A.C. Flora baseball edges Wren to begin title defense

A.C. Flora coach Andy Hallett has made a habit of having his teams playing its best baseball in May. That is evident as the Falcons continue their quest for a four-peat as Class 3A champion.

The Falcons got off to a solid first step with a monster game from junior Josh Hernandez in a 9-6 victory against Wren in the first round of the District 4 playoffs.

The Falcons will face Clinton, a 2-1 winner over Eastside, in the winner’s bracket game at home 6:30 on Monday.

“Our kids have matured at the plate throughout the course of the season,” Hallett said. “They’ve started to buy into the plan that we’ve had in place here for 18 years. They’re starting to see results; if they stick to the plan, good things will happen. They did a good job tonight staying disciplined and understanding what we’re trying to do at the plate. We had some really good at-bats and really big hits.”

A.C. Flora had to replace eight starters from last year’s team, and the team is shaping into form after a slow start.

Hernandez was the catalyst, going 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double and four RBIs in leading the 12-hit attack. He got things rolling in the first inning when he led off the bottom of the frame with a home run high over the wall in left field. He added an RBI double in the second inning, another solo home run in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth.

“Josh had a night,” Hallett said. “The lead-off home run was so big us. I’m hoping it gets on the wall, and it kept carrying out of here. He’s worked hard on his swing, and he’s been hot the last two or three weeks, so it’s nice to see that.”

Hernandez said he could having this type of night before.

“The baseball looked like a softball to me tonight,” he said.

A.C. Flora (16-9) jumped to an early 5-0 lead with three runs in the first and two more in the second. Will Loving added a two-out, two-RBI single in the first. Hernandez and Watts Eaddy drove in runs in the second.

Wren got on the board on a two-run double in the fourth, but Hernandez got one of those back with his third home run of the season in the bottom of the frame.

The Hurricanes tied it in the fifth with four runs. Dakota Fitts delivered an RBI single to left with the bases loaded, but all three runs scored when the ball was misplayed in left. Fitts ended up on third and tied it when he scored on an RBI single by Chase McCraskey.

Hallett liked the way the Falcons responded with another three-run inning in the bottom of the fifth. Lane Botkin scored from second on an infield error before Bailey Mathews and Hernandez delivered run-scoring singles.

“I’m proud of us offensively,” Hallett said. “Once they tied it, we came back in and put a crooked number up on the board. We did everything we wanted to do offensively – we were aggressive on the bases and were going to bunt when the opportunity arises. They executed the plan really well.”

Will Taks earned the win in relief. He pitched the final two innings and worked out of jams in the sixth and seventh innings.

This story was originally published May 1, 2015 at 11:35 PM with the headline "A.C. Flora baseball edges Wren to begin title defense."