Verot rallies for 4A state semifinal win 3-1
On Wednesday, Bishop Verot right-fielder Ivan Cotto looked as though he was going to miss Friday’s Class 4A state semifinal game against Jacksonville Providence after he has hit in the mouth with a ball from a pitching machine while practicing to bunt.
He was cleared to play, and his two-run double in the sixth inning provided the winning runs as the Vikings rallied for a 3-1 victory at JetBlue Park to advance to the Class 4A State Finals st 4 p.m. on Saturday against Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian Academy.
Verot (15-14) played errorless baseball and made a huge play defensively in the fourth inning that turned the momentum around.
In the sixth, it was Cotto who delivered the big hit. With the score 1-1, Michael Richey led off with a single against Providence reliever Ben Benson, and pinch-runner Drew Dwyer went to second on a sacrifice. After Carson Smith was hit by a pitch, Cotto drilled a slider to right field over Max Holmes’ head and to the wall, scoring both baserunners.
Cotto was bloodied, carried away by teammates following Wednesday’s mishap and spent time in the emergency room. All things considered the hit meant something to Cotto.
“For me to come right back out after practice was great. I wasn’t going to give up on them. I wanted to do something for the team and it was me who got that RBI,” Cotto said, sporting a fat lip for his troubles. “I didn’t really feel anything after that hit.”
“My thought was he wasn’t going to play and we thought ‘What are we going to do?'” outgoing Verot coach David Nelson said. “We got a text from Ivan saying I want in, no stitches and a paper saying he was cleared. I thought ‘thank God.'”
Gunnar Byrd shut the Stallions down from there as he fired a complete-game six-hitter, walking one and fanning six. He also recorded 10 fly-ball outs.
“When he hit his spots, he was unhittable. His fastball was away. It’s what he does. He gets outs,” Richey said.
Byrd was helped by his defense, especially in that fourth inning. Cooper Cain led off with a single for the Stallions, advanced on a wild pitch and was sacrificed to third. McCray Bennett hit a fly to left that landed in front of Verot outfielder Michael Green. Cain tagged in case the ball was caught and raced for home, but Green fired to catcher Michael Richey, who made the tag for the out.
Bennett went for second and over-slid the bag as the throw came in, turning a potential 2-1 Stallions lead into an inning-ending double play and sending the Vikings crowd into a frenzy.
“That hurt. I still felt we were going to win that game. It was just another running opportunity we squandered,” Providence coach Mac Mackiewitz said.
“Mike’s arm has gotten stronger every practice. For him to make that throw in that spot with the magnitude of this game is very special,” Nelson said.
Providence (25-8) scored first in the second inning. With two out Bennett tripled and Jak Morrow singled him home.
The Vikings, playing in the state final four for the sixth straight year, responded in the third after Stallions catcher Cameron Wright misfired on a throw to cut off a potential double steal. Byrd scored tying the game.
While Mackiewitz said the Stallions didn’t bring their “A” game, Nelson said his team did.
“We walked one batter, made no defensive mistakes, had some really good plays, and the offense came through when it needed to,” Nelson said. “That’s championship baseball. It means we get one more day together.”