- March 9, 2026
The Matanzas baseball team was losing 10-5 and down to its final out against Belleview on Friday, March 6. The Pirates went on to score five runs in the seventh to send the game into extra innings and then scored the winning run in the eighth to defeat the Rattlers 11-10 on the Pirates’ Senior Night.
“It had been quite the slide recently,” said Matanzas first-year coach Sean McManus, whose team had lost six in a row heading into the game. “A lot of guys were starting to get down. Seeing them pushing to extras was awsome to see as a coaching staff.”
In the eighth, Zach Seifert scored the winning run from third base on a hard grounder by Wiley Conner that scooted off the third baseman’s glove for an error. The fielder recovered in time to throw to first, but Conner beat it out.
Winning pitcher Daniel Reyes gave up one run in three innings. The junior pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth.
“I’m real proud of the pitching to keep it tied going into the bottom of the eighth,” McManus said. “It was our longest game all season. Just to stay locked in and push to the end and get that last run in was huge.”
The Pirates trailed 10-3 going into the bottom of the sixth when P.J. Trettner hit a two run homer over the left center field fence for his second home run of the season.
“He smoked that one,” McManus said.
Before the game, the Pirates honored seniors Monte Strickland, Nigel Sejda, Nolan Schmidt, Roberto Reyes, Damian Paulsen and Tate Conner.
Matanzas (2-7) had an road game at St. Joseph Academy on Monday, March 9, a home game against University Christian at 6 p.m. March 10 and its county rivalry game at Flagler Palm Coast at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 12, before taking off for spring break.
“It's a tough week going into the break,” McManus said.
