- April 26, 2024
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FPC's Carson Flis drives in a run with a base hit in the sixth. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas left-hander Josh Cope gave up two hits and a walk and struck out 10 batters in six innings against the Bulldogs. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jordan Gonzalez scattered three hits in 5 1/3 innings. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Helmut Waters (24) slides safely into third base with a triple in the third inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas second baseman Nick Pandich fields a grounder and throws to first baseman Ben Apfelbach for an out in the fourth. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The Bulldogs' Wyatt Reynolds (7) reaches first base on a throwing error in the sixth inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Wiley Conner (23) congratulates Dioz Cruz (13) after Cruz scored the Pirates' first run of the game in the sixth. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Connor May (6) had an RBI-double and scored two runs against the Pirates. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas first baseman Ben Apfelbach has the ballin the his glove on a foul pop in the fourth inning but can't hang on to it. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC pitcher Jordan Gonzalez has not allowed an earned run in 11 1/3 innings. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas senior Josh Cope struck out 10 batters in six innings. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Nole Hemmerle swings and misses in the second inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas catcher Liam Smith hits into a fielder's choice in the sixth inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Wyatt Reynolds attempts a bunt that goes foul. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Josh Cope has not allowed an earned run this season in 13 innings pitched. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Braden Russell throws a pitch as FPC's Logan Shudy takes a lead off second base in the top of the seventh. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Marion Clayton swings at a pitch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
In his first at-bat, Flagler Palm Coast third baseman Dalton Roberts lined out to center field. Just getting the ball out of the infield against Matanzas starting pitcher Josh Cope was an achievement of sorts for the Bulldogs.
But once Cope left the mound, Roberts ignited a seven-run seventh inning to lift FPC to a 9-5 victory over the Pirates on Friday, March 8, at Matanzas.
Roberts laced a 3-1 pitch from reliever Braden Russell into center field for a leadoff single in the top of the seventh. His teammates followed with two walks and four more hits, including a two-run single by Ayden Normandin and a double by Connor May. Two Matanzas errors helped keep the inning alive as the Bulldogs sent 11 batters to the plate in the frame.
“I was calm and confident,” Roberts said. “Getting the first guy on gives everybody some confidence.”
Matanzas went down fighting, however, stringing together four hits and a walk in the bottom of the seventh to score three runs.
“We got a little flustered (in the top of the seventh),” Matanzas coach Jim Perry said. “It’s part of the learning curve and the growth of the team.”
FPC improved to 3-2 on the season, while Matanzas fell to 5-4.
The final score belied the dominant story of the game. For six innings, Cope and FPC starter Jordan Gonzalez were locked in a pitcher’s duel.
Cope struck out 10 batters and allowed just two hits and a walk in six innings. Gonzalez allowed three hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. Both teams scored two unearned runs in the sixth, keeping the earned run averages for both pitchers this season at 0.00.
Cope has allowed five hits and no earned runs through 13 innings. Gonzalez, who threw six innings of no-hit ball in his first start, has not allowed an earned run through 11 1/3 innings.
“Cope threw a very, very good game,” FPC coach Kyle Marsh said of the Pirates’ left-hander. “Finding those at-bats at the end of the game was big for us. It was nice to see us piece together some hits, move guys around and get some bunts down.”
This was a stepping stone. We expect to win, and an ugly win is better than a pretty loss any day.”
— DALTON ROBERTS, FPC senior
Up until the seventh, the Bulldogs’ bats were held in check. Cope stuck out two batters looking in the first, then struck out two batters swinging in the second. He gave up a leadoff triple to Helmut Waters in the third and retired the next three batters with two infield pop ups and his fifth strikeout.
Cope said he was counting every strikeout.
“I feel like I perform better when there’s more pressure,” said the senior, who has been nearly flawless over his three outings this season with 24 strikeouts, five hits and four walks in 13 innings.
The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard in the sixth as May got on base by an obstruction call against Cope, then stole second and scored on a throwing error on Wyatt Reynolds’ grounder to third. Carson Flis drove Reynolds in with a single to right.
The Pirates tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth with the help of two infield errors.
“I’m mad we couldn’t have gotten the win,” Cope said, “very mad. I feel like our bats should have woken up earlier in the game.”
Cope threw 85 pitches, the most he has thrown in a game this season. He felt he could have pitched the final inning.
“I would have struck out the side,” he said.
While Gonzalez relied on his fielders more than Cope, striking out just three, he was just as stingy.
Marsh has not been surprised by his sophomore’s first two varsity starts.
“I’ve coached Gonzo since he was 10 (starting with the Florida Xtreme),” Marsh said. “He’s a competitor. He’s going to grind it out for his team. When he has the ball in his hand he’s going to compete.”
FPC helped its cause by stealing eight bases in the game.
“This was a stepping stone,” Roberts said. “We expect to win, and an ugly win is better than a pretty loss any day.”
The teams will meet again for the final time this season at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, at FPC. The JV game will start at 4.
