I’m sure most of you that read this recall a time in your lives when you had achieved the unachievable. You were on top of your game and had the pinnacle of total success at your fingertips.. Then you Fell. Flash forward to May 13th at Hammond Stadium within the Lee County Sports Complex, 4pm, where the Miami Springs Varsity Baseball Club (as #8 seed) matched up with South Walton High School (Santa Rosa Beach) – the #1 seed and 2nd in the State of Florida, for the 4-3A Semi–Finals of the State Championship Tournament. Only once before had an 8 seeded club in the regionals gone to State – Springs was the second. So, you could just imagine the cache of adrenaline. Thinking and really believing they were a team of destiny – to repeat as 3A State Champions.
They had barely snuck into the Districts, were by extension seeded 8th in the regionals. Here, they bested Slam Academy and immaculata–LaSalle. They decimated #1 seed St. Brendan’s in round 1 and defeated #4 seed I–Mater in 2 games (best of 3) in the second round. The Hawks also survived #3 seed Gulliver in round 3 in 3 games. They could do no wrong
Now they were here in the State Semi–Final matched up against the same school they had defeated a year ago in the Finals at State (which garnered them the First State Championship in School History). Irony is an understatement even in Baseball. Corey Estrada sent his ‘Ace‘ to the hill in Adrian Henriquez while Nick Borthwick (South Walton) kept it in the family and countered with son and Auburn–bound Coleman Borthwick (serious MLB prospect/probable).
Taylor Ancheta launched a monster of the wall for a stand–up double as the second hitter off Borthwick on an 0-1 count (from my perspective, I thought it was gone). Déjà vu seemed coming to fruition. It was Ancheta a year ago who launched a towering drive over the right field wall off South Walton’s Braxton Varnes in the Springs Championship Season. They went on to win 2-1.
Back to irony for a sec. Ancheta’s shot was the only extra–base hit of the ballgame until the bottom of the 6th when Jace Cunningham hit an RBI laser into the right field corner. Ultimately chasing Springs starter Adrian Henriquez. Gone was the Springs offense so brilliantly displayed in the regionals (10 HRs, 1 Triple, 11 Doubles) Their Long Ball, their Magic! Henriquez certainly kept his Golden Hawks in the game. (lifted with 1 out in the 6th) But the offensive support and effective run production was lacking on this day. Springs defense while normally dependable, also eluded championship muster in committing 3 mishaps – a recipe not becoming! It was here in the 2nd and 3rd innings where South Walton capitalized, cashing in by putting 4 across the plate, where 2 of those mishaps occurred. Springs scratched back with a run in the 5th and 6th. The Hawks failed miserably in the 4th and 5th with 3 consecutive base hits leading off each inning vs. Borthwick. Senior Damian Villabrille threw two thirds of an inning in the 6th in relief of Henriquez (who exited with 4 strike-outs, 3 base on balls, and 1 intentional in the 6th) He also struck out 2 of the 3 he faced. The final was 6- 2- the Springs hopes were dashed!
For South Walton, Coleman Borthwick was the talk of the town with his 90+ mph 2–seam tailing fastball chalking up 10 Ks with 2 walks in 5 innings of work. South Walton would go on Thursday Night to defeat North Broward Prep 6-5 in a thriller featuring a suicide bunt in the State 3A Championship Final.
Yeah know, baseball commentary is almost as fickle as the game itself. Easy to write about – Hard to play. The Golden Hawks this Season had little to no chance to get to state with a new coach and virtually a new lineup. But they did show testament to the focus on human emotion, evolving talent, and team chemistry. (Ingredients combined allow for great deeds.)
The Golden Hawks showed us just how to achieve that. We thank you and are proud of the Miami Springs Golden Hawks. Also Corey Estrada and his Staff: Hernandez, Alvarez, and De La Fii.. Now we wait for another year of “Magic on the Diamond” and the “Return of The Little Engine That Could.”
So Long Everybody..
