Canavan’s Big Hit Lifts American Heritage To Class 3A State Championship

Heritage’s Josh Glick celebrates the final out Wednesday.

American Heritage senior right-hander Josh Glick could not locate his pitches when throwing from over the top.

So this past summer he suggested to his coaches that he adjust to a sidearm delivery.

The move could turn out to be one of the smartest decisions the Stallions baseball team ever made.

With his pitching staff struggling and the game in danger of slipping away, Glick came in and rescued their season, setting the stage for some late-inning magic from the offense.

In a grueling, nine-inning marathon, American Heritage prevailed with a 5-4 victory over St. Petersburg Catholic in a Class 3A state semifinal played at Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday.

The Stallions (22-7) advance to play in Thursday morning’s 3A state championship for the first time in school history, where they will face Providence (26-5) after it defeated Tampa Prep 4-0 in the day’s other 3A semifinal.

Because of an unpromising weather forecast, the game was moved up from its original scheduled start time of 4 p.m. to 11 a.m.

Ironically, Providence’s mascot is also the Stallions.

“The Stallions are going to win,” a jubilant American Heritage coach Carm Mazza joked after the game. “We’re real excited right now. It was a rollercoaster ride. It’s great, but we have unfinished business still.”

Freshman catcher Chris Canavan delivered the winning hit in the top of the ninth inning, after he was able to beat the throw to first base on a well-placed hit to the hole in the left infield gap. Courtesy runner Brendan Brundage scored the decisive run on the play, after coming in to run for Corey Cohen after Cohen reached to second base on an infield throwing error.

“Chris hustled and beat it by half a step. He did a great job for us, just as he has all season,” Mazza said. “He played a tough nine innings behind the plate as well. Our freshmen, we have told them since Spring Break that they are not freshmen anymore. They’ve earned the respect of the seniors and they’re ready for anything.”

With Heritage now back on top heading into the bottom of the ninth, the side-armer Glick found himself in his comfort zone in needing to close out the final frame. Although he had come on in relief in the sixth inning, Glick now found himself in the familiar role that he has flourished in all season as the team’s closer.

Chris Canavan is called safe on a crucial play in the ninth.

Despite issuing a one-out walk, Glick stymied the Barons (20-10) and struck out the side to close out the victory.

“We don’t get to see guys who pitch like that too much,” Barons coach John Vigue said. “He has a good sinker and slider, and we just tip our hat to him. He battled out there and we were just trying to grind out at-bats.”

Glick improved to 3-0 with the victory, allowing just one hit while striking out seven.

But his biggest moment came on defense, in a play that may just have saved the Stallions’ season. Leadoff hitter Dakota Sarafin reached to third base after leading off the bottom of the sixth inning with a deep double, and then moved within 90 feet of scoring the go-ahead run on a sacrifice bunt from Max Geller. Glick then made a nice pickoff move to third base and Connor Power applied the tag in time to pick Sarafin off.

“The catcher gives the pickoff sign, the third baseman is supposed to be in position for the throw, and he was,” Glick said.

Coach Vigue was impressed with the way the Stallions executed the play, as well as the team’s willingness to gamble on the play in such a critical situation.

“They caught us sleeping, and it sure looked like they’ve practiced that play a million times,” Vigue said. “It was a ballsy play. If they throw it away, they give us the win. But it was a perfect pick.”

A double play attempt at second base.

After the Barons came all the way back from a 4-0 hole to tie the game on a solo home run by Jimmy Lynch in the fifth inning, the play proved to be the turning point that swung the momentum back in the Stallions favor.

Both teams struggled on the mound in the early going, as neither starter made it out of the third inning. Heritage’s Dylan Arnold got the start, but struggled with his command and was replaced by Peter Castillo after only 45 pitches.

Although the team had opted to save their top ace, Dylan Silva, to be ready and available for the championship, coach Mazza admitted that there was some thought of bringing Silva in because of the team’s early pitching struggles.

“He sure kept asking to go in,” Mazza admitted. “I told myself only if Dylan didn’t get out of the first inning though. We felt good with the lead we built and Peter did a good job of building a bridge to Josh.”

Castillo went three full innings, working his way out of some jams in keeping his team in the game before turning things over to Glick. He scattered two hits and two walks while striking out two, allowing just the one run on Lynch’s longball.

The Stallions jumped out to an early lead right out of the gate, as Amfernee Seymour crushed a shot to deep left field for a triple leading off the top of the first inning. Freshman shortstop Jonathan India then lined a single through the left field gap to easily score Seymour.

The offense found its best success in the second inning, as Michael Shephard doubled leading off and then scored on an infield throwing error. Seymour reached and advanced to second on the error, and then came home on an RBI double from Trevor Maloney. Two batters later, Cohen delivered another double that sent Maloney in to push the lead to 4-0.

Brendan Brundage steals second in the eighth inning.

But the Stallions bats went quiet once the Barons switched pitchers and brought in their own ace, Jimmy Lynch.

“Their starter had a good slider and curve, but the other guy had a slower curve that was much easier to adjust to,” said Seymour, who finished 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs.

With the Stallions now on the doorstep of the school’s first state title, they are confident and excited that their gambling paid off and that their ace Silva will be on the mound Thursday morning for the biggest game in team history.

“I’m ready for this, but really it is just another game to me,” said Silva, a future Florida State Seminole. “Until we get that final out, that is when I can start celebrating.”

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