Road-tested Viera wins region final opener at Bloomingdale

Viera sophomore Brody Vogel connects on an elevated fastball in the third inning, driving an RBI double to the wall in centerfield and sparking a three-run frame as the Hawks defeated Bloomingdale in the opening game of the Class 6-Region 2 Final series.

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

VALRICO – Timely hitting proved the difference-maker for two 2024 state semifinalist teams facing off in the opening game of the Class 6A-Region 2 Final series as visiting Viera made a three-run third inning stand up against Bloomingdale in a 3-1 victory.

A road-tested Hawks squad, looking to make a third-straight Final Four appearance, put the ball in the hands of senior lefty Brennan Confreda and the FIU signee stood tall, weathering a first-inning bases-loaded situation and two in scoring position in the fourth, going 6 2/3 innings to pick up his sixth win of the year.

Click here for more photos from this game.

“Kudos to Confreda out there, he really pitched a good game,” Bulls head coach Kris Wilken said. “And that’s really what it came down to. We had our opportunities to get the big hit and get things rolling, and we didn’t do it. Hopefully we can come back out tomorrow and change that.”

Hawks senior lefty Brennan Confreda pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits and struck out nine to earn his sixth win of the year.

After the win, Viera coach Matt Gifford said his senior may not have had his best stuff, but battled through those early challenges and stayed consistent in his attack from the mound.

“That’s part of being a senior leader and that’s what we expect at Viera,” Gifford said. “Brennan was able to dig in, battle and get the job done. He did a phenomenal job tonight and didn’t have his best stuff.

“But what he did was grind it out and we made big plays behind him.”

The lefty agreed with his coach’s assessment of his supporting defense.

“Honestly, it was just a confidence thing,” Confreda said. “Being confident in my abilities and do my job and knowing I have great guys behind me. So, in those situations if I just go out and execute my pitches, I know my defense is going to have me every time.”

Bloomingdale junior starting pitcher Javier Navas-Hoyer had nine strikeouts, working 6 2/3 innings.

Bloomingdale (26-6) junior righty Javier Navas-Hoyer similarly worked out of early trouble as Viera (23-11) put two on with singles from Aiden Cameron and Brady Jensen (2-for-3, with a walk) in the first inning, but the Bulls defense was stout ending the threat with the first of two turned double plays in the middle-infield, and again wiggled out of second-inning trouble in-part thanks to a caught stealing from senior catcher Vinny Dinzeo Jr.

Bulls SS Cesar Campos starts the first of two Bloomingdale double plays …

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… and junior 2B AJ Cruz throws to first after making the force out at second.

The Hawks got to Navas-Hoyer in the third however, as nine-hole hitter Trey Slavik (2-for-3) tucked a double just inside the rightfield line to lead things off, and Brody Vogel traded places with him, burning an RBI double over the head of the Bulls centerfielder.

“Trey did a great job tonight,” Gifford said. “He’d been struggling a bit lately, so to see his bat come alive was just what we needed – that production from the 7-8-9 guys (in the lineup), so our 1-2-3-4’s can start driving some runs in.”

Viera sophomore Trey Slavik hustles toward third on his way to scoring the Hawks first run of the game.

The sophomore Slavik’s two hits broke a six-game hitless slump, and it couldn’t have come at a better time according to Confreda.

“I’m really proud of that guy,” Confreda said. “He’s had some struggles at the plate of late and I’ve been by his side, we all have, trying to help him work through it. It’s all about confidence, and when he’s confident at the plate like he was tonight – going 2-for-3 – it was really helpful and great to see.”

An intentional walk and a five-pitch free pass sandwiched around one of Navas-Hoyer’s nine strikeouts in the loss, loaded the bases for Viera freshman Carter Lee (2-for-3), who chopped a two-run single past a diving Bulls second baseman in the decisive inning.

