High school baseball: Palm Beach Gardens edges Central to advance to regional final

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Palm Beach Gardens had just scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to knock out Palm Beach Central starter Sammy Orozco and take a three-run lead.

"You get up 3-0 and you want to go out and get a nice, quick inning," Gardens coach Joe Russo said. "That didn't happen."

Not against the relentless Broncos, who already had left seven runners on base. Consecutive singles by Brody Gullo, Cameron Smith and Kieran Etwaru loaded the bases with none out against Gators starter Tobin Moran. Palm Beach Central was threatening to get back in the game and continue its surprising postseason run.

But Russo stuck with his senior right-hander, who limited the damage to one run by inducing a double-play grounder and a fly ball, and the Gators hung on for a 3-1 victory Wednesday night in a Class 7A regional semifinal.

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Palm Beach Gardens advances to Saturday's regional final against Parkland-Stoneman Douglas. The winner earns a trip to the state tournament in Fort Myers.

Russo called the double play — second baseman Josh Hogue to shortstop Dom Presto to first baseman Cade Bush — the "play of the game." It was one of several big plays the Gators (22-5) needed to turn back the Broncos (17-11), who were shooting for a third playoff upset after beating Wellington and Vero Beach on the road. 

Moran was working in and out of trouble all night. The Broncos put two runners on in the first and second innings and loaded the bases in the third, but had nothing to show for it. 

"Tobin had to work hard those first three innings," Russo said. "He had to throw a lot more pitches than we wanted him to. But when he gets in trouble, he bears down. He has that quality where he's able to find another gear."

Moran left with two outs in the sixth inning after throwing 100 pitches. Dominic Stagliano, the Gators' likely starter in Saturday's game, came on to strike out David Doumis with a runner on third.

When the teams met in the District 10-7A final two weeks ago, Moran and Orozco each pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning, with Gardens pulling out a 3-0 victory on Jayden Hylton's three-run homer in the 11th. Neither pitcher was as sharp this time, and the Gators' struggling offense finally broke through against Orozco in the third when Aidan Meola was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a single by Hogue and scored on a single by Bush.

In the fourth, AJ Hunerberg led off with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball. With the infield drawn in, Billy Reid hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Smith, who had to make a diving stop. Hunerberg, who broke for home on contact, easily beat Smith's throw to the plate. One out later, Meola drilled a run-scoring triple to right-center. 

"Dudes gotta be dudes," Russo said of the big RBI hits by Bush, a Florida State commit, and Meola, an Oklahoma State commit. 

With lightning in the area, officials halted the game with Palm Beach Central preparing to bat in the top of the seventh. Ten minutes later, rain began to fall, and a light shower eventually gave way to a downpour. After a delay of nearly an hour, the umpires deemed the field unplayable and called the game. 

Because the teams had played six full innings, it was an official game under Florida High School Athletic Association rules, not a suspension. Palm Beach Central's Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters were due up in the seventh. 

"I know I was on the better side, but that's just not right," Russo said. "We should be coming back (Thursday) to finish the game. I've been talking about this rule for the last 20 years.

"Like I told the umpires, teams work all season with a goal of getting to the playoffs. And then to have a rainstorm end their season ... that should never be the case."

Other games

Dwyer 5, Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas 2: Drake Flowers went 3-for-4, with a home run and two doubles, and pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief as the Panthers (17-9) upset the Raiders (20-4) in a Class 6A regional semifinal in Fort Lauderdale. The game was delayed for nearly two hours by rain and lightning in the sixth inning. 

Jack Savery also went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs for Dwyer, which will host Doral Academy (24-4-1) in the regional final at 7 p.m. Saturday. The winner advances to the state tournament. 

Parkland-Stoneman Douglas 5, Park Vista 3: Jacob Hurley hit a three-run homer in the top of the fifth to give the Cobras (19-6) a 3-0 lead, but it wasn't enough. Stoneman Douglas responded with a run in the bottom of the frame and four more in the sixth to advance to the Class 7A regional final. 

The Eagles (25-2) will face Palm Beach Gardens in Saturday's regional final with a trip to state on the line.