Coming off of an 11-0 shutout at Lake Howell on Tuesday, Mar. 25, the varsity baseball team would return home Friday, Mar. 28, looking to earn their second victory over Lake Howell in the same week.
Hagerty would pick up where they left off against Lake Howell, continuing to dominate them by a score of 11-1. This extends their home win streak to 12-0, which dates back to last season. The game ended in five innings instead of the regulation of seven innings due to the mercy rule.
Senior Alex Pantoja not only pitched four innings without giving up an earned run, but he also contributed offensively by going 2-2 with a walk and had two RBIs.
“Since we only played five innings, we had Alex throw and he did extremely well only giving up three hits. He was really locked in throughout the whole game and it seemed like every spot I asked him to throw it to, he hit it,” senior catcher Carlos Morales said.
The offense continued to stay hot and had contributions all up and down the lineup. Seniors Ryan Foscolo, Max Murray and Brandon Levy all had two hits, with Murray and Levy both having two RBIs.
“We’ve had draft guys that handled pressure well, but at times really, really worked hard to meet those expectations,” head coach Mike Sindone said. “Whereas, this group is probably not as expected. I would say that the individual expectations are a little bit less, but the team expectations remain the same.”
Sindone also pointed out team chemistry has been a strength of the program, but it has been especially important to this year’s team. The team has been working really well together, as they got off to a 13-0 run to start the season.
The only two losses this season came in a tournament over spring break to Creekside, ranked 21st in Florida and Windermere, ranked 10th in Florida according to Maxpreps.
With this win, and a successful week, Hagerty has improved their ranking to 8th in the state. This ultimately helps move them a step closer to their goal of winning a state championship. The players aren’t taking anything for granted and are remaining even-keeled throughout this part of the season, inching closer towards the playoffs.
“We just have to keep taking it one game at a time and follow the 0-0 mentality. The team has been going by the saying ‘play every single game like it’s going to be our last,’ and I think it has been really paying off this season,” Morales said.
Their next game will be on Tuesday, April 1 against Lake Brantley as they look to extend their five-game win streak.
