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Hernando Today

Powerhouse Prevails Over Genesis

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: July 17, 2008

SPRING HILL – The ball hung in the air as it veered toward left-center field, just long enough for Drew Sitar to slide under it and make a spectacular catch.

That play, with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth, preserved a 13-13 tie between Sitar's team, Powerhouse Gym, and Genesis Health & Fitness in their Hernando County Recreation Department 'D' Division playoff game Thursday night at Anderson Snow Sports Complex.

Sitar then drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom half, the first of six runs scored in that frame, leading Powerhouse to a 19-13 victory in a match-up of the last two unbeaten teams in the double-elimination tournament.

"Nothing goes through your head, you just run fast and try to make the catch," Sitar said. "I was thinking we're about to win this ball game. That turned around the game for us, I believe. That got us some energy and we started playing."

Like most softball games, this one had plenty of ebbs and flows, with each team opening but unable to maintain sizable leads.

Powerhouse (9-8) put up seven runs in the second to go up 7-1, yet Genesis (6-11) scored 10 times over the next two innings to go in front 11-7.

Ron Rieter's two-run triple to left field in the fourth knotted the game at 11. Each team scored twice in the fifth to make it 13-all.

Chris Morgan tripled leading off the sixth for Genesis and it appeared the scoring outburst would continue.

However, the next batter popped up to second and Powerhouse third baseman Fred Hansen alertly held the runner at third on a ground out. Willie Sipko and Mike Rado then drew walks to load the bases.

That brought up Chad Randall, who hit a fly into the left-center-field gap that Sitar managed to catch up with.

"That saved our game," Powerhouse Manager Mike Kelly said. "It was the difference in our game, Drew's catch. He came up huge."

A leadoff single by Hansen, an error and a walk to Glenn Schoenmetz brought Sitar, the Powerhouse clean-up hitter, to the plate in a bases-loaded situation.

The lefty went the other way with a single to left and Kevin Pope followed with a grand slam over the wall in right-center.

"I thought I was out," Pope said.

Izzy Fontanez drove home one more with an infield single off the third baseman's glove, and Powerhouse held Genesis scoreless in the seventh.

Sitar had three hits for Powerhouse, while Rieter and Pope both had triples. Morgan went 4-for-4 for Genesis, Corey Hart had three hits and two walks, and Tim McDade added a three-run homer in the third.

With the win, Powerhouse assured its spot in the championship game on Friday, while Genesis fell into the loser's bracket.

"We start off a little flat but all season we've come alive around the third, fourth, fifth inning," Kelly said. "You saw tonight was no different.

"…I feel very confident going into tomorrow. I think we're going to end it tomorrow."

POWERHOUSE GYM 19, GENESIS HEALTH & FITNESS 13
123 456 7 R H E
GHF 013 720 0 -- 13 18 2
PHG 070 426 X -- 19 15 1
GHF –Painter, Randall (5) and Randall, Painter (5).
PHG – Rieter and Woodroffe.
W – Rieter. L – Randall.
2B – Robinson (GHF).
3B – Armstrong, Morgan (GHF); Pope, Rieter (PHG).
HR – McDade (GHF); Pope (PHG).
Records – Genesis Health & Fitness (6-11), Powerhouse Gym (9-8).

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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