FHSI Challenge Game Recaps

FRIDAY MARCH 28

Palmetto 5

Pembroke Pines Charter 3

After an 0-2 start to the tournament, Palmetto ended on a high note with back-to-back victories. The Panthers needed just three hits to earn the victory, taking advantage of five hit by pitches, two walks, and two Jaguar errors. Christopher Batres drove in a pair of runs for the Panthers, while Maxim Sotolongo was the winning pitcher following six strong innings of work. On the other side, Eric Molina led the way for Pembroke Pines Charter with two singles and a run scored.

Montverde 10

Coral Springs 7

With several teams in the tournament already scheduled to play each other later in the season, week 1 champion Montverde Academy stepped in to play two games on the final day. Three Eagles - Rainer Garcia, Max Irving, and Danati Fronduto - all had three hits in the win, with Fronduto driving in three runs. Ryan Guthrie was the leader for Coral Springs, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs for the Jaguars, who scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to close the gap on MVA.

IMG Gold 11

Montverde 5

The Ascenders led 2-0 after just four hitters on Friday, and never looked back in an 11-5 victory over the Eagles. IMG scored four runs in two different innings, taking a 6-1 lead after a four-run second and going up 10-1 following a four-run fifth. Tyler Shindo had one of the biggest days for any player in the tournament, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored, and two runs batted in. IMG's Kevin Brinkworth picked up the win on the mound. Montverde was led by Max Irving, who went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two RBIs.

American Heritage 5

Highland School 6

Highland School won their second Florida League High School Invitational in dramatic fashion, scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth to claim a 6-5 win. After American Heritage scored a run to take the lead in the top of the eighth, Highland was down to their final out in the bottom half. With two outs, Joey Rogers tied the game with an RBI double, and Brooks Graham won it with an RBI single. Weston Lillard was the winning pitcher for the Hawks, tossing three innings without allowing an earned run.

THURSDAY MARCH 27

IMG Gold 4

Pembroke Pines Charter 5

The Jaguars scored five unanswered runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, erasing an early 2-0 deficit in a victory over the Ascenders. Sebastian Gonzalez and Martin Pereira both had two hits in the win, while Dean Jaworski had one of the game's biggest hits, a two-run single in the fourth to give the Jaguars the lead for good. Pereira was also the winning pitcher, while Trey Glaser picked up the save. Cade Hudmon and Danti Caridi were bright spots for the Ascenders, both logging two hits.

American Heritage 4

Palmetto 6

The Panthers stunned the previously unbeaten Stallions, rallying from a 4-0 deficit to score five runs in the fifth inning and an insurance run in the seventh. Down 4-0, Christian Dixon got the Panthers back into the game with one swing of the bat, a three-run triple. Dixon then scored on an RBI double from Jack Gordon, who scored the go-ahead run on a steal of home. Fernando Gutierrez picked up the win, with Brayden Arrick earning the save. For American Heritage, Ryan Ashley, Carlos Jimenez, and Dylan Ober all had two hits.

Coral Springs 1

Highland School 11

With a spot in the championship game on the line, Highland scored nine unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings to turn a 2-1 nailbiter into an 11-1 run rule win. Joey Rogers and Danny Farrell combined for six hits in the win, including three singles from Rogers and two singles and a double from Farrell. Stephen Christopher allowed just one run in his five innings of work, while Grayson Coppage finished the effort with a scoreless sixth inning.

TUESDAY MARCH 25

Coral Springs 8

Palmetto 6

Coral Springs moved to 2-0 in dramatic fashion, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh to rally for a win. The Colts scored their runs on three straight RBI singles, with Jaxon Krugman tying the game, Ryan Guthrie giving Coral Springs the lead, and Brandon Matlock adding the insurance run. Krugman, Guthrie, and Matlock combined for seven hits, six RBIs, and four runs scored in the win. The top of the Palmetto order was just as effective, as Justin Mendoza, Sebastian Hernandez, Christian Dixon, and Jack Gordon combined for nine hits, five runs, and five RBIs.

American Heritage 4

IMG Gold 3

It took an extra inning, but American Heritage got the winning run across in the eighth to pick up a 4-3 win, moving to 2-0 on the tournament. The Stallions took the lead in the top of the eighth on an RBI single from Matt Pace, then Evan Fernandez retired three straight hitters in the bottom half to secure the win. Both starting pitchers were effective, as both Brady Snow from American Heritage and Rondy Bryant from IMG worked five innings with just one earned run allowed.

Highland School 2

Pembroke Pines Charter 3

Pembroke Pines Charter scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning to pick up their first victory of the FHSI. Trey Glaser scored the winning run for the Jaguars via an error from Highland School. Glaser was also the winning pitcher, recording the final four outs for Pembroke Pines Charter. Highland's Brooks Graham was the lone player in the game with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Weston Lillard gave the Hawks a quality start with three scoreless innings.

MONDAY MARCH 24

Miami Palmetto 0

Highland School 7

Highland scored in four of their six trips to the plate en route to a decisive victory over Palmetto on the opening day of action. Justin Summers led the way for Highland, going 2-for-4 with four runs batted in, while each of the other eight players in the Hawks' lineup accounted for one hit. Ethan Hudson picked up the win, tossing five scoreless innings with two strikeouts, while Grayson Coppage followed with two scoreless innings of relief.

IMG Gold 1

Coral Springs 8

Coral Springs started 1-0 in Seminole County, using a six-run third inning to roll past IMG Gold. Jaxon Krugman paced the Colts with three hits in four at-bats, scoring one run and driving in another. Coral Springs used three pitchers to shut down the Ascenders, led by Angelo Painter, who did not allow an earned run in four innings of work to pick up the victory. IMG's lone run was scored by Kevin Brinkworth, who crossed the plate on an error in the top of the third.

Pembroke Pines Charter 1

American Heritage 11

American Heritage wasted little time in the final game of the night, scoring five runs in the first and four more in the second en route to a run rule victory over Pembroke Pines Charter. Matt Pace and Evan Fernandez were the offensive leaders for the Stallions, both logging three hits - Pace drove in three runs, while Fernandez scored three runs. Noah Garfinkel tossed a complete game in the victory, striking out six hitters over six innings of work.