Monroe County’s three baseball squads closed their regular seasons with more than a few individual milestones as they looked toward postseason goals.
Marathon capitalized on Downtown Doral’s limited space on April 6 with three home runs, but the hitting did not stop there. The Dolphins registered nine hits in total – three from junior Roco Piscetello, who claimed one of the bombs. Eighth grader Miles Murphy and senior Massimo Quargnali accounted for the other two.
The shorter outfield on the road wasn’t the only thing sparking the home-run rally. “We looked back and did the math, and the team had five home runs total in six seasons. This season we have eight already,” said Fins head coach Joey Gonzalez. He also said Murphy’s long ball was the first he knows of from a middle school athlete.
By the end of the mercy-rule win, Quargnali added another hit and a walk to bat 1.000 in the 12-1 five-inning rout. Dylan Williams, Jack Chapman and Bradley Buigas each singled. Chapman pitched for the win, with one and one-third innings of relief from Piscetello.
Three days later, Downtown Doral made the trip to the Keys for a rematch that did not go in their favor. The Fins dispatched the other Dolphins 10-0 in five innings. Buigas and Piscetello registered two hits each, with one each from Chapman, Curren Nicolay, Williams, Reef Rella and Jason Stubblefield. Piscetello and Rella joined forces on the mound.
The win was especially sweet as it was the team’s Senior Night and marked a milestone for both head coach Joey Gonzalez and his brother and assistant coach, Luis Gonzalez Jr. The victory was number 100 for the brothers, whose seven years at the helm of Dolphin baseball included a district championship last season and the No. 1 seed heading into this year’s postseason.
But the Fins were not finished yet. On April 10, it was another five-inning mercy-rule win for Marathon. Chapman had been looking forward to his plate appearances at Downtown Doral’s shortened field, but it turns out he didn’t need any help blasting a home run. Chapman logged his first career homer on an inside-the-park shot that scored two for Marathon. It was one of three hits for Chapman in the 13-3 win over Miami Country Day. Piscetello added a single and a triple and Williams and Murphy had one base hit apiece. Williams got the win in his four innings of work. He struck out nine and walked four, giving up three hits and three runs before Chapman slammed the door on the Spartans.
Marathon’s top seed in Rural District 8 earned them a bye in the quarterfinals; on April 15, the Fins faced the winner of the Glades Day vs. Moore Haven game in the semis with a hopeful shot at a district title repeat on April 17 (results not available at press time).
Coral Shores played one game last week, losing at ABF Academy Hialeah. A strong Cowboys pitcher stymied the Hurricanes’ hitting, but Keller Blackburn and Brayden Turner each managed a single. Riley O’Berry had his own impressive performance on the mound, striking out four, walking three and allowing five hits and three runs over six innings, but the Cowboys rode away with the 3-0 win, leaving Coral Shores hungry for a playoff win this week.
FHSAA’s five-team 2A District 16 made the quarterfinals a breeze for the Hurricanes; the team, ranked third, received a quarterfinal bye. Their first postseason opponent, Keys Gate, was the No. 2 team in the district. The winner of the semifinal game April 15 moved on to the district championships on April 17 (results not available at press time).
Key West played just one game last week, making the trip to 7A Stoneman Douglas for what has become a much-anticipated rivalry each season. The teams took a raincheck mid-week but managed to get in a full game later in the week.
Donovan Thiery started on the mound for the Conchs, fanning eight, walking three and surrendering four hits and two runs over five innings. Kade Maltz closed it out with one inning of work. Jackie Niles led the charge with two hits while Roman Garcia and Thiery added one hit and one RBI each. Nelson Ong accounted for one Key West hit, but a strong force on the mound for Stoneman Douglas held Key West to five hits. The pitchers’ duel made for an exciting matchup, but unfortunately for Key West fans, it ended in a 3-2 Stoneman Douglas win.
The matchup between the schools, particularly their senior pitching talent, did not disappoint. Scouts were in the crowd to check out the pair of aces, both of whom are committed to D1 schools and are raising eyebrows of pro teams hungry for South Florida talent. Gio Rojas, of Stoneman Douglas, will be at the University of Miami next year while Thiery, who toyed with the U and other top schools, chose Florida State for his next stop. According to one scout, the hurlers had comparable arsenals, and Thiery’s giant 6’5” frame and ability to mix up his weaponry garnered mention. Thiery and the Conchs will rely on that arsenal to see them through the postseason as Key West works toward its long-sought 12th state title.
The Conchs now turn to the FHSAA 4A District 16 Championships, where they received a well-earned top-seed bye in the quarterfinals. Their first challenge in postseason play will be the winner of South Miami vs. Hialeah-Miami Lakes on April 15 with the title game held the following night.
If Javier wants something to play with graphically:
