Charles W. Flanagan High School Baseball

It took a combined 30 runs, 24 hits, 9 homeruns and 5 lead changes, but when the dust finally settled at Western High School on Wednesday night, the Flanagan Falcons (20-2) walked away with not only a thrilling 16-14 comeback victory, but the 2010 6A - District 12 Championship.

The Bobcats jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but in the bottom of the second, the Falcons sent 12 men to the plate and hit four home runs, two of which came off the bat of Mike Melendez (2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI), to seemingly break the game open at 8-1.

After three complete, Flanagan held a 9-3 lead, but in the fourth inning, the Bobcats exploded for 7 runs of their own to retake a one run lead at 10-9.  That lead was short lived, as Matthew Beauchemin (1-3, R, HR, RBI, SAC) answered with a solo shot in the bottom half of the fourth to knot it at 10-10.  West Broward would come right back with a four run 5th inning, and the Falcons were now staring at a 14-10 deficit.

After a lead off walk to Collin Martindale (2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB) and consecutive RBI singles by Ricky Santiago (3-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, HBP) and Pichi Torres (2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, HBP), a costly Bobcat fielding error and another base on balls preceded a David Gonzalez (2-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, SAC) sacrifice fly, which cut the Bobcat lead to 14-13.  With two outs and two on, Ryan Lozada (2-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB) blasted a 3-run homer, his first of the year, to give the boys in green the 16-14 lead, which Melendez (3 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K) would not relinquish.

With the win, the Falcons take home their fifth district title in 6 years, and seventh title in the last 11 years.  Flanagan will now host a Regional Quarterfinal game next Tuesday, May 4th, against the loser of the South Broward/South Plantation 6A - District 11 final on Thursday night.  

It took a final at bat comeback, but after a stunning end to their 2009 campaign, the Flanagan Falcons (19-2) are back in the 6A-District 12 championship game, following a dramatic 5-4 victory over a pesky and determined Western Wildcats ballclub. 

Falcons starter Pichi Torres (7 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K) threw an efficient 87 pitches to improve to 7-1 with his 5th complete game of the year.  Torres retired the side on four occasions and only faced 5 over the minimum.  However, after allowing the 2nd 2-run homer of the game in the top of the 6th, Torres found himself trailing 4-3.

After the Falcons went down in order in the bottom of the 6th, Torres kept the deficit to one run in the top of the seventh, and the Falcons were down to their final three outs.  Ryan Lozada (1-3, R) led off with an 0-1 single to right field and Geoffrey Jimenez (1-2, 2 R, BB, HBP) was beaned attempting a sacrifice bunt.  Both runners advanced a base on a pitch in the dirt, but could not advance on a subsequent 5-3 groundout.  With men on 2nd and 3rd, junior shortstop Ricky Santiago (2-4, R, RBI) would tie it at 4-4 with a single to left field to score Lozada and move Jimenez to 3rd, but would record the 2nd out attempting to advance to 2nd base.  The Wildcats chose to walk Torres (1-3, 2B, RBI, BB), putting men on the corners for Mike Melendez (1-3, R, GW RBI), who made them pay by driving in Jimenez with a deep line drive single that tailed away from the diving leftfielder.

Matthew Beauchemin (2-3, 2B, RBI) and Cory Janson (1-3, RBI) drove in key runs for the Falcons in the two-run 4th inning, and the Flanagan defense was flawless.  The Falcons now take on the West Broward Bobcats, 4-1 semifinal winners over Cooper City, at Western High School in the final on Wednesday, 4/28, 7pm. 

The 2010 District Tournament will be held at Western High School this season. The 2 day tournament will begin on Tuesday April 27th with the Championship game on Wednesday April 28th.

Standings 

#1 FLANAGAN

#2 West Broward

#3 Cooper City

#4 Western

Schedule

4/27 #2 West Broward 4, #3 Cooper City 1

4/27 #1 FLANAGAN 5, #4 Western 4

                     4/28   CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 7PM

               FLANAGAN 16 VS. WEST BROWARD 14 

Pichi Torres (6-1) threw his first shutout and 4th complete game of the season for the Falcons, leading them to a 5-0 victory over the South Broward Bulldogs.  Torres went 7 innings, allowing only three hits, while striking out 3 and issuing no walks, as he lowered his 2010 ERA to a impressive 1.24. 

Offensively, Flanagan centerfielder Geoffrey Jimenez led the way, going 3-4 with a run scored and a stolen base, while Collin Martindale (1-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 SB) and Robert Collin (1-2, RBI) each drove in a run. 

The win was the 4th in a row for the Falcons, and their 15th in 16 games.  Flanagan takes their 17-2 record into the Senior Night home season finale on Thursday night against the Nova Titans, with game time scheduled for 7pm and pregame festivities beginning at approximately 6:30pm.  Come out to honor the Falcons seven graduating seniors.  

On an evening where the Flanagan (18-2) seniors were honored in a pre-game ceremony, it was a big time relief pitching effort from junior Robert Collin (4.2 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K), and an ill-timed balk by Nova (16-4) in the bottom of the 8th inning, that helped the Falcons escape with a 7-6 win.  Collin was supported offensively in his 2nd varsity win by Falcon outfielders Geoff Jimenez (3-5, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 SB), Pichi Torres (2-3, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB) and Ryan Lozada (2-4, R, 2 2B, RBI), while firstbaseman Michael Melendez (1-4, R, HR, RBI) drilled his 4th homerun of the season.

The Falcons took a 6-4 lead into the top of the 7th inning, but after two unearned Titan runs, and three stranded Flanagan baserunners in the bottom half, the teams would move into the 8th inning knotted at 6-6.  Collin would allow a two-out single, but did strike out the side, to give his team a chance to win it in the final frame.  Jimenez led off with a single to right, stole second on a strikeout, moved to third on a deep flyout and scored on the two-out balk by the Titans pitcher.

Flanagan, the #1 seed in 6A-District 12, now sets their sights on a postseason run, beginning with the district semifinal at Western on Monday night against the #4 seeded Wildcats.