- April 25, 2024
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Sometimes teams don’t play how their record might indicate. That was the case Wednesday night, as the Matanzas Pirates collected their first win of the season with a 7-0 drubbing of conference foe St. Augustine.
Matanzas (1-4) got a solid outing from starting pitcher Tyler Stuart, who went 6.1 innings, allowing just two hits while walking three and striking out four to pick up his first win of the season.
Despite not getting win No. 1 until the fifth game, Pirates coach Rob Roe said the early part of the season has been a roller coaster.
“We started off against some really good teams,” Roe said, specifically mentioning Palatka and Deltona Trinity, which finished second in the state last season. “All in all, I’m happy with the way we are playing.”
Matanzas broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning on a two-run home run by junior Tyler Walls — his second of the season.
Walls, Matanzas’ leadoff hitter, finished the game 2-for-4 with a single, two RBIs and a stolen base.
Really, that was all the offense Matanzas needed, as Stuart stymied the Yellow Jackets (1-4) hitters all night.
In the fourth, Matanzas took a 3-0 lead after Josh Alvarado led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on an out. Then, with one out, John O’Keefe hit a sharp ground ball to third base. The St. Augustine third baseman checked Alvarado then threw to first, but Alvarado dashed home and slid in under the tag for the Pirates’ third run.
Sophomore catcher Jeremiah Wilson padded Matanzas’ lead to 5-0 when he plated two runs after he poked a ball into the right-center field gap for a stand-up triple.
Wilson later scored on a throwing error by St. Augustine.
Alvarado finished the game 2-for-2. The Pirates compiled seven hits, and the seven runs scored are the most so far this season.
While the Yellow Jackets had a few errors in the game, Matanzas did not. In fact, that’s been a strong point for Roe’s team this season — the Pirates have just four errors in six games.
“That’s pretty impressive,” Roe said.
Matanzas is also young. Wednesday’s starting lineup featured six sophomores and three juniors. In fact, the only senior on the roster is a relief pitcher.
District play will begin in the coming weeks, and Roe said there is no clear-cut favorite.
“I’m pretty happy about (where we’re at), and the sky is the limit for these guys as long as they keep working hard and believing in themselves,” Roe said.
Follow @aobrien7 on Twitter.
