Fort Worth high school baseball team will play its first postseason game in 60 years
Fort Worth North Side found itself trailing 3-1 in the fifth inning at home to Carter-Riverside on April 16. The Steers’ playoff hopes were dwindling.
But Alex Torrez drove in a run with an infield single and Nathyn Rollins laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to tie the game. Then Torrez and Rollins did it again in the sixth with an RBI walk and single to center.
The Steers won 5-3 and clinched a playoff berth.
However, it wasn’t any ordinary playoff clincher. It was the program’s first in 60 years.
In 1987, North Side shared the district championship with two other teams, but back then, only two schools went to the postseason. The Steers lost the coin flip and play-in game.
North Side’s last playoff game came in 1959.
“We lost in a play-in game last season by one run,” Torrez said. “So we worked even harder to get here.”
“It feels great,” added Ivan Gomez. “Everything we worked for finally paid off.”
Jacob Hernandez struck out four and allowed one earned run in seven innings that night against the Eagles. The Steers would then complete the sweep, 8-2, on April 18. Alejandro Fernandez struck out eight and allowed three hits in the complete-game effort.
Gomez went 4 for 4, doubled twice and drove in a run. Torrez had two RBI and Emanuel Rivera went 3 for 4 with two RBI.
“It’s a totally different level of buy-in with these guys,” said Jason Starnes, who is in his fifth year as head coach. “They were so close last year that they wanted to do everything they could to not be denied this season. They put in the extra work, they don’t miss practice and they do all the little things in the off-season and summer.
“Over Thanksgiving break, I had a combination lock on our batting cages because I didn’t think anyone was going to use it, but I got about 20 texts saying they wanted the hit so the buy-in is so much different compared to my first couple years.”
The Steers (14-12-1) will play Burleson Centennial (21-10) in a three-game series at Everman to start the playoffs. Game 1 is at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday while Friday’s doubleheader will begin at 5.
“We hope this just starts a nice run for North Side; to make the playoffs again and again,” Torrez said. “We want to go as far as we can and be remembered, and leave a legacy.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2019 at 2:39 PM.
