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Hernando Today

Short Stint For Spring Hill

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: July 21, 2008

The Spring Hill Junior Boys (age 13) All-Stars waited a long time to play their first game. In two days, their brief run came to a close.

Receiving an automatic berth into the State Tournament because no one else in the district fielded a team for this age group, untested Spring Hill certainly held its own at MERE Complex in Marianna.

However, it simply couldn't find a way into the win column before being ushered out of this double-elimination tournament.

First came Saturday's opener against Poinciana, when Spring Hill went up 5-1 but couldn't hold on, falling 9-5 to drop into the loser's bracket.

On Sunday, Spring Hill again blew an early advantage, then rallied to tie in the final inning before Okeechobee scratched across a run to win, 5-4.

"We really thought we'd be in every game," Spring Hill Head Coach Joe Abbadessa said. "We didn't think anybody was more quality ahead of us. We drew a really tough draw. We got two of the tougher teams.

"We were in position to win both games. My biggest question was timely hitting. We had a couple of mishaps on the bases where we could have scored more runs that didn't happen. A lot of what ifs. If we got one hit here, one hit there, if the ball bounces a different way it could make a difference."

Sprinting out

Abbadessa admitted that playing a game prior to reaching states might have made a difference, as well.

That didn't stop Spring Hill from posting a run in its very first turn at the plate against Poinciana. Garrett Treverton scored on a double by Tom DeCotis in the first inning.

Spring Hill added four runs in the second, with Nic Pasarela drawing a bases-loaded walk and Brandon Brosher driving in two runs on a base hit up the middle. Pasarela scored on a passed ball.

Brosher held Poinciana scoreless for the first 2 2/3 innings before getting touched for a pair in the third. Then Poinciana blew it open pushing seven runs across in the fourth.

The Hernando County crew shook that off to start Sunday's contest versus Okeechobee. Ryan Nicoll drew a leadoff walk and scored on Brosher's two-run home run.

A pair of wild pitches allowed Treverton to score in the second, but Okeechobee pushed across single runs in the each of the first four innings.

Down 4-3 with two outs in the seventh, Spring Hill was given life when Brosher beat out a high chopper to third base and stole second.

DeCotis deposited a 0-2 pitch down the third-base line for a RBI single, though he would eventually be called out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch.

In Okeechobee's next at-bat, with two away and a man on second, Jose Alonzo made a sliding attempt on a liner into center field. The ball rolled off his glove, allowing the winning run to come across.

"That was a tough pill to swallow," Abbadessa said. "The way the bracket was lining up, had we gotten past Okeechobee we were in position to make a run.

"It was frustrating. It was disappointing obviously. You practice for two months, you want and expect good things to happen. Unfortunately for us some balls and bounces didn't go our way.

"Adversity makes you stronger in life. We'll get past this and be back next year, and hopefully the bounces will go our way."

DIXIE YOUTH LEAGUE JUNIOR BOYS BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT RECAP
at MERE Complex, Marianna

07-19
Central Sports 7, West Seminole 3
West Volusia 7, Hiland Park 2
Poinciana 9, Spring Hill 5
Marianna 11, Okeechobee 1

07-20
Hiland Park 17, West Seminole 9
West Volusia 9, Messer Park 5
Okeechobee 5, Spring Hill 4
Poinciana 18, Marianna 8

07-21
Hiland Park 10, Marianna 9
Okeechobee 15, Messer Park 4
West Volusia 11, Central Sports 8
Central Sports 7, Okeechobee 6
Poinciana 5, West Volusia 3

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

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