If the opening day victory by the Broward Cubs over the Margate Sentries is any indication of what kind of baseball is in store for the Federal League, then the season promises to be an exciting one.
The Cubs entered the ninth inning trailing the Sentries 4-0 and rallied to take a 7-4 improbable victory.
Sentries pitcher Raul Hernandez was on cruise control and pitched seven shutout innings while giving up two hits. Teammate Hector Rovain, who played in the Texas Rangers organization, came on in relief in the eighth inning and shut down the Cubs but encountered some problems in the final frame.
Leading 4-0 in the ninth inning, the Cubs started chipping away with Yaniel Perez getting on base with a walk, followed by a base hit by Dan Ranieri and a bunt single by Eddie Cabrera to load the bases.
Dave Cushwa’s RBI single got the Cubs on the scoreboard and Cory McEwen added another run with a base hit.
Rovain started to have control issues and walked a couple of batters. Cubs batter Terrence Biel’s single tied up the game and his teammates added a couple more runs to close out the inning with a 7-4 lead.
Cubs pitcher Jorge Fernandez shut down the Sentries in the ninth inning to earn the victory after pitching 4 1/3 innings. The Sentries’ Rovain took the loss.
The Cubs’ offense was led by Ranieri and Cushwa who had two hits apiece. The Sentries’ Keyder Aristigueta led the team with three hits and teammate William Castillo had a first-inning home run and an RBI triple in a losing cause.
Cubs starting pitcher Chad Volbert pitched 3 2/3 innings and gave up only one run on Castillo’s home run.
Cubs’ first-year manager Mike Chevere has been playing in the league for two seasons and is optimistic about the upcoming season. His debut as the manager was a success and was filled with plenty of excitement.
“I wish I would have known about this league years ago and I couldn’t be happier here,” Chevere said. “Truly an amazing league and I’m happy to be part of it. As for our comeback victory, what can I say? We put lots of thought into our roster in the off-season. Our goal for this season is to put the best team possible on the field and I think that Saturday’s game proved that we’ve done just that.”
Chevere was quick to heap praise on his teammates and the assistance he received from other players in running the club.
“Adrian Roznowski couldn’t have done a better job calling the game, from the lineup he put together to the timing of pitching changes,” he said. “He did an incredible job and we were rewarded with the victory. I think I speak for all the Cubs players when I say we’re extremely excited about this season.”
The Margate Sentries are led by player-coach Alejandro Rodriguez who has been a member of the Federal League for 12 years. After being knocked out of last season’s playoffs in the semifinals by the Sunsets, retribution is on Rodriguez’s mind.
“We had the best talent in the league last season and should have won the championship, but we were lacking chemistry,” Rodriguez said. “We still have the same amount of talent with some players who have played professionally and in college, and combined with good chemistry we will compete for the championship. We are looking to avoid any distractions this season.”
The semi-pro wood bat Federal League has been in existence since 1993 and the quality of baseball being played remains high. There have been about 350 professional baseball players who have been a part of the league. Add to the mix some college and high school stars and you have some competitive baseball being played at Pompano Community Park. This season there are eight optimistic clubs vying for the title with last season’s champion Sunrise Sunsets looking to defend their crown.
Coming off the pandemic, the Federal League is experiencing a healthy start to the season. According to league president Jamie Siragusa, the waiting list for players looking to join the league is at its highest level ever. The league has also extended the regular season from 20 to 28 games at the Pompano Community Park Baseball Complex.
Visit federalleague.com.
