BY GENE NARDI
Palm Beach Central High School’s baseball squad hosted Royal Palm Beach High School on Saturday, March 28 and rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 4-3.
Both teams played well defensively throughout, but it was the Wildcats who scored the first run in the top of the second inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Brett Hoberman hit a double for the Broncos in the bottom of the second inning and was later batted in for the equalizer to close out the second inning with the teams locked up at 1-1.
Royal Palm Beach catcher Nick Toney struck a double that brought in a run for the Wildcats (11-8) to regain the lead. But the Broncos (6-13) pushed right back, evening the score again at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The fifth inning was all defense on both sides, and the game appeared to be headed for extra innings. However, both teams had other plans.
Sean Malynn hit a double for the Wildcats that sent in Zack Odell on a Bronco error in center field. Royal Palm Beach held a tight 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
Palm Beach Central needed a big showing at the plate for any chance of a rally, and its batters delivered. Brandon Whalen hit a single and later scored the equalizing run on a Wildcat error at the plate.
Connor Power hauled in the game-winning RBI for the Broncos to give the team a come-from-behind 4-3 victory. Power also went three-for-four on the day.
Palm Beach Central had games this week against Pahokee and Palm Beach Gardens, and Royal Palm Beach had games against West Boca, Wellington and Palm Beach Lakes, but results were not available by press time.
ABOVE: Palm Beach Central runner Joseph Romano slides in at the plate for the score as Royal Palm catcher Nick Toney waits for the throw.
