Douglas Battles Back To Beat Taravella In Semifinal

Putting your best foot forward doesn’t mean fate won’t slam the door, again. The Taravella Trojans competed valiantly throughout Wednesday’s game, coming off the mat twice before ultimately falling 10-8 to the host Douglas Eagles in an 8A regional semifinal. The slugfest featured four lead changes, a homer from each team and a veteran closer who gave up four runs for a blown save but bounced back to pick up the win.

“A game for the ages. A heavyweight battle. Up, down, back, forth, all the lead changes, it came down to the last man standing at the end,” Eagles Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald said. “We’ve got great team chemistry. They fight, they grind it out. We stayed with it, we didn’t give up and we ended up winning the game.”

After the Trojans had put up four runs in the top of the sixth to take an 8-6 lead, the Eagles struck back. Brady Morris doubled, Blake Bottomley walked and both moved up on a sacrifice bunt. Number nine hitter Jordan Hill doubled to even the score. Pemron Burrows reached second on an infield error, with Hill moving to third. After Yorvis Torrealba was hit by a pitch, Colton Welker brought Hill home with the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly. Dominic DiCaprio added an insurance run by singling home Burrows.

“After giving up four runs and the lead, I went into the dugout thinking this was my last game,” Eagles’ senior Devin Conn said. “Good thing I’ve got teammates. Jordan Hill’s double to the fence to tie it and Welker’s sac fly and DiCaprio’s RBI single to give us a lead were huge. The coaches and everybody knew I wanted to come back out and pitch the seventh.”

Conn’s Manager was impressed with his closer.

“I thought he showed great mettle. It was the first time this year he’s been knocked around,” Fitz-Gerald said. “He was a little down in the clubhouse, but we rallied around him, picked him up and he finished the deal.”

Eagles starter, Jesus Luzardo, established an effective, if odd, regimen early, putting up identical lines in each of the first two innings. The Trojans’ leadoff hitters singled and were thrown out stealing in both frames. The next batter grounded to short and the final batter struck out in consecutive innings.

The Eagles wasted no time taking an early lead, as Colton Welker’s home run to right-center with Yorvis Torrealba aboard gave the home team a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Two innings later, Torrealba walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Welker’s single.

The Trojans responded in the fourth. Singles by Gavin Robinson, Chad McDaniel and a perfect bunt single by Michael Fitschen loaded the bases. Manny Pantaleon reached via catcher’s interference, driving in Robinson. A walk to Gio Bonilla scored McDaniel, and Fitschen came home on a wild pitch.

The Trojans took the lead when Henri Matias found the hole between third and short to plate Pantaleon.

In the bottom of the fourth, Conn lined a single off the leg of Robinson. A walk to Morris and a wild pitch put two Eagles in scoring position. With the infield in and Luzardo at the plate, Conn was cut down at home on a 5-2, fielder’s choice. An infield error scored Brady, Hill then singled and a two-base outfield error brought home Luzardo. Burrows walked and a single by Torrealba scored Hill to stretch the lead for the Eagles to 6-4.

The Trojans’ bats came alive in the sixth. Pinch hitter Ryan Kelleher and Andrew Labosky singled. Up came Matias, sitting on two singles and a walk so far. Matias blasted a three-run homer to right-center to retake the lead for the Trojans at 7-6. What seemed like an insurance run at the time came from an infield error off Robinson’s ground ball and consecutive singles by McDaniel and Fitschen to make it 8-6.

In the seventh inning, after the Eagles’ final comeback, Conn’s composure was tested to the end. With two out, a man on and the tying run at the plate, Ben Matias worked the count full. He was awarded a base on balls after a dubious checked-swing call. Conn calmly induced a fly ball to center from the next batter to end the game.

“Playoff baseball. Our guys battled all day,” Trojans Manager Alan Clark said. “We’ve seen them eight times in two years, beating them in the first game last year. District championship last year, they came back and got us in the end. Regional semifinals last year, they got us, 3-0. It’s turned into a pretty big rivalry. We’ve kind of put it back on the map.”

Clark is saying goodbye to seven impact seniors. All will go on to play college ball, including his starter this day, Gavin Robinson.

“I felt good, locating my fastball and curveball. They hit me, I got them out, and we kept it close,” said Robinson. “Next season, I’ll be playing for Wake Tech in North Carolina.”

Moments after the game, Conn already was focused on next week’s final against Park Vista and looking for a different outcome.

“Last year, we went up to Park Vista. This year they come down here, so we’re hoping it will be a different ball game now,” the Eagles’ right hander said. “We’ve got our number one ready, and Park Vista hasn’t seen him. We’ll be facing their same guy, Austin Smith. We’ll be ready.”

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