3 takeaways from Palm Beach Central baseball's first-round upset at Jupiter

Alex Peterman
·4 min read

JUPITER – Palm Beach Central baseball took down top-seeded Jupiter 6-5 to open up regional tournament play on Tuesday, weathering several lead changes to come out on top in the back-and-forth contest.

With wind blowing in at a steady 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph, the Broncos fought off a late Jupiter rally, chasing down pop-ups and tracking tough fly-balls to emerge triumphant.

Even as the No. 8 seed entering regionals, Tuesday’s win marked the Broncos’ third straight victory over Jupiter this season.

“That's a quality team and our guys really worked hard all year,” Central head coach Tony Gullo said. “It was a complete team effort. I know coaches talk about that all the time, but we had 17 players. They all contributed in some way.”

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The Palm Beach Central baseball team poses for a celebratory photo following the Broncos' regional quarterfinals victory over No. 1 seed Jupiter on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
The Palm Beach Central baseball team poses for a celebratory photo following the Broncos' regional quarterfinals victory over No. 1 seed Jupiter on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.

Here are three takeaways from the regional quarterfinal match:

1. Baseball insurance – an important playoff policy

Up 5-4 thanks to Hector Camacho’s go-ahead RBI single, the Broncos went into the top-half of the seventh inning wanting more cushion.

With one out, that insurance came in the form of Freddy Rodriguez’s RBI single to left field, scoring Juan Gonzalez from second base.

“I had all the confidence in the world at the end,” Rodriguez said. “If Kyle [Baxt] wasn't on to get that base hit, I never would have gotten that RBI chance.

“I had a feeling he was going to throw a breaker first pitch. And I stayed back enough to get the RBI and get the job done.”

They certainly needed the insurance run, too.

Palm Beach Central's Cameron Smith jumps up in celebration with his teammates following the final out of Tuesday's 6-5 regional quarterfinals victory over Jupiter on May 10, 2022.
Palm Beach Central's Cameron Smith jumps up in celebration with his teammates following the final out of Tuesday's 6-5 regional quarterfinals victory over Jupiter on May 10, 2022.

In the top of the seventh, Jupiter’s Tyler Johnson smoked a single to Rodriguez at third base, the ball ricocheting off the senior’s leg at the hot corner.

The hit scored a run, bringing Jupiter to within one run before the Broncos were able to close it out.

2. Jupiter looks to build with heavy junior class

Though Jupiter exits earlier than hoped and expected, they do so looking back on an impressive season in which they won the program’s second-ever district championship.

“We battled,” Jupiter head coach Andy Mook said. “It was special to see that through the season. It's tough when you do that day in and day out. Eventually, a team is going to have your number. I was hoping that would be after we won states. It didn't work out that way.”

Though, just like any year in high school, graduating seniors will alter the program, Jupiter’s roster is full of junior talent that is primed for a big return.

Jupiter's Mason Barela slides into third base following a hit by his teammate during Tuesday's regional quarterfinals loss to Palm Beach Central on May 10, 2022.
Jupiter's Mason Barela slides into third base following a hit by his teammate during Tuesday's regional quarterfinals loss to Palm Beach Central on May 10, 2022.

Among those are players like Jesse Sullivan, who helped the Warriors tie Tuesday’s game with a single in the bottom of the fifth inning.

On the defensive side, the Warriors are set to return virtually their entire pitching staff.

“We're junior heavy so we get to turn the page and of course, we've got some talent down below and hopefully everybody rises,” Mook said. “If the kids can do what some of these seniors did, we'll be right in this mix again.”

3. Brody Gullo gets the job done

All season long, Brody Gullo has been a player the Broncos could turn to on the mound.

Tuesday night, he delivered in a different way.

“He didn't have his best stuff today,” Tony Gullo said. “He's been lights-out for the most part his last four outings, five outings. He didn't have it, and he knew it. He didn't have it in the bullpen. And he just battled his tail off on that mound. He didn't want to come out.”

When Gullo finally exited the game, he did so after quashing several big threats from the Warriors.

Palm Beach Central pitcher Brody Gullo fires a pitch against Jupiter during Tuesday's 6-5 regional quarterfinals victory on May 10, 2022.
Palm Beach Central pitcher Brody Gullo fires a pitch against Jupiter during Tuesday's 6-5 regional quarterfinals victory on May 10, 2022.

In the bottom of the first, he picked off a runner at first to ease himself out of the inning. In the bottom of the third, he induced a double play that limited the damage.

“Having these guys behind me makes me have that grit,” Gullo said. “It makes me want to win not only for myself, but these guys also. Having the guys behind me makes me more confident.”

The Broncos will need him to be on point for their return to Park Vista, whom they last defeated 6-4 back in March. First pitch is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Central baseball completes season sweeps, eliminates Jupiter