By:  J. Daniel Pearson

Former major league catcher and Hall of Fame announcer Joe Garagiola once said “There’s No Defense Against the Base on Balls.”  Harmony learned that lesson the hard way Thursday afternoon, issuing 12 walks and hitting two batters in a 13-9 loss to Jupiter in a Class 7A, Regional semifinal.

The loss, combined with Harmony’s 13-4 win a day earlier, sets up a decisive Game 3 on Saturday night in Jupiter.  The winner advances to a Best-of-Three Region 3 Final beginning on Wednesday night.

Although Jupiter collected nine hits – including five of the extra base-hit variety – it was the inability of the Longhorn pitchers to throw strikes that directly led to the loss.  In all, nine of Jupiter’s 13 runs reached base via walk or hit by pitch.

“It was a combination of a couple of things.  The strike zone was tight and maybe a little inconsistent but that’s pretty normal in high school baseball,” Harmony coach Heath Williams said.  “You can’t use that as an excuse and you have to adjust to how the game is being called.   But the bigger issue was the fact that we knew Jupiter is a very good hitting team and out ball park is on the smaller side.  When you consider those two factors, I really believe we are just trying to be too fine with our pitches.”

Jupiter would jump on top early as Griffin Miller and Brady Banks slammed solo home runs to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third.

Harmony, which came into the game riding an 11-game winning streak – including five victories in come-from-behind fashion – appeared poised to make it six.  The Longhorns would send 10 men to the plate in the third — and spurred on by back-to-back two run doubles from Angel Medina and Jose Scrofani — took a 5-2 lead.  Harmony could have done more damage in the inning had it not been for two sensational plays from third baseman Jake Finnigan that squashed the rally.

The next two innings would turn into a nightmare for the Longhorns.

A hit batter, three walks and a lone single in the fourth plated four runs for Jupiter as they forged back in front 6-5.  Harmony relievers Alexavier Lebron walked the first two batters he faced in the fifth, freshman reliever Riley Bionini then loaded the bases with a walk before Miller slammed his second home run of the game –this one a grand slam—as the Warriors took a 10-5 lead.

Jupiter would tack on two more in the inning and add an RBI double by Banks to push the lead to eight, 13-5.

Still, as has been the case all season, there was no quit in the Longhorns.

Harmony sent eight to the plate and scored four times in the sixth to cut the deficit to 13-9.  A two-run double by Scrofani and a run scoring double by Clayton Williams keyed the inning.

But after issuing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh, Jupiter reliever Colton Schwartz got a strikeout and two pop-outs to end the game.

For the contest, Miller slugged two home runs and had five RBI and Banks had a home run and three RBI for Jupiter.  Scrofani had two hits and four RBI and Jadiel Perez had two hits and score twice for Harmony.  The Longhorns out-hit Jupiter 11-9.

Despite seeing his team’s 11-game winning streak end and having to travel to Jupiter for Game 3, Williams remained upbeat.  “This team had fought and clawed its way all season and we will do the same on Saturday,” he said.  “Despite what happened tonight, I like the way our pitching sets up in Game 3.  We have most our staff available.”   

Box Score

Jupiter           101    461    0  —  13

Harmony       005    004   0   —  9

2B-Perez (H), Williams (H), Scrofani 2 (H), Banks (J), Finnegan (J)

3B—None

HR:  Miller 2 (J), Banks (J)

SB—Abad (J), O’Neill (H)

WP—Braedon Hawkins (J); LP—Lebron (H),; Save: Schwartz (J)