Redemption, something that many crave, was achieved when the Pembroke Pines Charter High School Jaguars varsity baseball team faced off against the Western High School Wildcats yet again.

The game took place at Western High School on Thursday, February 19, and the Jaguars won 9-8 in another nail-biter game.

Previously, during preseason, the Jaguars were away as they competed against the Wildcats on February 3. The game was close, yet it ended in a 3-4 loss. 

Prior to the game, the Jaguars were 0-3 and had yet to win a regular-season game. This game was their first victory of the season.

The first pitch of the game was thrown at 6:30 pm, with the Jaguars batting first. Leading off, senior Aydan Velazquez was walked, then advanced to second on a passed ball while sophomore Cyrus De Jesus was batting. 

De Jesus struck out, and senior Dean Jaworski stepped up to the plate. There was another passed ball, advancing Velazquez to third.

Following this, Jaworski brought in the run as he hit a single off a ground ball to right field.

The inning soon ended after three outs were made. The score was now 1-0 in the first inning, with the Jaguars up as they struck first. 

In the bottom of the first inning, junior Andrew Probst started the game off pitching for the Jaguars. The Wildcats refused to let go as they scored a run off a single to center field, tying the game 1-1. 

The second inning did not consist of much action; however, in the third inning, the Jaguars rallied as Velazquez hit a single, followed by De Jesus sacrificing himself with a bunt to advance Velazquez to second.

The Wildcats intentionally walked Jaworski, then brought Probst up to the plate, who doubled off a fly ball to center field, bringing in two runs. 

A courtesy runner was then put in for Probst; sophomore Fabrixio Mejia and junior Jack Hernandez went up to bat, and Hernandez hit a single, advancing to second off an error by Western’s centerfielder. This single brought in a run, making the score 4-1. 

The bottom of the third and top of the fourth were motionless. Yet, in the bottom of the fourth, the Wildcats struck back as they scored four runs.

An error led to one of the runs, while a home run accounted for the remaining three. Making the score 4-5, Wildcats up. 

In the top of the fifth, the Jaguars fought back yet again as Jaworski walked, and Probst was intentionally walked. Hernandez hit another single, bringing in Jaworski.

Followed by a pop-fly hit by sophomore Maddox Hivon, bringing in yet another run. The inning ended 6-5, Jaguars back with the lead, and they were alive. 

“The energy in the dugout is what kept us alive and made us win. We never gave up and made sure we had each other’s back; we are making sure to further bring this energy into our future games,” sophomore Liam Caban notes. 

In the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats scored three runs, and the inning ended 6-8, with the Wildcats in the lead. 

The sixth inning was a quick three outs for both teams, and the Jaguars struck again in the seventh. Probst walked, followed by Hernandez being walked as well.

A courtesy runner, Christian Pino, was subbed in for him. Hivon hit a single off a bunt to the pitcher, bringing in the run due to a defensive error. 

The Jaguars kept the momentum and gained back the lead after sophomore Luciano Bello singled with a ground ball to center field, bringing in two runs. The inning ended 9-8. 

In the final moments of the game, the Jaguars were on the defensive side. Two Wildcats on base and one out.

Western lined out into a double play to pitcher Gustavo Morillo, who then threw the ball to Caban, the shortstop standing at second, to get the third out, making a double play. 

The game ended with a final score of 9-8, the Jaguars finally redeeming themselves after two close games against the Wildcats, making their current record now 1-3.

“It was a feeling where you had to be there to feel it. Our energy and never giving up on one another won us the game,” junior left fielder Andrew Diaz comments.