North Broward Prep’s First District Game Ends In Victory

When fans go to North Broward Prep to watch a baseball game, the last thing they expect to see is a low scoring affair. At a field where there have been many offensive explosions throughout the years, Chad Fleischman and Tommy Romero showed that pitching could rule as well.

Fleischman went the distance for the Eagles, out-dueling Romero, and sending North Broward Prep to a much-needed 3-0 victory over Coral Springs Charter on Tuesday night. The junior scattered six hits and struck out 10, helping the eagles even their record at 2-2.

“I knew we were up against a good hitting team and I mentally prepared myself all day,” said Fleischman. “My approach was just to keep the ball down, work the outside corner with the fastball, and mix in my off-speed stuff. I trusted my defense tonight, and they did one heck of a job behind me. It was a good team win.”

The Panthers came into the game riding a five-game winning streak to start the season. Their bats, however, were silenced for most of the night. Of the six hits they had on the evening, three came off the bat of Jorge Solano. Outside of Solano, CS Charter could muster little off of Fleischman.

“Obviously you have to tip your cap to them today,” said Panthers Manager Dan Rovetto. “Their pitcher did a great job of throwing strikes and getting ahead early. We had some things that we didn’t do right at the plate, but at the end of the day you just have to give him credit, he pitched a great game.”

The eagles got all they needed on this night in the first inning. A.J. Fidalic led off with a walk, moved to second on a single by Mack Nathanson, and scored on a two-out hit by Fleischman. After that, Romero settled in and shut the Eagles out over the next three innings. Romero worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, inducing a double-play to end the threat.

In the fifth, NBP received some insurance. Nathanson had his second hit of the game in the inning, and Drew Rangle drove in two runs with a double, upping the score to 3-0.

“I never feel comfortable with a lead at this ballpark,” said Eagles Manager Brian Campbell. “Obviously those two runs in the fifth helped. I think they really helped Chad. He was able to just go out after that and not try to paint the corners. He was able to throw strikes and let his defense make plays behind him.”

The eagles are now 2-0 at home, and 0-2 on the road. Fleischman believes he understands why NBP plays well at home.

“We’re comfortable here, and we know what type of approaches need to be taken at the plate here,” said Fleischman. “Hitters come to our park and look at our fence and they think they can drive the ball out. Most times that messes with their approach. We have learned that the way to win here is to hit the ball on the ground and hit line drives. If you look at the fences and think long ball, you get a lot of pop flies, so we kind of use that to our advantage with other teams.”

The win puts North Broward Prep as one of only two teams without a loss in what many believe is the toughest district in the county. University leads the district with a 2-0 record. Even with the win, Campbell knows the craziness of district play is only just getting started.

“It’s a nice win, and it’s good to open up district play with a win, but it’s a long season. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and there are many more district games to be played. We just need to keep focusing on the fundamentals and getting better each game.”

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