- March 16, 2025
Adam kleinfelder pitched five innings and did not allow an earned run in FPC's win over Matanzas. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seth Avellar started on the mound for Matanzas against FPC. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Paul Bowen makes contact. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Nigel Sejda scores Matanzas' first run in the third inning against FPC. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas second baseman Dylan Vanderbur fields a grounder and throws to first baseman Dioz Cruz for the out. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Adam Kleinfelder struck out five Matanzas batters in five innings. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Adam Kleinfelder allowed four hits and two unearned runs against Matanzas. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas starter Seth Avellar pitches against FPC. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas senior Seth Avellar pitched 5.2 innings in his final game against Flagler Palm Coast. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Palm Coast pitcher Adam Kleinfelder said it took him a couple of innings to feel comfortable on the Matanzas baseball mound. He went on to have his best outing of the season on March 13 in a 9-4 victory over the Pirates.
The senior right-hander allowed four hits and two unearned runs in five innings. He struck out five and walked one and lowered his earned run average to 2.05. Carson Flis pitched the final two innings, allowing two unearned runs in the seventh.
“I felt good,” Kleinfelder said. “The mound was a little soft. It was hard to land on. I started to figure it out about the third inning. I was throwing my two-seam (fastball) outside, and it was working.”
The Bulldogs (5-9) scored a season-high nine runs and won for the third time in their last four games heading into the Spring Break Tournament on March 17-21 at Sanford Memorial Stadium.
It was FPC’s seventh straight victory against Matanzas in the only time the two teams will play this season.
“It feels good against our rivals to beat them,” Kleinfelder said. “Last week, we figured something out, and now the bats are starting to get up.”
FPC collected seven hits against Matanzas pitchers Seth Avellar and Dioz Cruz. Brenin Striplin went 2 for 4, Marion Clayton hit a two-run single, Nole Hammerle and Carson Flis each had a double and an RBI and Kleinfelder helped his own cause with a hit and a run scored.
The win came on the heels of a 2-1 home victory over Orlando East River on March 12. Jordan Gonzalez allowed one run and four hits in five innings. Reggie Bass closed out the game with two shutout innings.
“We played a very good team, St. Johns Country Day (on March 4), and we only lost 6-5 in a game that we should have won,” Kleinfelder said. “We were winning. And then we beat Deltona 10-3 (on March 7), and that got us going.”
Matanzas (1-13) left the bases loaded twice against the Bulldogs. The following night at Palatka, the Pirates gave up three runs in the bottom of the seventh to fall to the Panthers 6-5.
Nick Pandich had three hits with a double against the Bulldogs and added two more hits and two runs scored against Palatka. Wiley Connor went 2 for 4 with two RBIs against FPC and was 2 for 3 and scored a run against the Panthers. Dylan Vanderbur went 3 for 7 with three runs scored in the back-to-back games. Alonso Quintana went 3 for 4 with an RBI against Palatka.
The Pirates were scheduled to visit Ocala Vanguard on March 17. After spring break, they host Menendez on March 25.
