Five-Run Third Inning Lifts Somerset Academy Over St. Brendan

Somerset Academy used a 5-run third inning and stellar relief pitching to pull out a 7-3 win at St. Brendan on Tuesday night in a battle of 4A District 16 foes.

The Panthers took advantage of every opportunity in the decisive frame, breaking open a 2-2 tie. They made full use of three errors and two walks while needing just three hits to push across the five runs. Alex Servilla came up with the big hit, a two-run homer that gave The Set the lead for good.

“I turned on it and stayed inside and was able to drive the ball,” Servilla said of the no-doubter. “You just know. It was a great feeling.”

The win was Somerset Academy’s third in the last four games and Servilla said that he can see the team rounding into shape.

“I think it’s team chemistry,” Servilla said of the recent surge of the Panthers, who are now 7-9 for the season. “We’re coming together now. We’re working better together. We’re being more consistent with the bat, making plays on defense. That’s the major thing right now for us. We’ve got to keep that going to make it into the playoffs and finish the season well.”

It’s exactly what Somerset Academy manager Arby Sosa is looking for.

“I have a lot of young kids, so it’s good to get a win like this against a good team at their place. We took advantage (of our opportunities) in that inning. We hit the ball early. We did enough to win the game. So. I’m proud of them.

“I’ve been doing this 25 years, I’ve learned it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. So, I want to get them playing better and better as we keep moving forward with the season. Hopefully at the end of the season they’re playing their best baseball.”

If they continue to get the kind of pitching they got from sophomore Bryan Leon on Tuesday, that won’t be a problem. Leon came on in relief to start the fourth inning and after being greeted with a home run off the bat of St. Brendan’s Jean Carlos Garcia-Chicano (2-for-3, 2 runs scored), and a single by Wiljer Casana (2-for-3), Leon retired 12 in a row to end the game.

“He was dominant,” Sosa said. “I’m very proud of him. He did a great job.”

Bouncing back from the home run, Sosa said he didn’t let it break his focus or his confidence.

“Not letting that get to me, just doing what I do best, just keep on throwing strikes, pounding the zone, do what we do best,” Leon said. “Just keeping my composure and not letting any of that into my head. Those hits, just block that out and just go after them.”

Leon struck out six over his four innings of work.

“Once he got going, he was tough,” said St. Brendan manager Jorge Robles. “The ball was moving, he was throwing strikes, he was tough to hit.”

But it was an uncharacteristic inning of miscues that dug a deep hole for the Sabres, who dropped to 6-8 for the season.

“You cannot beat anybody making five errors,” said Robles. “We have a pretty good defensive team, just one night that all of (the errors) happened.”

Gabe Garcia had the only other hit for the Sabres, a first-inning single that moved Joseph Valdes to second after he opened the inning with a walk. Luis Suarez then dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners over, and Hector Roca lifted a sacrifice fly to score Garcia with St. Brendan’s first run of the game.

They added a second-inning run on back-to-back doubles by Garcia-Chicano and Casana that tied the score at 2-2.

The Set scored twice in the first inning to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Chris Leon (2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI), who reached base all four times to the plate, drilled an RBI-double, scoring Christopher Alfonseca (1-for-3), who opened the game with a walk. Leon came around to score on a single by Kenny Mercedes (2-for-3, run scored) and an error.

Edward Bravo (single, stolen base, run scored), Dyson Joseph (single, stolen base, run scored) and Caleb Clealand (double) rounded out the hit parade for Somerset Academy.

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