- April 24, 2024
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Josh Cope was the second of three pitchers for the Pirates against New Smyrna Beach. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jacob Cope and the other Matanzas seniors say goodbye to their teammates and coaches after the game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The seniors took turns hugging their teammates after their final game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Josh Cope winds up for a pitch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Alex Ortiz fouls off a pitch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Bailey Russell pitched three innings. Photo by Brent Woronoff
George Johnson bunts in the second inning. Photo by Brent Woronoff
NSB players try to field a bunt as George Johnson runs to first. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Bailey Russell gets the bat on the ball. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Gabe Breckenridge dives back to third. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Cainan Beazley makes contact. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas athletic director Jordan Butler congratulates the seniors and presents the Pirates with the district runner-up trophy. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas coach Jim Perry surveys the action. Photo by Brent Woronoff
New Smyrna Beach players congratulate Matt Graham (4) after he crosses the plate. Photo by Brent Woronoff
New Smyrna Beach celebrates its district championship. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Gabe Breckenridge at bat. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Pitcher Josh Cope gets set to release a pitch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Third baseman Jacob Cope, left, has a talk with Josh Cope on the mound. Photo by Brent Woronoff
New Smyrna Beach players hold up the district championship trophy. Photo by Brent Woronoff
After scoring a total of 23 runs in their first two district tournament games, the Matanzas Pirates were stymied in the District 9-5A final.
New Smyrna Beach pitcher Nick Delucia did not allow an earned run as the Barracudas defeated the Pirates 11-1 on May 5 at St. Johns River State College in Palatka to advance to the regional playoffs.
Matanzas was playing in a district championship game for the first time in school history.
"Obviously, the end result is not what you want, but our players have to be proud of the fact that they accomplished something no other team in Matanzas history had ever done."
JIM PERRY, Matanzas baseball coach
"Obviously, the end result is not what you want, but our players have to be proud of the fact that they accomplished something no other team in Matanzas history had ever done," Pirates coach Jim Perry said.
Delucia allowed six hits and two walks in the game which was shortened to five innings due to the 10-run rule. Bailey Russell and Michael Martinez each had two hits for Matanzas.
"We hit a lot of balls hard. We just hit them at people," Perry said.
Matanzas trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the third inning, but NSB scored five runs in the bottom of the third and added two in the fourth before ending the game with a one-out run in the fifth.
The 'Cudas (8-15) tallied 11 hits and three walks and stole five bases against the Pirates.
"They scored 17 against Vanguard (in the district semifinals) and 11 against us," Perry said. "They're obviously swinging the bats better than they have the entire season."
The Pirates finished the season with an 11-12 record. They were coming off a 10-9 district semifinal win against Belleview on May 3. They led 10-2 in the middle of the fourth, but Belleview scored six runs in the bottom of the inning and scored again in the seventh on a hit-by-pitch and three infield hits.
Ben Apfelbach got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam with a fly to right field that wasn't deep enough to score the tying run and a pop-up to shortstop. Belleview and Matanzas combined for 19 walks, but Perry said the pitchers on both teams were not wild.
Five Matanzas seniors — Russell, Martinez, Jacob Cope, Jack Rainey and George Johnson — played their final high school game. They took turns going around a circle, hugging all their teammates and coaches after the district final.
Russell play every position except catcher during his high school career, Perry said. Rainey was a three-year starter at shortstop and center field. Martinez was a three-year starter at first base.
The Pirates will be young next year, but they should be solid up the middle with catcher Braden Russell, shortstop Gabe Breckenridge and second baseman Brady Novack returning and Alex Ortiz likely moving from right field to center.
