80 Grade Scouting Notes: Wesley Chapel vs Mater Charter Academy 5A State Title Game
The 5A State Title game was a matchup of two relatively young teams that both swung the bat well all day. The story of the day was the timely hitting by the Mater Charter Academy Lions and the ability of Starting Pitcher Alfrin Rosario to navigate around the traffic on the bases all game. The Wildcats of Wesley Chapel threatened to score right away thanks to a lead off single by Nolan Hartley.
Hartley would go on to swipe 2B giving the Wildcats a runner in scoring position in the top of the 1st. Junior, Zorre Wright, then would put together a scrappy AB as he battled with two strikes on him with a single to RF, but Hartley was held up at 3B. Wright would go on to steal 2B, but Wesley Chapel was not able to capitalize on the two runners in scoring position as Rosario worked out of the jam unscathed.
Mater Academy didn’t take long to respond with some offense of their own as they got singles from Eiker Noguera and Yodelkis Quevedo. Senior Bryan Arrieta put the Lions on the board first with a 2RBI hit into CF.
Alfrin Rosario would go on to drive in Arrieta with a Double to help out his own cause to make it 3-0 Lions. Noguera drove in the 4th run of the day for the lions in the bottom of the 2nd with a single into RF. The Wildcats never quit however, as Nolan Hartley sparked the Wesley Chapel offense to lead off the 3rd inning with a Triple into LF.
Cole Ranchel would battle to put the Wildcats on the board as he stayed on a Rosario breaking ball just long enough to poke it into RF for an RBI bloop single.
But Lions offense kept threatening as they manufactured another run in the 4th thanks to a deep Sac Fly to CF off the bat of Senior Jeuri La Rosa.
Mater Academy added their final insurance run in the bottom of the 6th when Bryan Fernandez drove in the runner from 3B with an RBI single into CF.
Although the bats for both sides swung it well, the MVP for the Lions on the day was Western Oklahoma State Commit Alfrin Rosario. Rosario got into some trouble as the Wildcats collected 9 hits off of him, however Rosario seemed to get better with his back against the wall.
Due to the Rosario reaching his pitch count he was pulled with 1 out in the 7th inning for Adrian Pena who was able to record 2 quick outs sealing the Lions 5A State Championship victory. Congratulations to the Mater Charter Academy Lions players and coaches on their victory. Also, congratulations to the Wesley Chapel Wildcats players and coaches on a great season.
