Yoan Feliz powers up, leads Vineland High School baseball past rival Millville
MILLVILLE – The home plate umpire took Yoan Feliz for a walk as soon as he stepped on home plate.
The celebration was a bit too much. Feliz understood, but it was hard to blame him for enjoying the exclamation point to the greatest day of his high school baseball career.
The Vineland junior went 3-for-4 with 2 home runs, including a tiebreaking, three-run blast in the top of the seventh inning, and finished with 6 RBIs as the fifth-ranked Fighting Clan won a thriller over rival Millville 8-4 at Mike Trout Field on Monday.
“Not like this,” a delighted Feliz said when asked if he’d ever had a performance like this.
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It’s been a breakout campaign for Feliz, who’s been playing varsity since he was a freshman.
He had a solid sophomore season, batting .278 with 16 RBIs, but his parents and head coach Kyle Jones didn’t feel Feliz was pushing himself to his potential.
That’s why they focused on getting him stronger in the winter.
“He never wanted to be in the weight room,” Jones said.
Feliz had a different mindset this offseason. He bulked up from 175 to 200 pounds. His deadlift is up to 450 pounds after being below 400 a year ago.
“Me and his father got a relationship. I stay on him probably harder than a lot of other players,” Jones said. He added later, “We push him because we know how great he can be.”
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Feliz had been in a bit of a slump entering the Thunderbolt game, going hitless in three straight contests.
He took a deep breath before he stepped in the box before his first at-bat. He had the bases loaded, and he got his team on the board with an RBI fielder’s choice in the opening inning.
Plating a run seemed to bring his bat to life.
Feliz poked a solo shot over the center-field wall in the fourth to even the score at 3-3, then put the Fighting Clan in front 4-3 with a hard-hit single in the fifth.
Every ball he put in play had a higher exit velocity than the last, which led to the top of the seventh inning.
It was 4-4 and Feliz had runners on first and second. Millville brought in Sergio Droz, one of Feliz’s best friends.
They’ve known each other since little league, and both had giant smiles on their faces as they got set.
Droz had Feliz on the ropes early, freezing him with a breaking ball down the middle, then got him fishing out of the zone.
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Feliz’s flaw his first few years was trying to hit every ball out of the park.
He doesn’t have to do that with his added muscle now.
“We always talk about a two-strike approach,” Jones said. “… That’s his best swing. We’re starting to work on that. He’s not taking those big, gigantic swings. We’re trying to stay on the ball and he’s strong enough the ball is going to carry.”
Behind 0-2, he had that thought in his mind. He heard his dad’s voice saying “stay simple.”
Feliz did, tattooing the following pitch over the left-field fence to give his team a 7-4 advantage.
He enjoyed his trot around the bases a little much, crossing his arms his celebration just before he touched home. That’s when the umpire gave him the reminder.
“Heat of the moment,” said Feliz, who’s now batting .317 with 3 homers and 11 RBIs.
But it’s a moment that he’ll replay in his head for years to come.
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Xavier Cortez overcomes early adversity to earn win
Xavier Cortez picked up the victory on the hill. He allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits and 2 walks over 6 innings of work. He struck out six.
Millville’s David Rodriguez hit a titanic three-run blast off him in the opening inning, but Cortez settled in after that.
“As a pitcher, you got to stay in the game,” he said. “You can’t put your head down. If you put your head down, the other team is going to take advantage. It happens to everybody. Guys hit the ball hard. ... Shake it off and get the next out.”
Cortez didn’t pitch much last season while battling a UCL injury, but the Wilmington commit is fully healthy this year and is a vital piece of the rotation. He’s 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA thus far. More importantly, he’s a leader in the clubhouse.
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Jones credited him for Feliz’s work in the weight room, as well as other teammates.
“You see a guy like Yoan, a big guy, you want him to play to his full potential,” Cortez said. “Try to push everyone to their best.”
Game notes
Vineland-Millville baseball is becoming a must-see event as each of the past three meetings have ended in thrilling fashion. Last year, both games ended with walk-off homers, one by the Fighting Clan’s Anthony Rakotz, the other by the Thunderbolts’ Edgar Ramos.
Mario Toro added an insurance run after Feliz’s three-run blast with an RBI double.
Vineland might need to work on baserunning during its next practice. The Fighting Clan made three outs on the base paths, which could’ve come back to haunt them.
Millville knotted the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth on CJ Staniec’s sacrifice fly.
They said it
“They want to make sure my heart works.”
– Vineland head coach Kyle Jones on the thrilling conclusions of the last three Vineland-Millville games.
Josh Friedman has produced award-winning South Jersey sports coverage for the Courier Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times for more than a decade. If you have or know of an interesting story to tell, reach out on Twitter at @JFriedman57 or via email at jfriedman2@gannettnj.com. You can also contact him at 856-486-2431. Help support local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Vineland baseball beats Millville behind a pair of Yoan Feliz homers
