Douglas Earns Hard-Fought 8A-11 Title Against Taravella

The teams that make up District 8A-11 never seize to disappoint, and in the championship game Thursday night, there was action throughout the contest. Longtime rivals Taravella and the defending district champion Douglas Eagles faced off in front on a packed house at Coral Springs High. After splitting the season series, neither team presented a favorable edge that easily would lead it to victory.

In the end it was Douglas repeating as champions with a 7-4 victory.

When clocks were pushed ahead in March, South Florida baseball was all smiles as the day games had no worries about running out of daylight. On the flip side, night games began with the sun setting, and the unfavorable twilight skies started to play an effect on the games. Thursday night, both clubs had multiple scenarios where the ball was lost in this way.

“Tonight was a game of ups and downs and emotional swings. Our guy didn’t have his best stuff, and their guy didn’t either. Basically whatever team had the big hit when the big hit was needed came out on top,” said Douglas Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald. “Fierman put us up two runs with his huge 11-pitch at-bat. I was proud of the guys. They weathered the storm. We didn’t play our best, but we played hard with energy and emotion. They did over there also. My hat goes off to Alan. He had those guys ready. It was a war between crosstown rivals. Then again, we’re the defending district champions, and that’s what happen in the end.”

From the moment Taravella’s leadoff Joseph Libio stepped into the box, the gloves were on, and it was going to be a dogfight. Libio started the game against the Eagle’s Tyler Norris and hit a fly ball to second. Early in the evening and with the sun still setting, Kyle Shay was unable to find the ball until it was on top of him, which allowed Libio and the Trojans to have a chance to strike first.

After a hit-and-run and a strikeout, cleanup hitter Manny Pantaleon delivered the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Libio. Gavin Robinson followed with a two-out single to left.

Answering right back in the home half of the first, the Eagles’ Colton Welker took advantage of a shallow outfield and pounded a ball over the left fielder’s head for an RBI double to tie the game. The ball was carrying out to left early, as Max Boling brought the crowd to its feet when he hit a deep fly ball to left. Pantaleon tracked the ball off the bat and made his way to the warning track. Running out of room quickly and the ball still flying, Pantaleon reached up to make a catch off the fence and save a big inning from Douglas.

Both pitchers settled down in the second as they begun to find their groove. All night, Douglas had an answer for Taravella regardless of what the Trojans did.

In the third, Taravella’s Robinson drove in the first run of the inning, giving the Trojans another temporary lead. Lino Bravo pulled a fastball down the left-field line, and Robinson scored, giving Taravella a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Douglas took the wind out of the sails of its rival when it answered back and took a lead it never would relinquish.

Douglas put together a string of hits and a walk to load the bases and get to the bullpen. Jack Kelley came on in relief for starter Justin Walker and was put into a huge situation right away. With the sun gone completely, it was the twilight skies that now played a factor in one of the biggest moments in the game. Matt Fierman, who did nothing but deliver all night for Douglas, worked a full count and had the runners moving when he popped a ball into the Bermuda triangle behind second base.

From the moment the ball left the bat, the middle infield had no idea where it went. The defenders were left helpless as they waited for the ball to reach the ground. Hustling all the way around the bases, Douglas scored three runs on what seemed to be a routine out. As the momentum swung back into the Eagles favor, Norris wouldn’t give back the lead this time.

“I started slow a little bit, and during the game I gained my composure. At the end of the day, we ended up getting a few key hits, and I came up and pitched the rest of the game,” Tyler Norris said. “Adversity made me stronger throughout the game. I just stayed within myself and tried to throw strikes.”

Douglas added two runs in the fifth and sixth, and Taravella threatened in its portions of the fifth and sixth, hoping to spark a comeback. The Trojans hit the ball hard all night, finding gaps and extra bases. They added one run in the fifth and loaded the bases with one out in the sixth for a prime opportunity. Robinson, who seemed to be up in every key situation, lined a rocket down the first-base line.

Boling was holding the runner on when the ball found his glove quickly off the bat of Robinson. Before anyone had any time to react, Boling had made the catch and placed a tag on the runner for an inning-ending double play. That double play took the air right out of the Trojans, as they were left with just one at-bat left in the seventh. Douglas reliever Jake Miednik struck out the final two batters to end the game.

“The difference was they made more of the opportunities then we did. Between both teams we had the same amount of opportunities, but they were able to get more runs across then we did,” Taravella Manager Alan Clark said. “Hats off to them, we got to them early but weren’t able to finish it in the end. Nick at the end was good at the plate. Walker was OK on the mound but not his usual self. Jack Kelley came out and had another strong outing in relief. Manny hit the ball very well tonight and so did Nick. I cant complain about how we competed, it’s just baseball. You have to level with it. The ball bounces one way and nothing you can do.”

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