Harmony loses in extras on the road on controversial call
Carlos Negron pitched six and one-third innings of one hit ball to lead the Osceola Kowboys (16-9) to a 6-3 come-from-behind win over Wellington in FHSAA Class 7A playoff action Wednesday.
The win sends the Kowboys into a Region 3 semifinal road game on Saturday against top-seeded Park Vista.
Meanwhile, at Jupiter, the host Warriors scored an unearned run in extra innings to end Harmony’s season by a 3-2 score.
Things did not start out well for the Kowboys. Danny Villafane opened the game for Wellington by lacing a triple off the left field wall. Felix Quintero would then single Villafane in for the first run of the game and Dom Demarzo would follow with a single. Both players moved up on a wild pitch and Wellington would make it 2-0 on a wild pitch by starter John Rodriguez. Two outs later, Rodriguez would be chased from the game when he issued back-to-back walks. Negron entered the game and struck out Riley Gonzalez with the bases loaded to end the threat.
It would be the start of a spectacular performance by Negron, a senior left-hander. He retired 15 of the next 16 batters he faced, striking out seven and facing just one over the minimum during the stretch.
“Carlos kept his composure and was incredible the entire game,” Osceola Coach Scott Birchler said. “But getting that first out with the bases loaded in the first inning was huge game-changer for us. Being down 2-0 after one is a totally different situation than being potentially down by four or five runs.”
Nick Palmi wasted little time in narrowing the gap, hammering the first pitch he saw in the top of the first over the left field wall to make it a 2-1 game. “We only got one run in that inning but it was a big one. After that crazy top of the first, I think Nick’s home run relaxed the whole team and calmed every one down,” Birchler said.
Osceola tied it in the third. Terry Cruz opened the inning with a walk, went to second on a Palmi single and both runners moved up on a Jason Ramos’ sacrifice bunt. Cruz later raced home on a wild pitch. Osceola then flirted with taking the lead for most of the game but couldn’t get a hit with runners in scoring position after Palmi’s first-inning home run.
With the score still tied with one out in the bottom of the sixth, Rodriguez walked and Yamil Santiago followed with a sharp single to left. A wild pitch moved both runners up, and Nieves lined a two-run single to center off relief pitcher Paul Parent to make it 4-2. Cruz followed with a bunt single and Palmi doubled to the right center gap to score Nieves. Cruz scored on a wild pitch as Osceola built a 6-2 advantage.
Needing just three outs, Osceola would still have to sweat out a Wellington rally in the top of the seventh. With one out, Gonzalez was safe at first on an error. Russell Wilson would reach on an infield single and Danny Villafane’s potential ground ball double play ball to short skipped off of Palmi’s glove. Negron walked Felix Quintero to load the bases which brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate.
But Negron was more than up to the task. He struck out Demarzo on a 2-2 curveball and then got Humberto Caldera to fly out to left field to end the game. For the contest, Negron struck out eight, walked two and allowed just one hit.
“My fastball in was working tonight and I was able to finish them off on changeups and curve balls away,” Negron said. “I just tried to approach the game one hitter at a time and not worry about the situation.”
Birchler says he anticipates a tough game against Park Vista on Saturday. The Cobras are 21-3-1 after an 8-1 win over Centennial in their quarterfinal game.
“They ended our season last year in the regionals and frankly they are probably a better team this year,” Birchler noted. “It will be a challenge playing them on the road, but we go down there and give our best effort.” A Kowboys win would put them in a regional final against the winner of the Jupiter/Vero Beach game next Tuesday.
Meanwhile it was a heart-breaking loss for Harmony, as a controversial balk call and a bad-hop error cost them in the Jupiter loss. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and a man on first via a walk, Longhorns sophomore pitcher Ismael Rivera was called for a balk. The next batter slapped a two hopper to short that took a bad hop and skipped off Angel Medina’s glove—allowing the winning run to score.
“Really not his fault,” Harmony coach Heath Williams said. “Their infield was not in very good shape and there were a lot of bad hops all night. Secondly, let’s just say I did not agree with the balk call. It was a tough way to lose a game, still I am proud of the way this team fought and played all season long.”
The loss came despite an outstanding performance by starting pitcher Caden Scarborough. Playing in his last high school game, the senior allowed just four hits, walked one and struck out 10 in six and one-third innings of work.
