Behind a solid pitching performance from senior righthander Justin Machado (5 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 5 K, 6 BB) and another explosive offensive display, the Flanagan Falcons defeated the Monsignor Pace Spartans, 15-3, in a 5 inning, run-rule shortened contest.  With the victory, the Falcons advance to take on American Heritage on Friday night in the championship game of the Falcons Challenge Tournament, sponsored by Nike & OTS.

The Falcons took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after Geoffrey Jimenez (2-3, 3 R, BB), Collin Martindale (2-2, 3 R, RBI), Ricky Santiago (2-3, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B, BB) and Pichi Torres (1-1, RBI, 2B, HBP) all hit safely, and Mike Melendez (1-1, 3 RBI, BB, SAC) added a sacrifice fly to deep center.  Flanagan would never look back, picking up 5 more in their 2nd at bat and 7 more in the 3rd inning, after sendng twelve men to the plate.  Gabby Aurrecoechea and Matt Figueroa each went 1-2 for the Falcons, while Ryan Lozada went 2 for 3 and scored 2 runs.  

In their two victories over Taravella and Pace, the Falcons have scored 31 runs on 25 hits, while allowing only 9 runs on 10 hits, however, the road to a Falcons Challenge Tournament championship will have to go through American Heritage, which has been equally impressive during the opening week event.    

FALCONS CHALLEGE SCHEDULE AND UPDATES

Game 1: American Heritage 16  St. Thomas Aquinas 0

Game 2: Flanagan 16  Taravella 6

Game 3: Monsignor Pace 18  Taravella 9

Game 4: American Heritage 6 Cardinal Gibbons 4 (8 innings)

2/17/10 Game 5: St. Thomas Aquinas 10  Cardinal Gibbons 3

2/17/10 Game 6: Flanagan 15  Monsignor Pace 3

2/18/10 Game 7: Cardinal Gibbons 6  Taravella 5 

2/18/10 Game 8: Monsignor Pace 9  St. Thomas Aquinas 4 

CHAMPIONSHIP 

2/19/10 Game 9: AMERICAN HERITAGE 1   FLANAGAN 0     

Behind outstanding offensive performances from Geoffrey Jimenez (4-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 3B), Pichi Torres (3-4, R, 2 RBI, 2 2B) and Mike Melendez (2-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB), the Flanagan Falcons used a 13 hit attack to open their 2010 campaign with a 16-6 victory over the Taravella Trojans in the Falcons Challenge, sponsored by Nike and OTS.

Falcons starter, Adam Quiles (4 IP, 6 R, 5 H, 6 K, 4 BB), took a 6-3 lead into the top of the 5th inning, but Taravella battled back to tie it at 6-6, with the big blow coming from a two run double off the bat of Trojan rightfielder, Nikko Rivera.  That, however, was as close as Taravella would get, with the Falcons batting around in the bottom frame of the 5th inning to make it 15-6, and tacking on one more to end it by run-rule in the 6th.  Torres (2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 K, 0 BB) earned the win in relief of Quiles.

The Falcons are back in action at 7pm on Wednesday night against the Monsignor Pace Spartans. 

Fall conditioning, Fall Ball, Spring practice and Preseason games have come and gone.  Now, the Flanagan Falcons are ready for the start of the 2010 season, and the opportunity to ease the disappointment from their early 2009 exit at the 6A-District 12 semifinal.  The 2009 Falcons went 22-4, with all four losses coming by one run, but none stung more than the 2-1 heartbreaker to South Broward.   Ten months have passed, and the 2010 edition is out to prove that, despite how it ended, the successes of 2009 were no fluke.      

The Falcons return 6 starters, along with a solid group of reserves and underclassman, plus three transfers, that give the ballclub a nice foundation of speed, power, pitching, offense and defense.  It won’t come easy with a very competitive 6A-District 12 schedule, trips to an Orlando tournament and Key West, or games against the likes of Taravalla, Monsignor Pace, Coral Springs, Orland Timber Creek, Douglas, Pines Charter and Nova.

The quest to get back on top starts for real at Falcons Field on Monday, 2/15, at 7pm against the Taravella Trojans in the Nike/OTS Falcons Challenge.