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In a winner take-all-affair…It's Georgia on Their Minds

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Spring Hill American pitcher Vito Tambasco jumps into the arms of assistant coach Jim Keith after striking out South Lake's final batter, Joey Passino, to clinch the Dixie Youth League AAA Majors (ages 11-12) State Championship Tournament late Friday night at Ridge Manor Community Park. Teammate Blake Laferty joins them.

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By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: July 18, 2008

RIDGE MANOR – It's one of sports oldest cliches – someone has to lose.
In Friday night's 23rd and final game of the Dixie Youth League AAA Majors (ages 11-12) State Championship Baseball Tournament at Ridge Manor Community Park, Spring Hill American (10-3 overall, 6-1 states) advanced to the Dixie World Series beginning Aug. 4 in LaGrange, Ga. behind an edge-of-your-seat 5-4 triumph over South Lake (10-3 overall, 5-2 states).
Yet, there were no real losers.
Area fans were treated to a tantalizing 'I'll never forget that game' affair.
South Lake skipper Mike Padgett complemented both teams' efforts.
"We all knew coming in it was gonna be a dog fight all the way," explained Padgett. "There's no team I want to beat more than Spring Hill. But (Spring Hill American Head Coach) Shawn (Laferty) and I go way back. If I'm gonna lose I don't mind losing to him. It's a great rivalry, one of deep respect for both teams."
What was the difference?
"I'm not gonna say one guy beat us," replied Padgett. "But (Vito) Tambasco pitched well and hit two homers. He was that little bit extra we needed. If I had one kid like him, we'd still be playing."
Biggest positives?
"We didn't give up," summed up Coach Padgett. "Before today, we knew we'd be in two tough baseball games and we were. If you scripted this out for a movie, it couldn't have been a better tournament."
For his part, Coach Laferty was in disbelief.
"What a game!" pointed out Coach Laferty. "There's very little difference between both teams. This (winning states) hasn't sunk in yet.
"First, I've got to congratulate South Lake," he said. "They're a great ball club, no doubt. There's a lot of respect for their kids, their program, their fans. I think it goes both ways."
The key?
"It's got to start with Vito," smiled Coach Laferty. "He literally carried us on his back tonight. Against this kind of pressure, you don't have a better game than he had. He truly was unbelievable. What two clutch homers? A complete game with what 10-11 strikeouts? He was huge.
"I told our kids after we lost the first game to keep their heads up," added Laferty. "We had Vito ready to go. We hit into double plays with the bases loaded in the first game; that really hurt. In the second game, defensively we never cracked. The double play in the fifth was an inning killer. Danny's (Schonborn) throw back to first was unreal. It was a huge play."
"I think we played all right," understated the 11-year-old Tambasco. "The difference? We played as a team. Our defense was great. This (state title) is so sweet; it's amazing."

Second helping of Tambasco sauce

Spring Hill American will now be called Team Florida in the Dixie World Series for the first time in this age group in 53 years thanks a bend-but-don't break defense and a second helping of Tambasco sauce.
Hitting-wise, Spring Hill was limited to six hits, but two left the yard.
Always-smiling shortstop Danny Schonborn drove in Austin Treverton with an RBI single in the second. Gabe Vazquez followed by beating out an infield chopper but the resulting relay sailed past first base allowing Schonborn to score.
After Blake Laferty walked on four pitches in the fourth frame, pitcher Vito Tambasco clouted a two-run homer to right-center off South Lake starter/loser Danny Gonzalez.
In the top of the sixth, Tambasco added what turned out to be the winning run with a solo bomb off reliever Adan Ordonez, who worked the final two innings.
For Tambasco, his sixth and seventh homers of the post season drove in a game-high three runs. He now has a team-leading 19 runs batted in 12 games.
"Vito was on fire," said teammate Josh Lopes. "I mean two homers and all those strikeouts while he pitched. It doesn't get any better."

