Story written by Anthony Perry '08, Fisher College Associate Director of Athletics/Sports Information
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. – The Fisher College Baseball team advanced to the Continental Athletic Conference winners bracket championship after a thrilling 9-5 win over Florida National University at the 2023 CAC Baseball Tournament, hosted by Georgia Gwinnett College. The Falcons will battle the host Grizzlies, who defeated Iowa Wesleyan in the tournament opener, at 11am tomorrow morning. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NAIA Opening Round.
Sophomore Vance Serrano (Las Vegas, Nev.) took the ball and did not disappoint. The right-hander twirled a complete game victory, limiting Florida National to just five runs (four earned) on seven hits while striking out four. He improves to 5-7 on the season with the win.
Trailing 3-2 entering the home half of the sixth, the Falcons got the clutch hit they were searching for. Freshman Armando Torres (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) was called off the bench to pinch-hit with two outs and the tying run at second. The rookie delivered with a two-strike base hit just over the outstretched arm of the shortstop in to center which allowed graduate Tim Catalano (Brewster, N.Y.) to scamper home to knot things up at 3-3. Catalno led off the inning with a single up the middle and was sacrificed over to second with a pinch-hit sac bunt from sophomore Luis Lopez (Catano, Puerto Rico).
The Falcons then broke the game open in the seventh. A one out walk to graduate Michael Stellato (Lynnfield, Mass.) and an intentional walk to junior Ivanuel Hernandez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) set the stage for CAC All-Conference First Team selection, junior Jeremy Renta (Caguas, Puerto Rico). Renta lifted a 1-1 offering that fell in-between the shortstop and centerfielder and allowed Stellato to score. Catalano was then hit by a pitch to force the bases loaded before CAC Freshman of the Year YAriel Salinas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right. Junior Emanuel Rosado (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) then singled home a run through the right-side and junior Miguel Torres (Villalba, Puerto Rico) capped off the rally with a two-run double just inside the third base line.
Serrano had a clean eighth before escaping major trouble in the ninth for his 129-pitch complete game win.
Florida National plated three runs in the first inning and two in the ninth to account for their scoring. Matthew Gonzalez singled through the left-side to plate two runs and Nick Diaz lifted a sacrifice fly in the first. In the final frame, Alejandro De Arazoza singled up the middle that allowed Jeremy De La Cruz and courtesy runner Jason Altuve to score.
Bastayn Hernandez was the starting pitcher for Florida National. The left-hander kept his team in the ballgame until he was chased in the fourth. Hernandez allowed two runs (both earned) on two hits and struck out four. Sair Sanchez was credited with the loss after allowing the tying and go-ahead runs to score over his 2.2 innings of work. Gavin Gonzalez finished out the contest with 1.1 innings of one-hit baseball.
Fisher was led offensively by Catalano, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Sophomore Coby Johnson (Wells, Maine) set the table with a 2-for-5 night in the leadoff spot while the only hits from Armando Torres, Rosado, and Miguel Torres all plated runs.
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The winner of tomorrow's 11am contest will advance to the CAC Championship on Monday. The loser will play the winner of the elimination contest between Florida National and Iowa Wesleyan in the nightcap. The winner of that game will earn the conference's second automatic qualifier for the NAIA Opening Round.