American Heritage baseball holds off Pembroke Pines Charter

PLANTATION – In the playoffs, anything is possible. Even the improbable.

American Heritage Plantation witnessed that on Friday night in its 3-2 win in the Class 5A regional semifinals against Pembroke Pines Charter.

Until the seventh inning, Heritage (18-6) was in control. The top seed in the regional, the Patriots were coasting behind the 11-strikeout performance by freshman left-hander Spencer Krasner, who issued just one hit.

“Phenomenal,” Heritage coach Mike Macey said of his freshman pitcher, who has already committed to Virginia. “There are no words for what he did. Let’s just say, he didn’t pitch like a freshman tonight. Our expectations for him are just what you saw.”

At 95 pitches, Krasner’s night was over with one out and one on in the seventh.

“Just kept my composure like the rest of the games that I’ve pitched this year,” Krasner said. “I think of it as a regular game. I go out there and do my thing. Whatever happens happens. Pitch to contact. If I miss the barrels, I miss barrels.”

The Patriots grabbed the lead in the fourth inning on Andrew Ortiz’s two-run home run off Bryan Barcenas, who was excellent for Pines Charter (14-12) in six innings.

“The biggest hit of his career,” Macey said. “He’s been a two-year starter for us as a junior. No bigger hit for him.”

Heritage added an unearned run in the fifth inning on Jordan Rich’s RBI single, which scored Zain Diaco, who doubles.

Entering the seventh inning, Krasner had five pitches to work with before reaching his limit. His first pitch of the inning plunked Justin Probst. After recording a strikeout, Antonio Turco-rivas entered, and got into further trouble by issuing a walk to Thomas Lesmes. With two on, Barcenas slapped an RBI single to right, putting runners on the corners.

Dylan Escobar then was involved in one of the most improbable plays you’ll see. The Pines Charter catcher lined the ball right at Turco-rivas, who was turning away as he raised his glove in self defense. The ball deflected off the glove, and somehow managed to get lodged inside the pitcher’s jersey.

The glove fell to the ground, and Turco-rivas retrieved the ball and threw to third for what initially was believed to be a game-ending double play. However, the umpires got together, and it was ultimately ruled a dead ball, and everyone was safe, which loaded the bases.

“It’s a lodged ball,” Patriots coach Mike Macey said. “It hit the glove and it stuck in the jersey. It’s not necessarily a hit, but it’s not an out. Nobody advances. He’s awarded first base. I’ve never seen a play like that. I never heard that rule.”

For clarity, the umpires made a phone call, just to confirm the rule was properly interpreted.

“At that point, when that happened, I felt like, ‘Hey, we’re going to win this game,’“ Pines Charter coach Carlos Iglesias said.

The Jaguars almost did pull off the miraculous last-inning rally.

Alejandro Puig floated an RBI single to center, making it a one-run game. Still with the bases loaded, Turco-rivas struck out Paul Abolafia.

“In that situation, that was the biggest out of the game,” Macey said.

Abolafia had the lone hit off Krasner, a single in the fourth inning. And as Iglesias noted, the senior has been the Jaguars most reliable hitter all season.

“We had our best hitter up,” Iglesias said. “Paul has carried us all year. That’s the right guy at the right time.”

The game ended on Sebastian Gonzalez’s fly ball to deep right field.

Heritage, the second seed, now advances to the regional finals on Tuesday against top-seed, Archbishop McCarthy, which beat Suncoast, 4-1.

“We’re going to McCarthy,” Heritage coach Mike Macey said. “It’s not going to be easy. But it’s McCarthy. They know us and we know them. We’ve never played them in the regional final. The stakes have never been higher for us, or them. It’s going to be fun. It should be a great atmosphere over there.”

For Pines Charter, an impressive season comes to a close.

“We battled to the last strike,” said Iglesias, who credited his coaching staff for preparing the team. “That’s what I’m proud. That this team has the heart of winners.”

Pines Charter has played both American Heritage and Archbishop McCarthy.

“It’s going to come down to pitching,” Iglesias said. “They both have good No. 1s. It’s going to be a battle between them. They’re both throwing their No. 1s, and it’s going to come down to whoever executes the plays.”

In other South Florida action

Class 5A: Archbishop McCarthy 4, Suncoast 1: Andrew Ildefonso struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings, and Justin Lebron and Vinny Capone each had two hits. Capone drove in two runs.

Class 3A: Calvary Christian Academy 7, Monsignor Pace 1

Class 3A: Gulliver Prep 4, Westminster Christian 2. By upsetting the top seed, Gulliver Prep next travels on Tuesday to Calvary Christian Academy in the regional finals. Jason Marcos had three hits for Gulliver Prep.

Class 3A: North Broward Prep 5, St. John Paul II Academy 1: The Eagles received six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings from Mateo Gray and 2 1/3 innings from Riley Luft. North Broward Prep faces Montverde Academy in the regional finals on Tuesday.