Mavericks Complete Three-Peat With 4-3 Win Over Pace

As legends go, there are not many in high school baseball history that will be able to match what Archbishop McCarthy and co-ace Andre Martinez accomplished on Friday afternoon at Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie. The Mavericks won their third straight state title 4-3 over Pace with the same combination they have used all year: strong pitching and a fundamentally solid offensive attack.

The Mavericks bunted, stole and slapped their way to the state title, and afterwards, the only question that could be asked was how Archbishop head coach Rich Bielski and his staff were able to get this team playing at a near-perfect level fundamentally.

“We have very intense, structured practices,” said Bielski. “We get on them hard in practice to the point sometimes they don’t like us very much. But we tell them, ‘I don’t care if you don’t like us now, you’ll like us when you’re in that pile in Port St. Lucie and when you guys get your rings.'”

As they did in the semifinal game Thursday, the Mavericks jumped out to an early lead. In the first, lead-off hitter Adam Duarte worked the count full and then lined a single to left. Jason Morozowski followed with a bunt base hit, and when the throw went down the right-field line, Archbishop was in business with runners on second and third with no outs.

Brandon Roberts’ groundout to second plated the first run of the game. Nick Basto then lined out to left, and after a Brian Gonzalez walk, designated hitter Ryan Sinzenich popped out to short to end the threat.

In their half of the first, the Patriots threatened to strike right back off of Mavericks starter Andre Martinez. Lead-off hitter Patrick Ervin hit the first pitch he saw for a single to left, and Elliot Pierson induced a walk. After a fly out, Steven Jernigan singled loading the bases.

After a long battle with Patrick Maddox, Martinez showed the poise of a pitcher who was pitching in the state tournament for the fourth time in four years when he struck out Maddox with a devastating curve ball and got Clay Benefield to line out to deep center to end the threat.

The Mavericks used the momentum to build their lead in the second. A one-out single by catcher Mike Hernandez was followed by a Jonathan Quintana double down the left-field line, scoring courtesy runner Blade Bielski from first. After Morozowski walked, Roberts almost extended the lead but was robbed of a base hit by a lunging Ervin at second base.

The Patriots kept it a game in the second. After a lead-off walk and a sacrifice bunt, Brandon Peterson singled to left, driving in the Patriots’ first run of the day. Martinez then proceeded to pick off Peterson before a hit batter and a walk. The Maverick co-ace again avoided further damage by getting Russell to pop out to second. The rocky start had Bielski warming up Nick Castellanos, and Martinez had no choice but to notice.

“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get my attention,” said Martinez. “I knew I had to get my act together or I was coming out, so that definitely helped me bear down and focus.”

And get his act together he did, shutting out the Patriots from innings three through five.

“Andre typically gets stronger as the game goes on, and that was the case again today,” said Bielski. “Our pitching has been great all year long, and that is really the reason that we are hoisting that trophy again today.”

With Martinez settling in on the mound, the Maverick offense went back to work in the fourth. Quintana hit a one-out single, his second hit of the game, and immediately stole second base. A groundout moved Quintana to third, and Morozowski drove him in with his second perfectly executed bunt base hit of the ballgame.

In the sixth, Archbishop gave Martinez some insurance. Eddie Silva walked, and Bielski, who was pinch-hitting for Hernandez, laid down a sacrifice bunt. Pinch-runner Michael Gigliotti was later erased between third and home on a ground ball off the bat of Quintana.

The junior quickly made up for not moving to second on the play by stealing his third base of the game. That was followed by a Duarte RBI single, extending the lead to 4-1.

“Every day it’s someone different, and today it was my turn,” said Quintana, who finished the game 2-for-3, with a double, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.

When asked to describe the feeling of piling up on the mound after the championship win, Quintana was at a loss for words.

“Just really unbelievable. I don’t even know how to describe that feeling, it’s just amazing.”

Even with a 4-1 lead, the game was far from over. What was coming to an end, however was Martinez’ Archbishop career.

When Martinez worked into a small jam in the sixth, Bielski came out to get his ace one last time. Before exiting the mound with runners on first and second and one out, Martinez offered a hug to his infielders and words of encouragement for incoming pitcher Castellanos.

“I don’t even want to think about that right now,” Bielski said of the emotions of pulling a pitcher he has gone to battle with for four years. “I’m an emotional guy, and I’m not ashamed to say I get pretty emotionally attached to my players, and this group leaving is going to be tough, but right now, we’re not going to think about that, we’re just going to enjoy what these players have accomplished.”

After a walk and an RBI ground out, Bielski again went to the bullpen, this time bringing in closer Gonzalez. A single by Ervin made the score 4-3, but Gonzalez struck out Pearson to end the inning.

In the seventh, Pace again threatened to break the Mavericks’ state title streak. After a line-out to second, two straight hits put the tying run on second and the winning run on first. That was when the torch was passed from Martinez and Travieso to the next ace of the Mavericks, Gonzalez. The sophomore got a fly out to right and clinched the win with a fielder’s choice grounder to short.

With the third straight title under their belt, Gonzalez was asked the logical question of whether this team can come back and get number four next year.

“You never know. With our coaching staff and the players we have, anything is possible. Our coaches have a saying, that we don’t rebuild, we reload, so hopefully we can do that and be back here again next year.”

The goal next year for Archbishop will be simple, become the first team in Florida to win four straight state championships. With the title this year, the Mavericks joined Westminster Christian as the only teams to win three straight. Those Warriors teams were coached by Rich Hofman, who went on to win two more at Westminster Academy, becoming the only coach ever to win five straight titles.

Bielski is moving up the list of individual coaches titles as well, picking up his fifth title — two at Hialeah, and the past three at Archbishop. Hofman is also the leader in this category with 10 state titles.

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