Park Vista Shuts Down Flanagan in HSBN Preseason Challenge

The Flanagan Falcons and Park Vista Cobras have battled it out in the postseason almost on a yearly basis – and one of the two teams typically wins or goes to the state title game every year in recent memory. So it was unfamiliar territory when they faced each other in a preseason game that wouldn’t count in the standings.

For Ray Evans, head coach of the Falcons, his team’s 6-0 loss was no where near as painful as one that comes at the end of the year. Especially since it was the very first game of the season.

But it was still painful.

“We haven’t been shut out in five years since we’ve been here,” Evans said, “I can’t ever remember a time losing by more than one or two runs, max, on our home field.”

Evans gives an example of the difference of where each team is at right now mentally.

“They have a ball where a guy runs 30 to 40 yards in a dead run, lays out, and makes a spectacular play. We have two guys on a ball that should be caught by one of them, they both lay out and miss.”

The catch was made by Park Vista’s center fielder Trey Amburgey in the fourth inning, which at the time saved starting pitcher Brandon Rhodes’ no-hit bid. Rhodes was dominant for Park Vista as he faced the minimum amount of batters and ended his night with 4 IP, 4 K’s, 1 H and 0 BB’s. He also won the player of the game honor, which awards him a free HSBN Extended Profile.

Evans went on to give several more examples of how one team, full of seniors, made smart plays, while his younger team did not. But he liked that this game showed his team where it needs to get to by the end of the season.

“Twenty games, that’s all we get to play,” Evans said, “That’s 20 steps. So our goal is to take a step up the ladder every game we play, and by the end of the season, we will be right there.”

Three walks, a hit, a couple wild pitches, a passed ball and a fielder’s choice gave Park Vista a 3-0 lead in the first inning, and with Vista pitcher Rhodes on the mound, it was all it would need. Two more walks in the fourth helped Vista score two more runs.

In the bottom of the fourth, Andres Sanchez broke Rhodes’ no-hit bid, but a fielder’s choice and pick off of the runner on first by Vista’s catcher Robbie Coman quickly ended Flanagan’s hopes. Ryan Dodge had a single in the fifth, and a walk to third baseman AJ Munoz made it first and second, but Vista’s pitcher struck out the next batter to end the inning. And such went Flanagan’s night.

But, “this isn’t football,” Evans told his players after the game. “We don’t have to wait another week to play a game. We go home, shower, get it off us, shake it off, put on a new uniform and get in the game, and tomorrow we’ll play better.”

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