Pitching, defense

As always, pitching and defense were integral parts of the state title run.
In a pressure packed situation, Coach Laferty's defense converted 24-of-26 chances against South Lake. Treverton's errant pick-off throw to third permitted South Lake's Trenton Padgett to score in the first inning.
Two singles, a passed ball, a double steal and a error on Blake Laferty with two outs in the sixth permitted pinch runner Cole Griffin and Chandler Strawbridge to score two more unearned runs.
In between, however, there were several web gems.
In the second inning, Laferty threw out Stawbridge on a fielder's choice with a perfect laser to catcher Treverton.
South Lake's Dallas Riffle scored on Doug Kersey's RBI single in the second. But the trail runner Joey Passino also attempted to score, but was thrown out by right fielder Gabe Vazquez' perfect peg again to Treverton.
But perhaps the most pivotal defensive play arrived with one out in the fifth.
Padgett, who paced talented South Lake's team with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate, singled to right and advanced on back-to-back passed balls that bounced off Treverton's mitt.
Ordonez coaxed the fourth and final walk off right-hander Tambasco.
Tambasco, the youngest player for the state champs, enticed the dangerous Matt Garner to ground sharply up the middle. Here, shortstop Schonborn scooped the ball up, glided over and stepped on second and then fired to first sacker Evan Webster. In a bang-bang play, Garner was called out completing Spring Hill's only twin killing of the game.
The pitcher's best friend – the double play - could not have arrived at a better time.
"Yeah, the double play was a big play," shrugged the 12-year-old Schonborn. "But it wouldn't have been a double play without Evan (Webster) having a good stretch."
In the bottom of sixth, South Lake, which collected a game-high eight hits (all singles), scored twice cutting the deficit to one run, 5-4.
With Riffle aboard on the two-out error, he advanced into scoring position on the Tambasco's fourth wild pitch of the game.
With South Lake's fans clamoring along the fence for a miracle, up stepped more trouble, Passino. The left-handed Passino was the same guy who crushed a two-run homer Monday night against Tambasco.
On Friday night, Passino had reached on infield single in the second and struck out in the fifth.
Tambasco and local fans understood that if Passino reached again then the lethal portion of South Lake's line-up loomed large with Padgett up next.
This time on a full-count with the fans screaming at the top of their lungs, Tambasco struck out Passino. Game over.
The last of Tambasco's 104 pitches resulted in his 11th strikeout, and a rare state championship complete game.
Perhaps Spring Hill American's third baseman Brandon LaMondra summed it up best.
LaMondra, who went 0-for-3 in the title tilt, said, "Oh gosh I never felt this good. This is the biggest win of all. Vito was amazing tonight. He's just an all-around player.
"But tonight was definitely was a team effort," added LaMondra. "Everybody helped. And South Lake, they're our best competition. You got to give them full credit how hard they played today."
So you see there were no real losers.

Game 2: (Championship)
Spring Hill American 5, South Lake 4
123 456 R H E
SHA 020 201 -- 5 5 2
SL 110 002 -- 4 8 1
SHA – Tambasco and Treverton.
SL – Gonzalez, Ordonez (5) and Cole, Garner (2), Cole (3).
W – Tambasco. L – Gonzalez.
HR – Tambasco 2 (SHA).
Records – Spring Hill American (10-3 overall, 6-1 states), South Lake (10-3 overall, 5-2 states).

Dixie Youth League Baseball
AAA Majors (ages 11-12)
State Tourney Recap
at Ridge Manor Community Park

07-12:
Spring Hill American 13, Ridge Manor 3 (4 Inns.)
South Walton 4, Wewahitchka 0
South Lake 11, Hiland Park 1
Liberty County 1, Avon Park 0
Okeechobee 7, Wahneta 2
Hardee County 10, Paxton 0

07-13:
SH American 11, South Walton 1 (4 Inns.)
South Lake 11, Liberty Co. 1
Okeechobee 7, Hardee County 4
Ridge Manor 8, Wewahitchka 6
Avon Park 6, Hiland Park 4
Wahneta 10, Paxton 0

07-14:
SH American 8, South Lake 5
Avon Park 4, Wahneta 3
Hardee County 4, South Walton 3
Liberty County 12, Ridge Manor 0 (5 Inns.)

07-15:
SH American 8, Okeechobee 4
South Lake 13, Hardee County 1
Liberty County 7, Avon Park 1

07-16:
Rained out

07-17:
SH American 15, Liberty County 5 (5 Inns.)
South Lake 4, Okeechobee 1

07-18:
South Lake 4, SH American 3
(Championship)
SH American 5, South Lake 4

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at (352) 544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com.

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