Fernandez, Lopez lead Gaither to season’s first win
Gaither junior Michael Fernandez struck out 11 in his season debut, helping the Cowboys to a 6-1 win against Hillsborough.
By Jarrett Guthrie
Editor
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TAMPA – In a peer review, Gaither players and Coach Nelson North graded the Cowboys’ season-opening, 6-1 win at Hillsborough “about a B.”
A mark the Cowboys likely took home with pleasure, but one that probably more accurately shows the high expectations North and his players have for themselves.
For his part, junior lefty Michael Fernandez was probably a little tougher on himself than he should have been, admitting to some nerves after finding out he’d get Monday’s Opening Night nod on Sunday afternoon.
“I was a little nervous, but once I came out the nerves just went away,” Fernandez said. “Throughout the day I tried to just relax as much as I could, listen to some music, just focus on the game.”
Asked whether he picked up anything academically in classes on Monday, Fernandez chuckled: “I would like to say I did … maybe a few things.”
Fernandez pounded in a ton of fastballs the first time through the Terriers order, before mixing in a curveball that he seemed to get better control of as the evening wore on. In five innings of work, Fernandez fired 77 pitches, recording 11 punchouts and yielding just one run on two hits.
But even after a solid performance, Fernandez felt he had more to put forth.
“I think I could execute a little bit better on some of my pitches, putting them in spots that I want them,” he said. “But, I felt really good out there.”
One of the hits, on one of those early fastballs, was turned on and crushed by Hillsborough designated hitter Nelson Arbelaez in the second inning, sending a liner over the fence line in left-center and into the netting.
Terriers junior Nelson Arbelaez connects on a pitch in the second inning, sending over the wall in left for his first home run of the season.
But the Terriers were already playing catchup, as Gaither leadoff Jackson Mirza opened the 2023 season with a single up-the-middle on the first pitch, moved to second and third on a steal and a ground ball, and scored on a wild pitch up and away. A few pitches later Scout Simpson tacked on a second run on a wild pitch in the dirt, giving Gaither (1-0) all the runs needed in this one.
“We capitalized on a few of their mistakes, but I kind of wish we did a little bit more offensively,” North said. “It’s a young club and I’m hoping we just get a little bit better each day.”
Junior Nico Lopez, who like Fernandez and North graded his team’s performance as a “B,” certainly turned in an A+ effort at the plate. Lopez scored a run in his three-hit night – with his biggest contribution coming with a pair of insurance RBI in the seventh off a single through the left side.
“I’d say we earned like a ‘B’, I think we could be a lot more aggressive,” Lopez said. “The middle of the game, I think we got a little bit lazy, but I liked how we picked it back up late in the game.”
Gaither’s Nico Lopez was 3-for-4, with a run scored and two RBI.
Lopez earned high praise from North after the win.
“Nico rolls out of bed ready to hit,” North said. “He just has that ability. He had some struggles in our two preseason games, but tonight he had a really good game and saw the ball really well.”
Unfortunately for Hillsborough (0-1), the costly first inning, an error that allowed Gaither’s Josh Choe to get all the way third on a single and eventually score in the third, and Lopez scoring on a bad throw down to third in the next inning, spoiled the night.
The Terriers used three pitchers, striking out seven Cowboys hitters. Starter Aiden Morales mixed his pitches well and after the first-inning miscues, settled in for three innings of work, allowing just two earned runs and striking out three.
Hillsborough junior Aiden Morales struck out three in three innings of work.
Junior lefty Michael Palmer likewise had three strikeouts in two innings of work, and Antonio Davis struck out one, allowing two unearned runs, but made perhaps the defensive play of the game spinning to his right for a chopped comebacker, and tossing to first for an out on a ball that was likely headed for the outfield.
A single from Davis and a double from junior Ryan Arroyo accounted for the Terriers other hits.
Sophomore Anthony Linares got his first work on the mound for Gaither, striking out four in two innings of relief, including striking out the side in the sixth after allowing two Terriers to get in scoring position.
Gaither pitcher Anthony Linares is pumped up after leaving two in scoring position, having struck out three in the sixth inning.
Hillsborough travels to Armwood on Wednesday, while the (#10) Cowboys host (#2) Sickles in a battle of preseason Top 10 teams on Thursday.
⚾⚾⚾⚾
(#10) Gaither 6, Hillsborough 1
G 201|100|2 – |6|5|0
H 010|000|0 – |1|3|3
W – Fernandez (1-0); L – Morales (0-1); S – Linares (1)
2B – Arroyo (H); HR – Arbelaez (H). Records – G (1-0); H (0-1).
