American Heritage Outlasts Palm Beach Central In 11

Brenadan Brundage pitched seven innings and gave up just one run to earn the win.

The Palm Beach Central Broncos and American Heritage Stallions put it all on the line and battled it out for 11 innings on Wednesday afternoon before the Stallions were finally able to come away with a 5-4 win.

Brendan Brundage pitched seven stellar innings of relief for the Stallions, allowing just one run on six hits, to earn his fifth win of the 2014 campaign. At the plate, Tyler Frank paced Heritage with a 3-for-4 performance, but it was Todd Isaacs who played the hero, slapping an RBI double into center field in the top of the eleventh to put the Stallions ahead once and for all.

“All year I’ve been struggling. I’ve been so hard on myself and not trusting myself,” Isaacs admitted. “If I just trust myself and just be me, a lot of good things can happen.”

The Stallions jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when Chris Canavan and Jonathan India each scored on throwing errors. They were the only two runs that first-time Bronco starter Brendon Lauer gave up in his two innings of work.

Meanwhile, Dylan Gordon, who started the game for the Stallions, pitched one-hit ball through the first three innings before Palm Beach Central finally broke through in the fourth. With one out, Connor Power singled and Manny Morales reached on an error. Joey Romano tried to sacrifice them into scoring position but instead wound up with a bunt single to load the bases. Andrew Zipp singled to left field in the next at-bat to drive home Power and Morales, but Romano was thrown out trying for third on the play. The Broncos pulled ahead later in the inning when Zipp came home on a passed ball, making it 3-2.

Hunter Bowling put the Stallions back in the lead in the top of the sixth when he hit a two-run double off of Central reliever Erik Strandberg.

“The first two at-bats, I kind of didn’t put the ball where I wanted to,” said Bowling. “So I just stayed positive and saw the pitch I wanted and I put a good barrel on it.”

Brundage hung another zero in the bottom half of the inning and the Stallions looked to be in good shape to avenge the 12-1 loss they suffered at the hands of the Broncos earlier in the year.

In the seventh, he had Central down to their final strike after giving up a lead-off single to Danny Hernandez. On an 0-2 pitch, Power once again came through for his team, driving a 2-0 curve ball back up the middle for a game-tying RBI.

“I kind of had an idea where it was coming because he threw me two straight curve balls,” said Power, who until this season played for Heritage, and is familiar with their strategies. “So, I was sitting curve ball and I hit it up the middle. I thought after that, we could build some momentum and try to win it.”

Instead, Morales hit into a fielder’s choice in the next at-bat to end the inning.

Kyle Giragos took the mound for Central as extra innings began and immediately got some help from his defense. After striking out the first batter he faced, he hit the second with a pitch. Brundage then struck a hard grounder towards second base that looked like it might get through for his first hit of the night. Instead, Zipp ranged towards the bag, snapped it up and tossed gently to the shortstop Hernandez, who was covering, to initiate a 4-6-3 double play.

That seemed to set the tone for the remainder of the game as defense took center stage.

In the top of the tenth, Morales made his first of two outstanding plays, charging hard from his spot in center field and diving face-first to make the grab of a shallow fly ball by India.

In the bottom half, the tables were turned as Heritage turned a double play of their own. India snared a hard hit line drive by Romano then threw to first to double off Morales, who had walked in the previous at-bat.

In the eleventh, Morales struck again, but not until after Bowling reached via an error and was driven home by Isaacs’ first hit of the night. This time Morales tracked a ball off the bat of Jack Campbell far to his left and sprawled out for it at the last moment.

Todd Isaacs came up big for the Stallions in the eleventh inning.

“I didn’t really think I was going to get to it,” Morales recalled afterwards. “So, I just threw my body and it fell into my glove.”

Broncos Manager Scott Benedict was impressed with the effort.

“Manny was unbelievable out in center field,” said Benedict. “Those were fantastic catches by Manny. He works hard, he plays hard and he’s always ready to make something happen.”

The Broncos could not, however, make something happen in their last chance at the plate. Brundage pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the day and struck out the final batter of the game to secure the victory as dusk settled over Palm Beach Central campus.

“I was happy coach kept letting me stay in,” Brundage said about his seven inning stint. “Once I got him to two strikes I knew I was going to go to the curve ball. I just place it good,” he added, in reference to his game clinching strike out.

Heritage’s manager, Carm Mazza, could not have been happier with his winning pitcher’s performance.

“Brendan’s been great,” he gushed, “He’s just an absolute gamer.”

But he also understands that this was a team win.

“They all have faith in each other,” Mazza said of his teams effort. “They have faith in each other and they have confidence in each other.”

Bowling agrees.

“Our team just likes to stay positive,” he added. “We never gave up. We’re a team that never gives up at all. We fight to the end.”

It just took a little longer to get there today.

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