West Boca Tops Cross-Town Rival St. John Paul II Academy

Bulls’ Starter , Ryan Powers, keeps the game close.

West Boca hosted the local rival St. John Paul II Academy Eagles Friday night in the first HSBN Palm Beach Game of the Week. The Bulls came back from a first inning, two-run deficit for a 6-2 win.

Outhit eight to three, the Bulls rode a solo home run by Alex Cordero, a clutch, two-RBI single by Corey Bruno and two timely defensive double plays to victory.

Equally important was the predatory presence of the Bulls on the base paths, capitalizing on three walks and two hit batters. Bulls Manager Nathan Underwood described his team’s running approach as both aggressive and opportunistic, as wild pitches and passed balls were costly to the Eagles.

“We’re efficient right now,” Underwood said. “We take our opportunities as we get them. We scored 11 runs on five hits the other night and six runs on three hits tonight. In high school, the more you make the opposition throw the ball, the more opportunities you’re going to have.”

The Eagles looked ready to soar in the top of the first inning. Frankie Mendez reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced on a single by P.J. Cimo. Cal Bocchino ripped a double to right, giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

“I hit a low, outside fastball, dead on. It was good,” said Bocchino. “I just wish the final score of the game had been as good. We just didn’t get crucial hits during the game.”

Bulls starter, Ryan Powers, settled down and a succession of Bulls’ relievers shut the Eagles out the rest of the way.

“Except for the first inning, we had no timely hits,” said Eagles manager Pete Graffeo. “We barreled up some balls but they just didn’t fall for us tonight. Defensively, we got a little sloppy here and there. That’s something we’ll be working on.”

Dominic Iagrassi xxcelled in the field throughout the game.

Cutting the lead in half, Bulls designated hitter Alex Cordero homered on the first pitch in the second inning, collecting his second home run in as many games.

“He threw me a four seam fastball, inside. Pitchers throw a lot of fastballs early in the count. I like to jump on the first pitch,” Cordero said.

In the bottom half, lead-off man Oscar Bustamante displayed his power stroke, planting a double at the base of the right field foul pole. After advancing on a wild pitch, he tied the game, scoring on an RBI sacrifice fly to center by Chris Sanders.

The Bulls took the lead with three runs in the fourth inning. Cordero was hit by a pitch, Vincent Bell walked. Both moved up on a wild pitch. After a visit to the mound, Corey Bruno hammered a line drive double down the third base line, scoring both runners. Bruno scored all the way from second on an infield chopper fielder’s choice on which Bocchino made a hustling play to record the second out.

Sanders walked to lead off the Bulls’ fifth, advanced on two wild pitches and scored on a passed ball.

The Eagles scoring chances in the sixth were cut short by a 4-6-3 double play featuring a good stretch by Iagrassi at first base and an even better handling of his shortstop’s throw which came in on a bounce 20 feet from the bag.

Eagles centerfielder Harrison Polanin was 3-for-3 on the day.

“My coach has been working with me on staying back, driving through the ball, waiting for it to get further into the zone,” Polanin said. “My hits were all on first-pitch fastballs, so if they’re giving them to me, I’m going to hit ’em out there.”

Underwood cited a young, unproven pitching staff that has planned beyond the 50-pitch limit he’s imposed for the early part of the season.

“We only scheduled 21 games this year because of our pitching situation,” Underwood said. “I cut it short because I didn’t want to be a sacrificial lamb, not having enough arms at the end.”

Bulls first baseman Dominic Iagrassi made the defensive effort of the game on a 3-6 double play in the third inning. With an Eagle on first, he laid out to smother a scorched two-hopper right on the bag for one out. Jumping to his feet, his throw to second arrived precisely where shortstop Chris Larson needed it to tag out the sliding baserunner.

“Tough play but I’ve been working on my throws all year,” Iagrossi said. “Last season, I had a fully torn ulnar cruciate ligament. Got a little lucky, but I’ve been working.”

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