Charles W. Flanagan High School Baseball

As they did four days earlier against Cypress Bay, the Flanagan Falcons (8-1) started out a bit slow on the road against a District 12 rival, but came from behind, tacking runs on late, to defeat the Everglades Gators, 6-3.  It was the 7th consecutive win for the Falcons, moving them to 3-0 in district play.

The Gators jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off Falcons starter Andres Ortegano (3 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 K, 1 BB) on a solo shot by Gators designated hitter Richard Ibarra.  That lead would hold for Everglades until the top of the fourth inning, when Falcons rightfielder Pichi Torres (3-3, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, BB) collected the first of his four RBI, driving in pinch runner Diego Delgado on a deep double to left field.  Ricky Santiago (2-3, R, RBI, BB) would follow with an RBI single, giving the Falcons their first lead, at 2-1.  After a pinch hit single by freshman Nick Basto and a walk to Falcons second baseman Collin Martindale (1-2, 2B, 2 BB) to load the bases, senior firstbaseman Justin Frias extended the lead to 3-1 with a deep sacrifice fly to right field.

After a solo shot and a pair of singles in the bottom of the fourth, Everglades would chase Ortegano, giving way to Mark Peterson (3 2/3, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 5 K, 0 BB) who shut the door, leaving two Gators stranded and holding on to a 3-2 lead.  The Falcons would get that run back in the 5th after a two-out RBI single by Torres, and two more in the top of the 7th on Torres' two run bomb to left field.  The Gators picked up one more in their final at bat on a pair doubles, but Peterson (3-0) would get out of it, earning the victory in relief.

The Falcons take their district "road show" to Miramar on Thursday, 3/19, at 6:30pm, before coming back home on Friday, 3/20, to the friendly confines of Falcons Field against South Plantation at 6:30pm.