reason we’re in this second round. It wouldn’t surprise me if these kids bounced back and played well tomorrow.”

Offensively for the Colts, Brinson, who had been intentionally walked last week several times with Sharkey out of the lineup, went 3-for-5, with a double, a stolen base and two runs. Having Sharkey back made the Colts’ three hitter and the 17th top high school prospect in the nation according to Baseball America, much more comfortable.

“Having him back doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going to see more fastballs, but it does mean I’m going to have a chance to swing the bat,” Brinson said. “The guys in front of me have to get on base, and I have another guy that can knock in runs behind me. It gives me a little bit more confidence at the plate.”

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