PB Central Prevails In Thrilling Roller-Coaster Contest With Royal Palm

The Broncos celebrate after their 14-13 victory in an epic battle against rival Royal Palm Beach.

It was a match-up that Harry Vardon would certainly appreciate.

On Friday afternoon, two of Palm Beach County’s top baseball programs faced off in a tough, gritty battle as Royal Palm Beach renewed its rivalry with former district foe Palm Beach Central.

As Vardon himself may have put it, this win was “for the sheer bloody pride at being the best.”

For all in attendance, the game certainly seemed like the greatest game ever played.

After three hours and 15 minutes, 279 total pitches and four lead changes, it was the host Broncos who ultimately prevailed with a 14-13 comeback victory.

“This was a huge game; this goes beyond a rivalry,” Broncos senior standout first baseman Brady Roberson said. “From pregame on, there was just so much intensity.”

Roberson was instrumental in the victory with numerous big plays, the last of which coming when he scored the decisive run in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Broncos the lead for good.

The future Florida Gator also had a huge three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to erase a 3-0 deficit and ignite the Palm Beach Central offense.

“To know we can go seven innings and let up 13 runs and still win is huge to know,” Roberson said. “We don’t always want to have to do that, but we know we can score runs when we need to.”

Roberson finished 3-for-5 with a double, three runs and four RBI, while also enjoying his first home run in this rivalry he has had the pleasure of playing in for four years now.

For the past four seasons, the Broncos (17-4) had beaten the Wildcats to end Royal Palm’s season, and Friday’s non-district contest was a chance for redemption for an improved Royal Palm squad this season.

The Wildcats (19-4) have heard the flak they have taken this season as many in the baseball community have questioned how legitimate their talent is. On Friday, Royal Palm laid those claims to rest as it went toe-to-toe for seven exciting and dramatic innings in a game that ultimately came down to the final swings with the Wildcats batting with the bases loaded.

“It’s good for us. The more big games we play in, the stronger we are gonna get,” Broncos coach Scott Benedict said. “They came and jumped right on us. We responded very well, but Royal Palm was just relentless. There have been times this year we’ve taken a lead and gone on cruise control. Today we constantly reminded them they had to go hard the whole way no matter what. It took seven innings of mental toughness.”

This battle of attrition exceeded all normal levels of competition by the third inning, and at some point late, it began to feel like a remake of the final fight in Rocky IV between Rocky and the Russian.

Royal Palm’s starting pitcher Justin Lauginiger (number 24) was 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice in this at-bat.

Compounding the challenge for Royal Palm Beach was the fact that the team was forced to go without its head coach, Brian Joros, and top assistant coach, Rich Gomersal. In the previous evening’s contest against King’s Academy, Gomersal was ejected during an argument over a call on a play at the plate that could have evened the score in a game the Wildcats eventually lost 4-3.

According to FHSAA rules, if an assistant coach is ejected, the head coach is also automatically ejected, and both must serve a two-game suspension.

This not only left the team without its leader, but also limited the entire coaching staff. Justin Hedges and Bryan Zech helped carry the load as Bart Wible assumed the head coach role. The three coaches did a superb job of motivating their players, who responded with a spirited effort that left nothing on the field.

“This was a playoff atmosphere, and it was fun,” Wible said. “I’m proud of the guys for sticking with it and making them sweat to the very end. We hit the ball well, but it just didn’t go our way.”

Needless to say, both clubs hit the ball well as they combined for 38 hits.

Following Roberson’s home run, Palm Beach Central exploded for nine runs in the second inning. They sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning and chased the Wildcats vaunted ace Justin Lauginiger with two outs.

Senior catcher Hunter Morey was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, Gabe Martinez was 3-for-4 with a run and Joe Shue was 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs to lead the Broncos hitters.

The Broncos’ Ian Hagenmiller (left) awaits at home to congratulate Brady Roberson following his three-run home run in the first.

Morey also had a big defensive play when he threw out a runner trying to steal second in the top of the seventh inning to help preserve the victory.

The Wildcats did not bend after falling in such a deep hole, scoring a pair of runs in the third and then six in the fourth before retaking the lead 13-12 with two runs in the fifth inning.

Shortstop Kyle Houck was 4-for-5 with two runs, Connor Brennan was 3-for-3 with a run and two RBI and Dakota Mitchell was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run and two RBI to lead Royal Palm Beach.

“There were a lot of positives,” Wible said. “There have been times we get quiet, but we need that intensity and we need everybody. Today the intensity was there and even when they were down they grew out there and fought back from those situations.”

After the Wildcats were able to find success against each of the Broncos first three pitchers, sophomore Jorge Alfonso stepped in and shut the door to earn the victory. The right-hander pitched the final three innings to earn the victory and improve to 4-2.

While there were multiple errors committed by both clubs, there was so much solid execution that it helped to erase the memory of those plays. Neither victor would need to justify their right to earn the win.

It was the type of baseball one would expect from two baseball teams of this caliber.

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