Park Vista Falls To Heritage-Plantation In Season Opener

The American Heritage Patriots are as hungry as any team in Florida, and Monday night the team was unleashed for its first action of the season in the Aquinas First Pitch Classic at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale. Heritage jumped right out with the lead with their first swings and never looked back, winning 9-0 over Park Vista on the strength of home runs by Gavin Casas, Gio Ferraro and Alfredo Soto.

Facing one of the perennial powers of Palm Beach County, the Patriots made it their night to remember in collecting 13 hits while holding the Cobras lineup to just two hits. Drew Kendall and Taylor Clapp managed the only two base hits for the Cobras.

Heritage-Plantation got going right away with four runs in the first inning. Enrique Bradfield and Cory Acton both singled and Julio Cortez walked to load the bases. Gavin Casas then delivered a dagger by clearing the bases on a double to left. Jordan Carrion followed with another RBI double to make it a 4-0 advantage.

Senior left-hander Bailey Mantilla dazzled in his first start of the year. The southpaw went six strong innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out eight. Devin Futrell closed out the seventh in order to seal the victory.

Gavin Casas connected for a solo home run leading off the third and Tristan Casas drove in Soto with an RBI double in the fourth, and Ferraro and Soto both launched their longballs to close out the scoring in the fifth.

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