National No. 1 McCarthy dominates rival

PLANTATION — Archbishop McCarthy, the nation’s top-ranked baseball team in multiple polls, handled a big early season test against its district rival.

Behind five masterful innings from senior right-hander Daniel Federman and a late offensive explosion, the Mavericks took down host American Heritage 7-1 on Friday night in the first of what should be three meetings this season between two of Broward’s elite.

Federman, a Miami signee, struck out seven and gave up just three hits. A Triston Casas firstinning home run was the only run against him. He left with a 3-1 lead and McCarthy added four insurance runs in the seventh.

“Daniel Federman has really gone to another level,” Mavericks coach Rich Bielski said. “He was hurt last year, and this year he’s on a mission. He’s healthy, he’s strong, he’s showing great leadership.” Sophomore left-hander Yordani Carmona, another Hurricanes commit, finished off the Patriots, shutting them out the final two frames. The Mavericks (9-0, 2-0 District 15-6A) opened things up in the top of the seventh when FIU signee Adan Fernandez, who went 2-for-4, smoked a three-run opposite field home run to right and Carmona drilled an RBI double to center.

McCarthy, winners of six of the last seven state titles and ranked No. 1 in the country by USA Today, MaxPreps and Perfect Game, takes the lone regular-season contest against Heritage (6-3, 2-1), but the two are likely to meet again in districts and then in regional semifinals.

Each of the past two seasons, the Patriots won the district final over the Mavericks, but McCarthy ended up with revenge in regionals where a postseason elimination is on the line.

“In reality, we know it’s the last game that matters,” Heritage coach Bruce Aven said. “The last two years, at the end of the day, they found a way to win the last game. That’s what we would like to do.”

McCarthy went up 2-1 scoring a pair in the top of the second. An error by Casas, who went 2-for-3 at the plate, on a hard-hit chopper allowed Fernandez to score, and a Carmona RBI single brought home Ubaldo Lopez. The Mavericks added another in the fourth on an RBI single from leadoff-hitting shortstop Luis Tuero, a junior UM commit.

Patriots starter Christian Santana went four innings and took the loss. The senior right-hander surrendered three runs – two earned – on five hits and struck out four.

Heritage struck first on Friday when Casas, the sophomore No. 3 hitter, belted a solo homer high over the right-field wall in the bottom of the first.

MARIA LORENZINO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER American Heritage first baseman Triston Casas high fives his coach after passing third base during the game with Archbishop McCarthy at American Heritage on Friday. Casas went 2 for 3 for the day, and his first-inning home run was the only scoring...