Champs Send Message With Blowout Win Over Columbus

Anyone that had the notion that the three-time 6A defending champion Archbishop McCarthy Mavericks were going to rest on their laurels in 2013 had better think again. For the second consecutive Friday, the Mavericks dealt a loss to a powerhouse team from Miami, only this week, they did so in dominating fashion with a 13-3, six-inning win over Columbus.

The teams came into the much-anticipated match-up undefeated, and with the first HSBN South Florida rankings coming out Monday, Friday figured to be a battle for the top spot. The Mavericks showed that they not only have their sites set on the HSBN rankings, but also being among the best teams in the country.

Early on it appeared as though Columbus would be up for the challenge. The Explorers loaded the bases in the first inning off Mavericks starter Andres Nunez. Infield singles by Kevin Suarez and Laz Rivera started the inning, and after a groundout, Cris Perez walked. Nunez then started a 1-6-3 to end the inning, giving the Mavericks momentum.

“For us to get out of that bases-loaded jam in the first inning set the tone,” said Mavericks Manager Rich Bielski. “They had an opportunity to go up there in the first, and our defense really came through with a big play to set the tone.”

What happened next nobody in attendance was expecting. Archbishop erupted for six runs in their half of the inning. The first five batters reached base and scored. Samm-ball was the key in the first. Jonathan Quintana walked to lead off the inning, and two straight bunt base hits off the bats of Michael Gigliotti and Brandon Vicens loaded the bases. Brian Gonzalez drove in the first run with a walk.

Eddie Silva followed with a two-RBI single, and a balk brought in the fourth run of the inning. Alex Rodriguez then tripled in Silva, and scored a run of his own on a single by Aaron Soto.

While the bats came alive, Nunez settled in on the mound, throwing four shutout innings, and only giving up two hits. Nunez reiterated his coaches point of how big the first inning was for the Mavericks.

“Without that double-play in the first inning, this could have been a much different game,” said Nunez. “That’s a great team over there, and if they would have scored in the first, it would have been a completely different game. After we scored those six runs, it allowed me to relax and just focus on hitting my spots.”

While manufacturing runs was the key in the first, the Mavericks showed they could score in different ways when they broke out the power bats in the fourth. Ryan Sinzenich hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth, and Soto delivered a three-run shot later in the inning. On the day Soto, a newcomer to Archbishop this season, finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs.

“I hadn’t really been hitting the ball well before today,” said Soto, “My coaches and I have been working hard to get my swing back on track. We worked a lot on trying to get on top of the ball and just get base hits, and tonight it just all came together. It was a good feeling to help the team.”

To their credit, the Explorers showed a championship spirit of their own late in the game. The team that went to the state championship last year, showed why when they continued to battle in the fifth. With the score 10-0, and facing a mercy-rule loss, Columbus scored one run in the fifth, and two more in the sixth. Pablo De Armas’ triple brought in Christian Garabedian who had singled to lead-off the fifth, with the first Explorer run of the game.

In the sixth, a pair off walks to Perez and Nelson Mompierre led to RBI singles by Eddy Rodriguez and pinch-hitter Danny Diaz.

“They fought,” said Explorers Manager Joe Weber. “But we needed this. We needed this to get back to work and refocus. Now it’s time to get back to practice and work on all of the things we didn’t do very well tonight.”

For Bielski, the task now is to keep a team that has started this season right where they left off in 2012 grounded.

“Our guys knew they were one of the best teams down in Dade, and they were up for the challenge tonight,” said Bielski. “We are always looking to play the best teams in order to prepare. These are the type of teams you are going to have to beat come playoff time. We have a strong respect for Webs (Weber) and Columbus. They always have a strong team down there, and this was a good game for us.”

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