North Broward Prep Picks Up Key District Win Over Somerset

North Broward Prep has a blueprint for success this season: Throw ace Casey Kopec out on the mound, score a couple of runs and stay clean defensively. On Monday night, the Eagles executed two out of the three keys, resulting in a 4-1 District 4A-13 win over Somerset.

Kopec was his usual dominant self after a shaky first inning, allowing only one unearned run in the district battle. The senior threw a complete game, striking out 10 and surrendering only two hits.

“The first time through the lineup, I just wanted to get ahead with my fastball, then mix in the curve,” Kopec said in describing his game plan against the Panthers offense. “The second and third time through, I was able to mix it up and go curve ball first a few times, keep them guessing. That’s what worked for me tonight.”

Kopec was locked in a pitchers’ duel for most of the night with Somerset’s Brandon Acevedo. The Panthers ace gave up only two earned runs in the game, in the third inning. Kevin Fagan hit a one-out triple, and Anthony Valeo drove home Fagan with a single to right. Valeo then stole second and scored on a Hernando Sierra single. Acevedo put the fire out in the inning by striking out Fenway Parks.

“Those two seniors (Fagan, Valeo) have really been the catalysts for our team so far this season,” Eagles acting-manager Doug Jennings said. “Anthony has had some big hits late in games, and Kevin, of course, he’s real steady. We depend on those guys to get our offense going, and when they’re swinging the bats well, we have a real good chance of winning the ball game.”

The duel on the mound may have been much closer on the scoreboard had Acevedo’s defense not let him down. In the fourth, the Eagles scored two unearned runs on singles by Mack Fleischman and Chris Husocki, and a pair of Panthers’ errors. The 4-1 lead would be too much to overcome with Kopec on the mound, and Panthers head coach Onel Garcia knows his team is going to have to find a way to win some of these close games.

“This is a tough district,” Garcia said. “Every team has at least one strong pitcher. We’re going to have to win some games 3-2, 2-1, and when we make errors that lead to runs like we did tonight, it is going to be hard to win. These guys can play a little bit, but they need to gain that confidence that is needed to win the tight games.”

For the Eagles, Valeo had two hits, and Fleischman went 2-for-3 with a run and a stolen base. Husocki added two hits of his own in the win.

North Broward Prep was playing the game without head coach Brian Campbell in the dugout. Campbell was ejected in the Eagles’ last game against Coral Springs Charter and is forced to sit out two games. The team, according to Jennings, responded well to the challenge.

“We all missed Coach Campbell tonight,” Jennings said. “It’s his team. The boys stepped it up a notch tonight to make sure that we got the win for him.”

After playing five district games in a row, North Broward Prep will head off to Central Florida where it will face Windemere Prep and Lake Highland Prep in Orlando.

Somerset must regroup before Thursday, when it will go on the road to face another district foe, Pine Crest.

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