Jupiter Returns To 8A-9 Finals With Win Over Hawks

Cody Wilson went 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs in Jupiter's 12-1 win.

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If Jupiter Manager Andy Mook had to pick one day as the defining moment of the 2014 season, one could make a strong argument for March 27th. The Warriors had just lost a heartbreaker at home to Seminole Ridge 5-4 to drop their record to 6-11. It was at that point that Mook knew his team could go one of two ways. Either they could come together, figure out what was going wrong, and fix it, or they could become complacent and just kind of skate through the remaining few weeks of the season.

“We were 6-11 at one point and a team can either go south or come together,” Mook said. “They have come together and they are playing for one another and as a team. As a result they are starting building confidence. When we get into a close game we know we have the talent and ability to win those games. In the beginning those weren’t going our way, but as soon as we had some things start to go our way everything started clicking.”

With everything starting to fall into place, the Warriors proceeded to rip off eight straight wins to end the regular season and earn the top seed in the district 8A-9 tournament. By clinching that top seed, Jupiter earned a bye straight to the semifinals, meaning that the Warriors were only one win away from a return trip to the district title game, as well as regionals. The only team standing in between them and that goal was that same Seminole Ridge team that beat them less than a month ago.

Jupiter finally got their revenge Wednesday night, beating the Hawks 12-1 and extending their season long win streak to nine in the process. Its something that senior captain Lance Fry knows that this team has worked very hard the last month to accomplish.

“We had to really come together as a team and buy into the program,” Lance Fry said. “We all started doing that and now that we have started doing that, playing for the team, and clicking on all cylinders, it has really propelled us to get us here.”

The team certainly clicked on all cylinders on Wednesday night.

Jason Aponte scored Seminole Ridge's lone run against Jupiter.

“We came out and really did a great job tonight,” Mook said. “Seminole Ridge is a very good team and we expected a dogfight like normal. Our guys came out, especially Lance. They scored that run in the first and we started to get a little worried, but he buckled down and we got out of the inning and then answered right back.”

Lance Fry continued to impress on the mound, allowing only one run on two hits in four innings of work. Despite giving up a quick run early on the game, the senior pitcher settled in nicely, facing only 14 Seminole Ridge batters in his four innings of work.

“After that first inning I just took a deep breath and stepped back,” said Lance. “That first game is always fun and you get hyped up, and I just settled down and started pounding the zone which worked really well for me.”

Lance also had an impressive night at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with a double, single, and two RBI’s. All nine Jupiter starters got on base in at least one way on the night, and the team as a whole combined for 12 hits that lead to 12 runs scored. Everyone who came to the plate for Jupiter on the night seemed to be pretty locked in, something that Mook said was a result of extra work in practice during the week.

“We incorporated a couple of things to get the swings more short and compact,” Mook said. “They have been working their butt off on it and obviously our offense tonight showed it.”

One player that was particularly dialed in on the night was center fielder Cody Wilson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 on the night with three singles and three RBI’s.

“I felt good and was locked in at the plate and saw the ball very well,” Wilson said.

For Seminole Ridge their only run of the game came off of an RBI single by starting pitcher Jason Aponte.

Lance Fry pitched four innings, allowing only one run on two hits.

“We probably picked a bad time to play our worst game of the year,” Seminole Ridge Manager Trent Pendergast said. “We made a lot of mistakes and they took advantage of every one of them.”

The win now means a rematch of the 2013 district title game against the Palm Beach Gardens Gators. Palm Beach Gardens beat Jupiter last year on the Gators home field, and the Warriors will be looking to continue the trend and win on their home field in 2014. No matter who ends up winning the game, there are two things that are guaranteed to come out of Friday night’s championship game. Both teams will advance to the regional tournament, with the winner hosting at least one game, and there is a guarantee that the game will be an intense battle between two teams that are already incredibly fierce rivals.

“The rivalry intensifies tenfold,” Mook said. “It becomes even larger now and for me even more so because Coach Russo coached me, so I always like getting the one-up on him.”

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