Nova Walks Off 1-0 Over South Broward In Eighth Inning

The Nova Titans are a team rich with traditions of achievement.

This legacy of success has been paved on a foundation of executing on all of the small fundamentals and creating their own luck.

This year’s roster features a large crop of young, yet talented players charged with the responsibility to uphold these winning ways.

On Tuesday night, the team earned some new stripes with a walk-off 1-0 victory over 7A-16 rival South Broward, in an extra-inning contest played at Pat McQuaid Field at Nova High.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, Ryan Merante lifted a drive deep to right field for a sacrifice flyout that drove home Ben Torres for the victory that secures the second seed in the district playoffs for the Titans (10-6, 7-3).

“We’ve been playing better lately and we just have to have confidence,” Nova Manager Pat McQuaid said. “When you’ve got new kids sometimes they can get that base hit with nobody on, and then when there’s guys in scoring position they get a little tight. It’s all part of growing up and learning the game.”

Torres reached on an error with one out, and Jose Garcia blooped a single to shallow right and Shayne Fox received an intentional walk to load the bases and bring Merante to the plate.

After stranding 11 runners on base on the night, finally the Titans were able to capitalize and come away with the victory.

“We had opportunities but we didn’t score runs, just like they had some opportunities too. It was a good high school ball game,” McQuaid said.

The Bulldogs (12-6, 6-4) had held the Titans at bay numerous times throughout the night, escaping unscathed each time behind strong pitching and clean defense.

“We didn’t get it done tonight,” South Broward Manager Joe Giummule said. “What was encouraging was that they had so many opportunities to score on us and we escaped those innings. We kept escaping trouble; we made a quality pitch or we made a quality play. That’s what we’re taking away from this one.”

Although the Titans threatened early against Bulldogs starter Mike Cohick, the right-hander always found a way to get himself out of trouble.

After Brandon McCalla and Lewis Rodriguez both reached on singles, Cohick induced a pop-foul out to third followed by a flyout to right fielder Cody Behr to pitch a scoreless second frame.

Kyle Pangello blooped a two-out single to center field in the third, but then Cohick made a nice pickoff move to trap him on the bases.

The following inning he walked Gabe Valverde and McCalla crushed an offering high and deep off the left field fence for a standup double that put both runners in scoring position with no outs. But Cohick responded to retire the side and keep it scoreless.

After Behr came on in relief, the Bulldogs again got a big defensive play to keep the Titans off the board.

Cole Habig broke for home on a suicide-squeeze bunt off of the bat of Garcia, but Matt Cohick was able to fire the ball home from third base in time to allow catcher John Maginnis to make the tag.

Yet again, South Broward had held the host Titans back.

Meanwhile, Nova starter Nick Martinez also dodged some early trouble.

Kenny Rasor was hit by a pitch and Matt Cohick connected on a high fastball to centerfield for a double, and then Bryan Mugione worked a walk to load the bases in the first.

Martinez closed that door with a called third strike on an inning-ending punch-out. He then induced a groundout to shut the door in the next frame, after Mike Cohick walked and Makana Gilliland singled.

“We missed some opportunities early in the first and second inning, and after that we just couldn’t get on base. It has been our M.O. all season,” Giummule said. “We struggle hitting. We pitch well and we play defense well most of the time. We try to scratch a few runs across, but we just didn’t do enough things offensively. I tip my hat to their pitchers, they threw first-pitch strikes and they kept us off-balance. They kept us at bay.”

Martinez threw four innings, allowing a pair of hits and a pair of walks while recording four strikeouts.

Sophomore Nick Marchese spelled the lefty on the hill for the Titans, going the rest of the way to earn the victory and improve to 3-0 on the year. The right-hander threw 37 of his 52 pitches for strikes while picking up five strikeouts.

Marchese retired the first 11 batters he faced in order, before John Maginnis walked and was replaced by a courtesy runner and Rasor singled to put runners on the corners in the top of the eighth inning.

South Broward attempted a double-steal, but Nova played it perfectly as Pangallo fired the ball to Mercante in time to pick the runner off at third base.

It would be the last chance for South Broward on this night, as Nova carried that momentum into their half of the frame to rally for the win.

Should the Bulldogs win in the opening round of the district playoffs, where they will now face Plantation as the third seed, they will find themselves facing Nova again.

That meeting would be for the right to play for the 7A-16 championship, while also earning a berth in the regional playoffs. Should such a contest happen, it would also serve as the rubber match after the teams split this season.

“They beat us up pretty good last time, and we really weren’t even in that game,” McQuaid admitted. “Joe’s got a nice ballclub. We’ll see them again and hopefully we’ll be up to the challenge. Hopefully we will play better than.”

For South Broward, the motivation to play them again will fuel their first-round district game.

“We came here expecting to win the ball game, no matter who we’re playing,” said Giummule. “We take the field expecting to win. We’re not just looking to play close ball games or just hang in there. So we’re disappointed that we lost tonight. When we step on the field they should feel fortunate to beat us; that has to be our approach.”

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