Benestad Hits 2-Run Walk-Off Homer to Lift MSD Over 5th Ranked Team Nationally

by Matt Rothman April 16, 2024

by Matt Rothman April 16, 2024 497 views

Benestad Hits 2-Run Walk-Off Home Run to Lift MSD to Win Over 5th Ranked Team Nationally

Niko Benestad. {Jake Stephens}

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas baseball team had its most impressive win this season, defeating North Broward Prep 6-5 on Tuesday’s walk-off home run from Niko Benestad.

The Eagles, trailed by a run heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, got the tying run on base on a base hit from Rylan Lujo. Benestad then went the other way for a two-run walk-off homer to give the Eagles a come-from-behind win over the fifth-ranked team in the nation.

“I knew I was going to have to do something in the last inning tonight,” Benestad said. I just wanted to catch a barrel and have my team’s back. It felt amazing off the bat. I knew it was gone, and I knew Club Doug was back after that moment.”

MSD, who has won the last three State and National Championships, had gone through their toughest stretch with five losses in nine games and fell behind 4-0. However, MSD responded with three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie the game, with Lujo, Gavin Gargiulo, Ethan Askin, and Erick Torres all driving in runs. Jayden Dubanewicz came in to pitch the sixth and allowed the go-ahead run to score. However, he tossed a scoreless seventh inning before the Eagles picked up their 16th win of the season.

NBP fell to 16-3 despite TJ Grammesty homering and driving in two runs. Nikolas Koorse also drove in two runs, while Mateo Gray struck out five in 4.1 innings.

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Matt Rothman

Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.