Rodriguez’s Blast Carries Flanagan Past Miami Senior

Oscar Rodriguez made sure Flanagan didn’t have to work overtime again.

The senior center fielder snapped a 4-4 tie by drilling a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift host Flanagan to a 6-4 win against Miami Senior in a Class 8A regional semifinal on Tuesday night.

Flanagan, which needed 10 innings last week to oust Miami Beach, will face yet another Miami-Dade team when it hosts South Dade in a regional final Friday night.

Rodriguez came through in the clutch in the sixth having to battle back in an at-bat that started on a shaky note. He fell behind 0-2 by chasing two outside curves from Miami starter Andy Escano, who fanned Rodriguez in his previous trip to end the fourth with a runner on second.

“I just didn’t adjust, to be honest,” Rodriguez said. “I kept swinging at that junk outside. Those first two pitches (in the sixth), same exact pitches. I swung at that junk. That’s when I just cleared my head and said just go up there and have fun.”

Rodriguez’s idea of fun was to smack a 2-2 hanging curve over the left-center fence.

“He just did a great job. 0-2, battling,” said Flanagan Manager Ray Evans. “He’s our three-hole hitter. He’s had a great year. I know he wanted to be the guy to drive in the go-ahead run. For him to sit there and come up clutch at that point and time in a game of this magnitude, is huge. It’s huge for his confidence.”

Rodriguez’s fifth home run of the season tied him with clean-up man Ryan Dodge for most home runs on the club. But that chase has taken a backseat to the team’s pursuit of a state title.

“We were competing. At one point, I had four and he had two,” said Rodriguez, who will be headed to St. Thomas University next season. “Then he went on a rampage and hit like three in one week. I’m not really worried about that; I’m just glad we got the win.”

Flanagan (24-1), which extended its winning streak to 12, also received a huge night from sophomore outfielder Eric Rivera, who was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Rivera delivered a two-run double that helped stake Flanagan to a 3-0 lead in the first.

After pitcher Kharlin Sued, who did not play, delivered a pep talk to the starters in the bottom of the fifth, Rivera promptly crushed a crucial solo home run with one out that knotted the game at 4-4. Miami contended Rivera didn’t step on second base, but the appeal was denied.

Dodge had an RBI double and a walk, and designated hitter David Vasquez was 2-for-3 with two singles.

Gentry Fortuno picked up where he left off after his 10-inning gem in the regional quarterfinals. Fortuno produced a flawless, 17-pitch outing to notch the victory in relief of starter Chris Rodriguez. Fortuno, who is expected to start Friday, retired the side in order in his two innings of work, including an eight-pitch sixth inning.

Miami (16-10) showed plenty of heart by rallying with a four-run second inning to take a 4-3 lead. Chris Herrera belted a two-run single that scored Christian Torres and Dayron Mallea. A two-run double from Victor Herrera put Miami up 4-3.

Miami’s first six batters in the order each notched a hit. The team finished with seven hits and plenty of praise from its skipper for overcoming the early 3-0 deficit.

“That was great. Some of those kids aren’t considered to be great players, but they come to battle,” said Miami Manager Frank Suarez.

Escano gave up six hits and fanned four as the junior righty finished with an impressive 7-2 record. He walked five, including David Sarmiento three times after Sarmiento led off with a double in the first.

Although its season ended, the good news for Miami is that the District 14 champions, who won a regional game for the first time since 1998, will return all but one starter next season.

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