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Hernando Today

Finally A Champion!

Photo by JACKSON COUNTY FLORIDAN

The Spring Hill Dixie Senior Boys (age 14) All-Stars celebrate their first-ever state championship in this age division Wednesday night at the MERE Complex in Marianna.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: July 23, 2008

It really was their year after all.

Several frustrating exits from the State Tournament at various age levels came to a head Wednesday afternoon at MERE Complex in Marianna.

The Spring Hill Dixie Senior Boys (age 14) All-Stars finally pulled off what they had come so close to so many times before: a state championship.

The Hernando County club celebrated after winning the second game of what turned into a doubleheader with West Volusia, 14-3 in six innings.

Spring Hill (9-2 overall, 5-1 at states) came into the day undefeated in the double-elimination tournament, but fell in the first game to West Volusia, 9-8.

"We were that team," Spring Hill Head Coach Mike Sollazzo said. "The big difference with this team is they came together hitting, fabulous defense, outstanding pitching that held up.

"Between the hitting, the pitching and the defense, it all came together. Every game it was somebody different. Every kid really came through."

This marks the first state title at this age level in league history, the second for the league this year and the third overall.

Spring Hill previously won in the 2005 AAA Minors (ages 9-10) and last week in the AAA Majors (ages 11-12).

Back-and-forth first game

The first game went back-and-forth from the beginning, with each team scoring three times in the first inning and twice in the second.

Thomas Tambasco hit a game-tying solo home run in the top of the seventh, his second homer of the game including a two-run shot in the second.

However, West Volusia pushed across the game winner in the bottom half on a groundball bobbled at third base, allowing the winning run to score without a throw.

The second game began with some controversy, as the 30 minutes between games did not allow for Spring Hill ace J.T. Simpson to take the mound.

Simpson threw a complete game in a 12-2 victory in six innings on Monday night, and by rule was required to have 40 hours of rest.

Instead, Jon Gaffney, who started the first game but came out because of arm trouble, took the ball again and gutted out the first inning.

By the start of the second inning, Simpson had met the 40-hour rule and took over from there, scattering seven hits and two walks over five innings, giving up two runs while striking out two.

Julian Perez went 4-for-4 with two home runs and seven runs batted in. He launched a two-run bomb in the first and added a three-run blast in the second, giving Spring Hill a 6-1 lead.

Perez finished off his performance with a two-run single in a six-run sixth. Simpson added a RBI single and Mike Kodetsky drove in a pair on a base hit. Dante' Sollazzo chipped in a sacrifice fly.

Louis Colaiacomo also had a RBI single in the third and a double preceding Perez's single in the sixth. Simpson plated one in the third on a fielder's choice and Perez scored on an error that same inning.

This was the fourth time Coach Sollazzo has taken a team to states in five years, each previous time getting deep into the tournament before eventually bowing out. Not this time.

"It definitely meant a lot to the kids," Sollazzo said. "Even the parents enjoyed themselves. I was happy to see it. I still can't believe it. It hasn't sunk in yet."

Spring Hill now advances to the World Series starting Aug. 2 in Covington, Ga.

"I don't know what to think about that yet," Sollazzo said. "I don't know what to expect. We'll go there to do the best we can."

Another blowout

Despite not having its top two starters – Gaffney and Simpson – available, Spring Hill coasted into Wednesday's final round undefeated by ousting Messer Park on Tuesday night, 12-2 in five innings.

Townsend and David Woop combined to shutdown the Messer Park bats, while the offense scored six times in the second to blow it open quickly.

Tambasco, Perez, Townsend and Simpson each had RBI singles in the inning, while Colaiacomo tripled in two runs.

DIXIE YOUTH LEAGUE SENIOR BOYS BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT RECAP
at Marianna's MERE Complex

07-19:
West Jackson 7, Okeechobee 0 (Forfeit)
Vernon 14, Bartow 0
Spring Hill 6, Chipley 2
Paxton 6, Messer Park 5
West Volusia 6, Marianna 0

07-20:
Bartow 7, West Jackson 0 (Forfeit)
Messer Park 12, Chipley 2
Okeechobee 14, Vernon 2
West Volusia 11, Paxton 1

07-21:
Messer Park 7, Bartow 5
Marianna 11, Vernon 6
Spring Hill 7, Okeechobee 2
Messer Park 8, Paxton 1
Okeechobee 18, Marianna 7
Spring Hill 12, West Volusia 2 (6 inn.)

07-22:
Spring Hill 12, Messer Park 2 (5 inn.)
West Volusia 8, Okeechobee 2

07-23:
West Volusia 9, Spring Hill 8
(Championship)
Spring Hill 14, West Volusia 3 (6 inn.)

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

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

07-22:
West Volusia 8, Central Sports 4
Poinciana 21, Hiland Park 1

07-23: (Championship)
Poinciana 6, West Volusia 3

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

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