Gulf Coast got a strong joint effort from juniors Kevin Lindheim and Bo Logan, who combined to pitch a one-run, four-hit gem as the Sharks defeated the Titans 2-1 in nine innings in a regional quarterfinal at Nova High in Davie.
The win was just the second victory in the regional playoffs in school history and the first since 2005.
The Sharks will host face St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday night. The Raiders have knocked Gulf Coast out of the playoffs the past two years.
“We’re going to come out with our one-two punch of Kevin and me again and hopefully we’ll come out on top and get some revenge on them. Hopefully third time’s the charm,” Logan said.
Lindheim threw 4.1 innings, giving up just three hits and one earned run and struck out four, while Logan came on in relief in the fifth inning and finished out with 4.2 scoreless innings, striking out six Titans. Logan improved his record to 5-3.
“I knew if I could get three or four solid innings out of Kevin that I’d have a fresh Logan ready to go,” Sharks coach Jeff Rosa said. “Kevin was phenomenal and I felt good having a safety valve like Bo and he held them, too. I couldn’t be happier with their performance.”
Morris (10-1), the Broward County leader in strikeouts (75) and ERA (0.41), threw 8.1 innings, striking out nine and allowed two runs as the Sharks handed the right-hander his first loss of the season.
The Sharks (18-10) struck first in the top of the third, after back-to-back one-out singles by Darby McCormick and Rich Dahn, Matt Johnson picked up an RBI after he reached on a botched double play, giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.
McCormick finished 2 for 3 with a run and Josh Grant went 2 for 4.
The Titans (22-5-1) threatened twice in the third and fourth innings, but Lindheim was able to work out of the jam, getting back-to-back inning-ending double plays.
With a runner on first and one out in the third Lindheim got Titans leadoff man Zackk Leonitti to fly out to deep center field on a hit-and-run. Julian Niemand missed second on his way back to first and was doubled off.
In the fourth, after Michael Broad got his second double of the game, Lindheim hit Brent Zimmerman with one out. Lindheim then induced a ground ball to Mark Vidal, who turned the double play.
The Titans would tie the game at one in the fifth off a George Gugino RBI single off Logan. After courtesy runner Derek Meadows was tagged out at home following a throwing error, pinch hitter Gugino then drove Jordan De Los Reyes in with a chopper over Ed Obrenski’s head.
Logan would settle down and give up just one hit the rest of the way and struck out the side in the seventh to force extra innings.
With one out in the ninth Logan doubled to right-center field and came home on an RBI double by Vidal, giving the Sharks a 2-1 lead. Logan came out and after striking out Tyler Kinley picked Brent Zimmerman off first. Timmy Remes would be caught stealing second the end the game.
“We had a 1-0 lead and they got a timely hit to tie the game, but we didn’t fold. They had guys on, but they never got a big hit because we held them,” Rosa said. “You go through so much during the coarse of the year but once you come out on top in this type of game it makes it all worth it.”
GULF COAST 2, NOVA 1, 9 innings
GC 001 000 001 — 2 6 1
Nova 000 010 000 — 1 4 0
Kevin Lindheim, Bo Logan (5) and Matt Johnson; Patrick Morris, Kerry Doane (9) and Timmy Remes. WP — Logan 5-3. LP — Morris, 10-1. 2B — GC: Bo Logan, Mark Vidal; Nova: Broad (2) |
