Sharks Respond in a Big Way, Surge Past SCF 11-6
Miami Dade bounced back after the loss to Northwest Florida in a big way, using a balanced offensive attack and a late-game surge to pull away for an 11–6 win over State College of Florida in a wild nine-inning contest.
The Sharks came out aggressive early, striking for two runs in the first inning. Adrian Areizaga got things started with an RBI double to left, plating William Polanco, before Willy Mendez followed with a line-drive single to center to bring Areizaga home. SCF answered quickly with a solo homer in the bottom half, but Miami Dade stayed on the front foot.
In the second, Leamsi Montañez scored on a ground ball by Samuel Castro, giving the Sharks a brief cushion before SCF took advantage of timely hits in the third to tie it up, 3–3. Miami Dade responded immediately in the fourth, reclaiming control with a three-run frame. Castro drove in Montañez on a groundout, and Areizaga delivered again, ripping a two-run single to right to score Miguel Colmenares and Antonio Fawcett.
From there, the Sharks' bullpen settled things down. Jesus Moreno earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, while Andy Mesa, Xavier Pelzer, and Luis Lorenzo combined to limit SCF down the stretch. Lorenzo was especially sharp late, tossing two innings while allowing just one unearned run.
The game stayed tight until Miami Dade blew it open in the ninth. The Sharks sent nine men to the plate and erupted for five runs, highlighted by Jendy Gonzalez's RBI triple and an RBI double from Israel Garcia. Fawcett added a sacrifice fly, and Miami Dade capitalized on defensive miscues to put the game out of reach.
Areizaga led the offensive charge, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, while Colmenares finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Montañez crossed the plate three times, reaching base four times on the night, as Miami Dade totaled 12 hits and seven walks.
After a tough opening result, the Sharks showed resilience and depth on both sides of the ball, exactly the kind of response Coach Llanes was pleased to see early in the season.