“We had some timely hitting from our guys tonight,” Gifford said. “Brody Vogel had a great timely hit, and then Carter Lee, our freshman, came back with two RBI to put up the (second and) third run(s) there, which proved very important.”

Carter Lee digs out a low curveball and pokes a two-run groundball single through the right side.

Bloomingdale junior Isaiah Perez smashed a 0-1 fastball over the wall in left (his fourth homer of the year) to scratch back a run, but Confreda stymied the rally there.

A leaping, forearm smash celebration for Isaiah Perez and senior teammate Hayden Porter (grey hoodie) after the Bulls junior hit his fourth home run of the season in the third inning.

Confreda (six hits, two walks, one earned run and nine strikeouts) worked around a Vaughn Osting single and Luke Long reaching on an error in the fourth, then a Cesar Campos single in the sixth, before a walk (to Long) and a two-out single by Dinzeo ended his night in the seventh.

A wild pitch from reliever Caden Jensen advanced both runners, but the Polk State signee ended the game there, picking up the save with a strikeout.

Navas-Hoyer (7-3) also went 6 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on eight hits and two walks, ending his night due to the pitch-count rules with his ninth strikeout. Long took over and allowed a hit and a walk, but no damage to the scoreboard.

Bradley Mishock (courtesy runner) rounds third and scores on Carter Lee’s single.

For Viera, which played just seven games at its home field – the USSSA Space Coast Complex –  Thursday’s Game 2 will mark the 25th “road” game for the Hawks.

“We’ve had a lot of bus rides and car rides this season,” Confreda said. “… we don’t get to play a lot of home games, so coming out here (on the road in the playoffs) is something we have confidence in. We don’t let that affect us, we just play the best game we can.”

While the Bulls will turn to senior righty Hayden Porter in Game 2, who will attempt to lead Bloomingdale to a series-tying win and force a third game, which would be hosted at Rockledge High on Saturday.

“It’s going to start with Hayden Porter going out and being Hayden Porter,” Wilken said of his 8-1 senior righty. “(Him) going up there and having a really good outing and giving us a shot. But it is going to come down to our hitters having really good at-bats in key moments.”

⚾ Class 6A-Region 2 ⚾

Viera 3
Bloomingdale 1

V 003|000|0 – |3|9|1
B 001|000|0 – |1|6|0
W – Confreda (6-3); L – Navas-Hayer (7-3); S – C. Jensen (1)
2B – Slavik, Vogel (V); HR – Perez (B). Records – V (23-11); B (26-6).

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Bulls junior Javier Navas-Hoyer prepares for his start pregame in the bullpen.

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Viera’s third-year head coach Matt Gifford listens to the umpire’s instructions at the pregame plate meeting.

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The Voice of Bloomingdale Baseball Jeff Dobish.

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Bulls senior captain Vinny Dinzeo Jr. and the umpire crew for Game 1 of the region final.

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Bloomingdale shortstop Cesar Campos

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Hawks sophomore catcher Brady Jensen picks up the first of his two singles in the win in the first inning.

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Viera lefty Brennan Confreda

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Mason Johnson lines a single to left in the first inning.

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Bloomingdale C Vinny Dinzeo applies a tag to Viera’s Dominic Leoni after a dropped third strike.

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Trey Slavik sends a tailing double the opposite direction down the rightfield line.

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Slavik dives into the plate, scoring Viera’s first run of the game.

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Bulls LF Luke Long brings in a pop fly.

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Isaiah Perez makes his way around the bases after his solo home run in the third.

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Hawks senior 1B Jay Fowler waits on a throw that just beats Cesar Campos after he tried to drop down a leadoff bunt for a hit in the fourth inning.

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Vaughn Osting beats out a high infield chopper to first base for a single in the fourth.

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Viera LF Aiden Cameron catches a fly ball.

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Bulls RHP Javier Navas-Hoyer

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Bulls reliever Luke Long

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Vinny Dinzeo squares up a single to left in the seventh inning.

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