Viera Baseball Falls to Martin County 5-2 in Regional Semifinal, Hawks Face Elimination Game Thursday Night

Martin County scores three runs in the 7th to claim Game 1

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Viera Hawks hosted the Martin County Tigers on Wednesday evening in Game 1 of the Regional Semifinals, falling 5-2. The Hawks will need a win tonight to force a decisive Game 3.

On a beautiful night for baseball at USSSA Field in Viera, the visiting Tigers came out on top, thanks to timely hitting and a strong finish in the seventh inning.

Both teams got on the board early in the first. Martin County senior Dalton French ripped a ball into right field, bringing home Spencer Preston from second base. Viera responded in the bottom half of the inning, with sophomore outfielder Zak Al-Arashi delivering an RBI single to right, tying the game at 1-1.

A few innings later, Zane Moody smashed a ball to the right field wall, allowing Kamai Purce to score all the way from first. Moody advanced to third on the triple, and Martin County threatened to extend the lead, but starting pitcher Brennan Confreda limited the damage to just one run. In the bottom of the inning, the Hawks answered again.

Senior captain Dominic Leoni drilled a double to left field with two runners aboard. A strong throw home held the damage to a single RBI, tying the game at 2-2.

The next few innings were quiet, as Confreda and Martin County’s Michael Sanchez engaged in a stellar pitching duel that lasted into the seventh.

In the top of the seventh, a pair of walks set the table for senior Gary Keats, who broke the tie with an RBI single to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Moments later, Tanner Paskoski delivered the dagger—a base hit that drove in two more runs, extending the lead to 5-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Hawks attempted to rally, but reliever Joseph Cuccurullo struck out the side to seal the win and give Martin County a 1-0 series lead.

The Hawks and Tigers return to USSSA Field tonight at 7 p.m. for Game 2.

Similar Stories