Atlantic Shocks Nova 4-2, Earns Berth In Class 7A State Tournament

Atlantic’s Rigo Beltran was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and pitched the complete game victory in the Eagles 4-2 regional championship win over Nova.

If one were to go into the Palm Beach County Library and look up the word teamwork, there is a very good chance they will find a picture of the Atlantic Eagles there with the definition.

As this group has embraced and embodied the team concept, they have been there all season for one another to lift each other up through even the toughest times.

No matter what others outside the team have believed, the Eagles have supported each other and given one another the confidence they need to overcome any obstacle.

Even a Goliath like the Nova Titans.

Behind a stellar outing from starter Rigo Beltran and an offensive barrage that got key contributions up and down the lineup Atlantic shocked host Nova 4-2 to win the Class 7A regional championship and earn a berth in next week’s state tournament.

“It was such a reward to just step back and watch the joy coming out of them. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we could get this far,” Eagles coach Steve Wilson admitted. “It’s not that I didn’t believe we could do it; it is just so hard to get through without getting tripped up somehow. But they did what they can do. They care for each other and they take care of it themselves.”

Atlantic advances to the state semifinals to play Venice on Thursday. The Eagles, who went to state in 1976, 1979 and 1988, have never won a state title.

Every starter for Atlantic (22-7) reached base in the contest, and the team continually got the job done when it needed it the most. In such a tight contest against such a formidable opponent, the Eagles made sure not to waste any at-bats nor squander any of their golden opportunities.

“We knew we had to play a perfect game to beat them, and we played about as close to that as we could imagine. This is an incredible feeling,” Beltran said, after earning the complete-game victory.

The impressive left-hander limited the Titans (23-2) to three hits and three walks. Of the 107 pitches Beltran threw, 70 of them went for strikes, and he finished with seven strikeouts.

The Eagles took Nova out of its comfort zone right away in jumping to an early 3-0 lead with runs in each of the first two innings leading off the game. For a team that was one run away from being perfect coming into the regional championship, playing from behind is not something the Titans have grown accustomed to doing this season.

“They put the ball in play, and they play hard,” Titans coach Pat McQuaid said. “We faced a team that was a little bit better then us tonight.”

Atlantic’s Bruce Thomas scored the Eagles’ first run.

It was Beltran who got things going with two outs in the first inning, with a sharp single to left field. Courtesy runner Bruce Thomas came in for Beltran, and then advanced from first to third on a throwing error.

All season, cleanup hitter Brad Myott has come through in clutch situations. So it was little surprise that the junior catcher delivered again when it mattered more than at any other point this season, crushing a shot to center field that was out of reach of the diving fielder to push Thomas home.

Myott came through again in the fourth inning with an RBI single to score Kyle Blank, and he finished 2-for-4 with two RBI.

The Eagles had 12 hits total, as Cody Bryant and Joey Ohannesien were both 3-for-4, and Daniel Metz was 2-for-3.

In the top of the second, Beltran lined a shot up the middle past the infield defense for a two-run single that scored Bobby Borque and Blank for all the runs Atlantic ultimately needed.

Nova answered back in the third with both its runs, the second coming when C.J. Chatham crushed a shot to deep center field for an RBI double. But following Chatham’s big hit, Beltran settled into a groove and retired the next eight batters in a row and allowed only one more baserunner the rest of the way.

“I just made sure to stay ahead of the batters and let the defense do the work,” Beltran said. “I was more comfortable pitching watching them make every play behind me.”

The Eagles were sharp on defense, committing but one error while making several impressive plays. Borque had a nifty, over-the-shoulder snag on a blooper to shallow left field to end the fifth inning, and second baseman Chris Brown had several big catches on line drives to his side of the field.

Brown also kicked off a 4-6-3 double play in the bottom of the sixth inning that erased the Titans’ last scoring chance.

The Eagles celebrate their victory and berth in the state tournament.

“In warm-ups, the ball was moving really fast, and I did not think I was going to have a good day,” Brown admitted. “But I didn’t think about it once the game started, and we all did what we had to do. Rigo was lights out on the mound.”

All season, the Eagles have been able to count on their two lefties, and now the team brings a big challenge for their opponents in having two starting southpaws to handle on the mound.

“Rigo pulled through with an amazing game and now we are looking forward to going to states,” said Sam Bergida, the Eagles other left-hander who has combined to form an impressive duo on the mound for this team. Like most of the players on both team’s benches, Bergida was nearly hoarse afterwards while rooting on his teammates.

Beltran and Bergida have motivated one another all season, and if each should win one more start this season, it will mean that they are state champions.

“There is no way to explain the emotions,” Wilson said. “The boys have worked so hard and they wanted it so much, the coaching staff, our principal, everybody. I love these boys; they have been the best team I have ever coached. The way they care and pull for each other, they have done it all themselves.”

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