Heritage-Delray Ends Big Week With Win Over King’s

Lucius Fox scores the first of his three runs after setting the tone from the leadoff spot.

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Coming into this week the American Heritage-Delray coaches challenged their players to focus and push themselves for the three games ahead.

The players met that challenge head on, and they culminated their three-game sweep with a big 11-1 victory over King’s Academy Saturday afternoon in the HSBN Palm Beach Game of the Week played at Picow Family stadium on the Heritage-Delray campus. Not only has the team turned their record over to a respectable 6-3 mark, but all the victories this week came within District 4A-13.

The Stallions now stand at the top of the district standings with a perfect 4-0 mark.

“We told them that listen, we have a goal and we have got to get out fast. With this district being so big and so competitive it’s a big week to go 3-0, and they did it,” said Stallions Manager Carm Mazza. “They worked with everything that we had worked on, their hitting situations and their base running. We’re working on hitting in situations and we’re working on letting the ball get deep and hitting the other way. Like I said, everything that we had been working on they did today.”

After winning their first two heading into the big Saturday matinee event, The Stallions put on a show for their home crowd. It was a beautiful day for baseball, the Stallion dogs were delicious even though they are no longer made from real stallions, and the pregame festivities served as the perfect opener for the fireworks that followed.

First Popo McDulin performed a hidden ball trick on his ceremonial first pitch for the Lions, in which his pitch appeared so fast that no one could even see it reach the catcher’s glove. Then a trio of Stallion state-champion girls soccer players in Taylor Pak, Alex Price and Alex Taylor tossed ceremonial first pitches for the home team.

The match up reunited two old district rivals for the first time since realignment brought them back together, and Heritage-Delray took control early to close out their goal and keep their recent surge moving forward.

The Stallions have been streaky so far this season, and now they hope that trend continues to lead to more wins. Heritage-Delray opened the season with two straight victories, then dropped three straight before going on their current four-game streak. Streaky or not, Saturday’s win was based on the momentum the Stallions created for themselves at the plate.

“Coach put the message out that we want to win the next three games ahead of us because they were all district games that really meant something,” said third baseman Lucius Fox. “We all started taking practice more serious and everyone is becoming as a team. We moved the ball and played station to station baseball today, and it feels amazing.”

Fox set the tone with their first swings in the bottom of the first, as he let a 1-1 pitch travel deep into the zone before he sent it rolling up the middle for a leadoff single. Fox then stole second, advanced to third on a groundout to the right side from Chris Canavan and scored the first of his three runs on an RBI single to right field from Jonathan India.

The Stallions have rallied together through a tough but rewarding week.

Fox reached base three times on the afternoon, and also drove in a pair to wreck havoc from the top of the Stallions order. Since his friend Todd Isaacs was recently injured, Fox was moved to the leadoff spot. From there he has flourished.

“Coach put me up in the leadoff spot and he said that he trusts me up there, either to take a walk or get a hit and put the ball in play,” Fox said. “Somehow get on base, then steal a base and set the tone for all of our hitters, so we can have some energy going into the game. In the cage this morning I figured we were facing a lefty so I changed it up and started hitting the balls more to right field and just stay back on the ball.”

Fox certainly set that tone on this day, as the Stallions offense was aggressive and in control at the plate. The Lions (4-4) tried several different hurlers that threw from both sides of the hill and worked with altering approaches, and the Stallions still found success in putting runners on base in every inning. Heritage-Delray continued to put the ball in play, and was able to capitalize on some costly errors to pull away with the big win.

“Three errors, that is inexcusable. We’ve got to take care of the baseball,” said Lions Manager Doug Magaw. “We threw it and they hit it hard and hit it often. We gave up nine hits, so those are things that we know. We’re thankful for the second chance we have to play them. Hopefully we’ll have a better approach. We’ll continue to coach them everyday and continue to hone skills and put them in situations that will hopefully get them where they need to be.”

Trailing 1-0 early, the Lions responded to tie things up in the top of the third. Nick Bates worked a walk and Connor Hart moved him to second on a groundout, and Dominic Mercurio plunked the first pitch he saw into right field for the RBI single. It was great base-running from Hart, who did not hesitate a moment rounding third in order to give himself the chance to beat any throw home.

But for the most part, it was the Stallions who thrived from their aggressiveness. They scored a pair of runs in each of the following two frames to move back in front, and followed that up with a big six-run fifth inning to close the contest early by the mercy rule. Tyler Frank was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, and Zach Schneider drove in a pair and also singled and scored.

Sean Hart takes a lead off of first after singling in the second inning for the Lions.

It was the type of performance any coach would want to see from his squad. Coach Mazza admitted that he was very pleased with the way his guys responded to the challenge this week.

“I’m just proud of them,” Mazza said. “Now don’t take your foot off the gas pedal. Now we’ve got to just keep rolling and getting better and better by the end of the year.”

Besides the positive results of three victories on the week, the coaches were just as pleased with the fact that the guys are making the right adjustments. Players are proving to be very coachable and they trust their coaches. Guys are seeing how baseball is a team game, and how following the game plan leads to success.

As with many things, Fox set a great example of that. In his third at bat of the day, Fox came to the plate in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runners on the corners. Hunter Bowling had led off by smoking a shot to deep center for a leadoff double, and Anthony Hotujec ripped a shot to left field. Fox was able to send a pitch bouncing slowly to the right side of the infield, leaving the defender with no other play than to record the out at first and surrender the run scoring on the play.

“He threw me a curveball and I made a good swing and put it in play, and it did the job,” Fox said. “Early in the season, usually I was taking a lot of curveballs and getting those backward K’s. But I really started to listen to my coaches and trust in my hands and put it in play no matter what pitch it is.”

Fox also had a nice showing in his second plate appearance, as he fought his way back from a 0-2 count to work a walk and eventually score the deciding run.

“We have a really good offensive team,” said Anthony Hotujec. “Earlier in the year we weren’t clicking but lately we have been and we have won four straight district games. It is showing and we are looking good. It’s a great feeling.”

Hotujec had a nice showing as well, going 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate and also earning the complete-game victory on the mound. The right-hander struck out three and held the Lions to just three hits and two walks. He admitted afterwards that it was a matchup that the team took very seriously.

Stallion state-champion girls soccer players Taylor Pak, Alex Price and Alex Taylor tossed ceremonial first pitches.

The Stallions defense also made some big plays to back their starter. Chris Canavan threw out a runner attempting to steal second in the third, and they also turned a 4-6-3 double play in the fourth.

Hotujec did a great job of inducing ground balls, which led to eight outs on the day. He was also able to reach down and get the big strikeout when he needed it, such as when he ended the second with a called third strike after Sean Hart and Casey Krance had both singled to get the Lions offense going.

It was a day where everything was clicking for the Stallions. They have now beaten every team in their district the first time through, and earned a moment to enjoy the rewards that have come with overcoming early adversities.

“They are great rivals and a great game, so we knew we had to come out and win,” Hotujec said. “We did what we had to do and it feels great. I love having the Game of the Week. It’s a great feeling and it’s fun.”

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