Pembroke Pines Jaguars Topple Bobcats With Big 4-2 Win

There’s no better feeling in baseball than coming up with the big hit in crunch time.

But it always feels that much sweeter when that big hit is a mammoth home run.

The Pembroke Pines Jaguars’ Jesse Gonzalez delivered just that with a monster two-run home run that sailed over the left center-field fence for the decisive runs in the team’s 4-2 win over the Bobcats in the last day of Bracket F action Saturday at Northeast High.

“It feels great,” Gonzalez said. “Just a hit in general is nice in that situation, but a home run makes it even better.”

Both squads finished the opening round at 2-1, with the Bobcats holding on to advance as the bracket champion after the Tornadoes defeated the Hurricanes in the nightcap to force a three-way tie at first place. The Bobcats emerged due to a tiebreaker after having allowed the fewest runs against them of the three teams.

The fifth-seeded Bobcats will play the fourth-seeded Pembroke Pines Panthers in a best-of-three series starting Tuesday at Flanagan High.

After being blown out in Monday’s opener, the Jaguars had bounced back to win their next two contests and remain in the hunt.

“We knew we had to work for it,” Gonzalez said. “We had a great practice on Friday and it carried into the game today for us.”

Jaguars coach Carlos Iglesias was also quick to point to the team’s last practice as a major factor in their performance on Saturday.

“At practice on Friday we told the players not to worry about the tournament, and we had a great practice that carried over into the game today,” Iglesias said. “We can only control the game we play in, and if we got in we could carry that momentum into the next round. Otherwise we carry it into the spring season. I’m very proud of them; they gave us a great game.”

With so much at stake both teams employed an aggressive approach.

The Bobcats opened the scoring in the top of the second inning as Hector Abreu singled on a sharp liner through the left side, stole second and then came home on a deep shot from Daniel Vasquez that went for a double.

The Bobcats had not trailed at any point during the tournament’s first two games, but in the bottom of the second inning that finally changed when the Jaguars jumped ahead with a pair of runs.

Cody Fuchs and Derick Garcia drew back-to-back walks, and Kevin Ellenbogen sailed a ball deep into the outfield with enough distance to push Fuchs home. Ryan Smith followed and reached on an infield error, which allowed Ellenbogen to come home.

Just like that the Jaguars had responded to show they meant business.

“We expect tough games with every team we play, and they did a good job of pitching backwards against us today,” Bobcats coach Sergio Ambros said. “This was a good wake up call for us.”

The Bobcats tied the game at 2-2 in the third after Xavier Beltran lined a single up the middle to reach leading off and then came in on a sacrifice flyout from Danny Pardo.

But after Alexander Metallides reached base on an error with two outs in the bottom of the third, Gonzalez followed with a soaring drive that kept going until it had cleared the outfield fence.

Danny Melgarejo closed the final two scoreless innings to earn the save and preserve the Jaguars victory.

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