Charles W. Flanagan High School Baseball

The Flanagan Falcons baseball program has enjoyed tremendous success thus far in 2009, with a strong 12-2-1 campaign from the Falcons JV, and the current 20-2 record carried by the Falcons Varsity team, who recently won the 2009 Hanahan Invitational Tournament in South Carolina, while defending their #10 national ranking in USA Today.  However, in addition to taking care of business on the field, the Falcons are doing it in the classroom, with an overall baseball program GPA of 3.48725.  Of the 34 players in the baseball program, 29 have current GPA's over 3.0.  With the workload these players have, this is a tremendous accomplishment that all Falcons fans should be especially proud of...congratulations boys!  

The Flanagan Falcons (20-2) defeated Starr's Mill, GA (13-4), 10-6, to claim the 2009 Hanahan Invitational Tournament (H.I.T.) championship on Friday night at Hanahan High School in South Carolina.  It was a fitting end for a Falcons ballclub that went a perfect 5-0 in defeating teams from South Carolina, West Virginia and Georgia during the week long spring break event that was celebrating its 40th year.  With the victory, the Falcons, ranked #10 in the latest USA Today Super 25 high school baseball rankings, extended their winning streak to eight games.

After the Panthers picked up a run on starter Mark Peterson in the top of the first inning, the Falcons sent eleven men to the plate in the bottom of the inning, capitalizing on hits from Ricky Santiago (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR) and Zach Jackson (2-4, R, RBI) and six walks to take a 5-1 lead.  In the second inning, follwing a home run and a few hit batsmen,  Starr's Mill would cut the Flanagan lead to 5-3 chasing Peterson, who was relieved by eventual winner Adam Quiles (3 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 K, 4 BB). 

The Falcons would get one of those runs back in the bottom half of the second when Danny Rojo-Campos (1-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB) drove in Pichi Torres (1-3, 2 R, BB) to extend the lead to 6-3.  In the top of the third inning, the Panthers got a run closer at 6-4 after a solo homer from cather David Norman, but the Falcons answered yet again when Santiago blasted his team leading 8th home run of the year, a two-run blast to center, extending the lead to 8-4.

After a quiet fourth inning for both ballclubs, the Panthers drew three consecutive walks in the top of the 5th off Quiles, who gave way to Andres Ortegano (2 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 6 K, BB).  However, after a wild pitch on a strikeout and a Flanagan error, Starr's Mill had again made it interesting and the Falcons were holding on to an 8-6 lead.  Flanagan would get the lead back to four runs in the bottom of the fifth when Justin Frias (1-2, R, RBI, 2 BB) drove in Geoff Jimenez (0-1, R, RBI, 2 BB, SB), and Collin Martindale (0-1, 3 R, 3 BB) scored on a wild pitch.  The 10-6 lead was all Ortegano would need, as he struck out four Panthers in the final two innings, earning his first save of the season.

After the game, the Falcons received additional accolades, as Ricky Santiago, Pichi Torres, Corey Janson and Nick Basto were selected to the All-Tournament Team, with Santiago earning the Tournament MVP.  The Falcons now head home for a date with another out of state opponent, when Great Bridge, VA visits Falcons Field on Tuesday, 4/14, at 6:30pm.  Please click on the headline above to link into the Hanahan Invitational Tournament website. 

Behind a gritty and workmanlike complete game effort from senior righthander Dave Thomas (7 IP, 7 R, 6 ER, 10 H, 8 K, 3 BB), the Flanagan Falcons (19-2) defeated the highly regarded and defending H.I.T. champion Wando Warriors (12-2) from South Carolina, 10-7, to advance to the Friday final.  Flanagan pounded out 12 hits in route to the semifinal victory, getting at least one hit from 8 of the 9 starters.

Things started slowly for Thomas and the Falcons, as they fell behind quickly, 3-0, in the top of the first inning.  However, as they have done all season, the boys in black and green responded when Justin Frias (1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR) blasted a two-run homer off University of Georgia commitment Drew Cisco to cut the deficit to 3-2.

