- November 28, 2024
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Father Lopez now turns its focus to regionals, and St. Johns Country Day.
BY MATT MENCARINI | SPORTS EDITOR
The district championship was over before the fourth out of the game.
Father Lopez scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, in a 6-1 District 4 championship win over Master’s Academy April 26, at Lake Mary Prep.
Joe Skinner, Tommy Roache, Zach Hawk and Brandon Leohner, the first four batters in the lineup, all reached reached base and scored.
“For us to go out 4-0 was a big boost, morale-wise, for our guys,” coach Trevor Berryhill said. “Our guys are ready to play. They’re tested. You can look at our schedule. We’ve played the hardest teams in the state, bar none — 17 playoff teams. Our guys are ready to play.”
Father Lopez will play St. Johns Country Day 7 p.m. May 2, at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex, in the first round of the regional playoffs.
Likely to be on the mound, for just his sixth start after missing most of the season with an injury, is senior Ian Farrell.
Farrell, who’s committed to the University of South Carolina, Upstate, pitched a complete game against Master’s, allowing just five hits (two in the seventh) and one run, a solo home run over the short (300 feet) left field fence. He also struck out eight and was 25 pitches away from his pitch count limit when the game ended.
“Where Ian is right now, is where he was last year,” Berryhill said. “I think his velocity is a little better than it was last year. He’s still getting comfortable. He’s 300 pitches in, in five starts, maybe 300 pitches.”
With its second consecutive district championship in hand, the Green Wave now turn their focus to regionals, and St. Johns Country Day, who lost to P.K. Yonge 3-1 in the District 3 championship April 25.
“I was able to go watch them (in that game) and get a good look at their team,” Berryhill said. “It’s the playoffs, (and) you’re not 18-3 for nothing. ... They had a good year. Their coach has been there 20-something years. They’re going to be ready to go."
But he added that Father Lopez players have "a bad taste in their mouths" after losing to St. Johns, when "maybe they shouldn't have."
"It’s going to be a battle," he said.
But it’s a battle Berryhill and his senior-laden team expects to win. The team, which has nine seniors on a roster of 17, is clear with what it expects to come away with this season: a state championship.
“I have an old team — they’re a bunch of seniors,” Berryhill said. “And they’re passionate, so this is the year. This is the year.”
