Eagles Run Away With Win In Dave Smith Memorial Game

Atlantic’s Bruce Thomas was 3-for-3 in the Eagles’ rout.

Some men are just larger than life; and late Atlantic coach Dave Smith was one of those types of guys.

On Wednesday night, Treasure Coast and Atlantic met in the fourth annual Dave Smith Memorial Game to pay tribute to the coaching legend in the best way they know how, in a game that is always played at Little Fenway Park at the Bucky Dent Baseball Academy in Delray Beach.

The Eagles’ scorching offense continued its hot play of late as the team pounded out 13 hits to run away with an 11-1 victory, winning for the second straight season in the short series.

“It’s important that we do well in the Dave Smith Memorial Game,” Eagles Manager Steve Wilson said. “Dave Smith represented Atlantic High School for a long time and we want to do well to represent him. The kids knew what had to be done tonight, and they went out and did it. I’m proud of them tonight.”

Dave Smith coached the Eagles baseball team from 1987 to 2005 before retiring in 2006. In that time, he won 332 games, seven district titles and two regional titles. His Eagles made one appearance in the state semifinals. He was also an educator who taught at the school for 35 years.

In September 2009, Dave Smith suffered a fatal heart attack while on a trip to New York City.

Among those he left behind is his son, Kyle Smith, the current Treasure Coast Manager and also a former Eagles star. It is this connection that brought these ball clubs together to play this annual contest.

“Some days, you’re the bear, and some days the bear gets you,” Smith joked afterwards. “They were stroking the ball and their pitchers threw nicely. We just could not put hits together. They played great baseball, and we struggled.”

Atlantic now leads the series 3-1.

After each of the first three contests in this series had come down to the wire, the Eagles broke open a 1-1 tie with seven runs in the third inning to run away with it.

Atlantic stretches its win streak to five games and improves to 5-5 on the year to put even further distance between itself and its 0-5 start.

The Eagles’ bats have come alive this season, and Wednesday’s result was just another example of an offense that is really coming together quickly. The performance also comes one night after the team pounded out 12 hits and 14 runs in a win over Spanish River.

Eagles Manager Steve Wilson jokes with Titans Manager Kyle Smith during the fourth annual Dave Smith Memorial Game.

“Our lineup is strong throughout, which helps us,” Wilson said. “I’m a firm believer in the Tony LaRussa approach, and he said that you don’t ever give away an at-bat. When we went through that slump, we concentrated on situational hitting and our two-strike approach. It has made us better hitters all around.”

The middle of the Eagles lineup was particularly dominant on this night, as this “murderer’s row” of Cody Bryant, Jarren Pinkney and Bruce Thomas combined to go 9-for-9 with two walks.

It was Pinkney putting Atlantic on the board when he scored from third base on a passed ball, after he singled on a chopper to third base that he beat out for an infield single leading off the second inning.

It is this sort of hustle that has embodied the Eagles program under Coach Wilson, just as it had previously under Dave Smith.

“We make sure we hustle no matter what,” Wilson said. “If the ball is up they know they better be running to second base.”

In the bottom of the third, Atlantic’s first eight batters reached base as it sent twelve to the plate in the frame. Joey Ohannasien had a two-RBI double on a deep shot to right field and Pinkney singled on a hopper over third base that also plated two hitters.

A day after hitting a three-run home run and a grand slam, Pinkney continued to swing the hot bat in going 4-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.

Cody Bryant picked up the win on the mound to improve to 2-3 on the year. The senior right-hander threw 39 of his 58 pitches for strikes and limited the Titans (1-4) to a pair of hits and a pair of walks while striking out four.

Cody Bryant picked up his second win on the mound this year, improving to 2-3.

Jesse Kieffer pitched two scoreless innings of relief. The righty also recorded four strikeouts, which included striking out the side in the fourth inning.

After falling behind 1-0 early on, Treasure Coast answered back in the top of the third to tie the game.

Brandon Hall had a leadoff double to left field and then scored when David Martinez reached on a fielder’s choice throwing error.

But after falling behind by a large deficit, the Titans would manage only a double from Willie Micco over the final two frames.

“I told them before the game that no one is more proud of them than me,” Coach Smith said. “No matter what happens, considering we lost by ten, they still hustled, they ran hard and they kept a team environment in the dugout. We still lost, but I am proud of them. That’s all that my dad ever asked and it’s all I ever ask for too.”

Little Fenway Park is a special place to play for many people, and none more so than Coach Smith. After growing up on this field and ingraining it as part of his entire makeup, Smith remains grateful that he is able to take his team here every season and let them experience the magic that exists at this place.

The field that was built as a shrine that captures a magical moment in the career of Russell Earl O’Day has also served as a shrine for so many others who have come to call it home.

It is one place that Dave Smith will always be, a place where he will be felt again when these two teams continue the series next year.

Read about last year’s Dave Smith Memorial Game Here.

2 Responses to “Eagles Run Away With Win In Dave Smith Memorial Game”