In the second inning, the Warriors extended their lead to 4-2, but the Falcons again answered the challenge when an RBI fielder's choice from Geoff Jimenez (1-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, 2 SB) and a huge two run, two out single from Ricky Santiago (1-3, R, 3 RBI, BB) gave Flanagan a 5-4 lead.

A first pitch, lead off solo shot from Danny Rojo-Campos (3-3, 2 R, RBI, HR) in the bottom of the fourth inning extended the Falcons lead to 6-4, but the Warriors answered in the top of the sixth with a solo shot from Bradley Eusich.  Now leading 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Falcons opened up the floodgates with an RBI single from Nick Basto (2-3, R, RBI), an RBI walk from Santiago and a two out, two run double off the bat of Pichi Torres (1-3, 2 RBI, 2B), giving Flanagan a 10-5 lead.  Wando would pick up two runs in the top of the 7th off a two-run blast from Evan Hunt, but Zach Jackson would cradle a fly ball to left for the final out, sending the Falcons to the Friday night championship game at 8pm against Starr's Mill, GA.  Please click on the headline above to link into the Hanahan Invitational Tournament website. 

The Flanagan Falcons (17-2) overcame some shoddy defense, a few ill timed walks and hit batsmen, plus a late inning comeback to edge the James Island Trojans, 7-6, in their 2nd game of the Hanahan Invitational Tournament (H.I.T.) in Charleston, South Carolina.  Adam Quiles (5 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 K, 3 BB) earned his second win of the season, while Pichi Torres (2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 K, 0 BB) picked up the save.  The Falcons found themselves down 2-0 after two innings, but would get on the board in the top of the third after a leadoff triple by Collin Martindale (2-4, R, 2 RBI, 3B, SB) was followed by Ricky Santiago's 7th home run of the season.  After a Falcon groundout, back to back doubles by Torres (2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, HR) and Zach Jackson (1-3, R, RBI, 2B, HBP) would give Flanagan a 3-2 lead.  Two batters later, Corey Janson (3-4, RBI, 2B) would deliver a two-out double to extend the lead to 4-2. 

In the top of the fifth, Torres blasted a solo shot, making it 5-2, but the Trojans picked up two runs in the bottom half of the inning.  At 5-4 in the 6th, Martindale delivered a huge 2-run single, extending the Falcons lead to 7-4, but the Trojans capitalized on a few walks and a Falcon error to pick up two runs in their half of the inning.  The Falcons would strand two runners in the top of the seventh, taking a 7-6 lead into the bottom of the 7th inning.  After a leadoff single, a groundout and a Falcons error put the tying run 90 feet away, the Trojans attempted a squeeze play that was snuffed out by Torres and Janson for out number two.  Two pitches later, Torres struck out the final batter, and the Falcons lived to see another day in the winners bracket. 

Flanagan now faces Hedgesville, WV on Wednesday afternoon in the 5pm quarterfinal at Collins Park.  Please click on the headline above to link into the Hanahan Invitational Tournament website. 

Diego Delgado (6 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 H, 8 K, 0 BB) earned his 1st victory of the 2009 season by leading the Falcons in a 13-1 win over the Hedgesville Eagles (WV) in the quarterfinals of the Hanahan Invitational Tournament (H.I.T) in Charleston, South Carolina.  Delgado was efficient, throwing 75 pitches in the 6 inning, mercy-rule shortened game, and allowing only two extra base hits, with only one baserunner reaching past second base in the contest.

Offensively, after scoring a run in the first inning, the Falcons blew the game open with a 7 run outburst in the second inning that saw them send 12 batters to the plate.  Flanagan scratched one more across in the 3rd inning, and won it going away, with 4 more runs in the top of the sixth inning.

Nick Basto (3-3, R, 3 RBI, 2B) led the 13 hit attack for the Falcons, with Ricky Santiago (2-5, 2 R, 2 SB) and Corey Janson (2-3, RBI, BB) also turning in multi-hit performances.  Pichi Torres and Carlos Delgado each went 1-2, while Matt Figueroa went 1-1 with a 2-run double and a base on balls.

With the win, the Falcons move to 18-2 on the season and now face Wando, SC in the 5pm semifinal on Thursday, 4/9, at H.I.T. host Hanahan High School.  Please click on the headline above to link into the Hanahan Invitational Tournament website.