When SBHS pitcher Johnny Luechauer took the mound on Tuesday, May 7th, he didn’t know his performance would become part of school history. But it did.
In an extraordinary display of tenacity and momentum, Luechauer, along with the Bulldog baseball lineup, delivered a stunning 8-6 defeat to top ranked Doral Academy, knocking them out of the first round of regionals. It was the first regional play-off game the SBHS Boys Baseball team had won in more than 14 years.
“I’m glad my team finally got the school recognition it deserves,” said Luechauer. “Our only goal was to play to our full potential.”
The Bulldogs had just come off a 6-5 district title win against Nova the previous week. But Doral, a team stacked with seven seniors, some of them more than 6-feet tall and already committed college players, were an intimidating group.
“I was pretty nervous going against the number three team in the state,” said Luechauer. “They looked like grown men.”
Despite their ultimate win, the Bulldogs faced an uphill climb after an error in the first inning by second baseman Christian Brennan that cost them the first run to Doral Academy.
“Even letting in one run was a major setback for us,” said center fielder and junior Ricky Losada.
Although the event shook the Bulldogs confidence, it was quickly restored when Losada made a base run hit, which was later batted in by Luechauer.
“I got a hit right off the bat, and when I eventually made it back, the score was tied and we got some momentum going into the second inning,” said Losada.
For four full innings, Luechauer dominated on the mound, which was crucial for the Bulldogs as they needed to close the 2-1 lead Doral earned in the bottom of the second, when Firebird Evan Escobar hit a single, sending a man home.
But the defining moment for South Broward came in the bottom of the third. With two men on base, junior Thomas Giltner hit a home run, the first of his high school career, sending the ball soaring past the outfielders and over the fence. Giltner’s home run hit created a 5-2 lead and reignited the Bulldog’s motivation for the rest of the game.
“I was in disbelief,” said Luechauer. “After the home run, I thought there was no way we could lose.”
South Broward secured three more runs in the fourth inning, further extending the lead to 8-2.
“Once you gain that much of an edge, it’s hard for any team to come back, no matter how good they are,” said Losada.
In the fifth inning, Luechauer came off the mound and was replaced with relief pitcher and SBHS junior Shaun Shapiro, who took some time to warm up, giving up one run in the fifth.
“He struggled a bit, but we trusted him, he’s been reliable all season,” said Losado.
In the top of the seventh, with a score of 8-3, Doral turned up the heat, scoring three runs and tightening up the score to a frightening 8-6. With bases loaded, two outs and a batter with a full count, the tension was so palpable, Luechauer had to walk away.
“I wasn’t even looking at the last inning,” he said. “I was in the batting cage staring at the sky because I couldn’t handle it.”
Doral hit a ground ball to Brennan, who brought the game full circle by scooping it up and firing it over to first baseman Francisco Gomez for the final out. The Bulldog dugout emptied onto the field incredulous in their celebration.
“When I saw everyone running onto the field jumping I thought there was no way we did it,” said Luechauer.
But they did.
