TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Brosher's 3-run bomb comes too late; SH American's fast start dooms SH National, 9-3

ADVERTISEMENT

By C.J. RISAK

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: June 26, 2008

WILDWOOD - Rob Gomez repeated a message he had delivered to both his Spring Hill National team and anyone else who was interested before the AAA Majors (ages 11-12) All-Stars District 6 Tournament had started.
"I said it from day one," Gomez said. "That's a good team. You have to be on your 'A' game to beat them."
Gomez was describing SH National's rival, Spring Hill American, the team many figured to be the tournament favorite. On Thursday night at Wildwood's Millennium Park, while SHN fell well short of its 'A' game, SHA played nearly flawless baseball in cruising to a 9-3 victory.
The win keeps SHA (2-0) in the winner's bracket, with a game against San Antonio (2-0) at 8 p.m. Friday at Millennium. SHN (2-1) falls to the loser's bracket to face Oak Griner (1-1) at 6 p.m. Friday.
"We were solid," said SH American Head Coach Shawn Laferty. "We took advantage of their walks and we took advantage of their mistakes."

Quick strike

SHA didn't waste any time, either, striking for four runs in the first inning and three more in the second.
SHN -- which had just one walk and no hits in the first four innings against SHA pitchers Vito Tambasco and Blake Laferty -- got off to a poor start, issuing five walks in those first two innings. SHA pitchers walked just two in the game.
Blake Laferty's ground out scored the game's first run for SHA, with doubles by Tambasco and Austin Treverton each producing a run in the opening inning. A wild pitch brought home the fourth score of the inning. Blake Laferty doubled in two more in the second and a third scored when the throw home got past SHN catcher Jonathan Brosher, making it 7-0.
Brandon LaMondra's fourth-inning single plated two more to build SHA's lead to 9-0. SHN got its first hit of the game with one out in the fifth, a double by Jon Waskowitz that followed a walk to Blaine West. Brosher then powered a pitch over the right field fence, a three-run home run that trimmed the SHA lead to 9-3.
But that was as close as SHN would get. "We had a rough start," said Gomez. "Our guys are pretty familiar with that team, and I think that got into their heads a bit.
"We made some mistakes, we had some walks, but a couple of walks aren't going to hurt you. It was a combination of things that did us in. But don't count us out, not yet."
SHA got two hits from Josh Lopes and a hit and three runs batted in from Blake Laferty. Tambasco was the winning pitcher; Frankie Gomez took the loss for SHN.
Despite his team's overpowering performance thus far in the tournament, Shawn Laferty wasn't ready to concede anything.
"We've still got work to do," the SHA coach said. "We've just got to keep playing smart baseball. We've got to hit the ball, we've got to play defense and we've got to get good pitching."
SHA has had that entire package in its first two games.

SH American 9, SH National 3
1 2 3 4 0 0 R H E
SHN 0 0 0 0 3 0 -- 3 3 2
SHA 4 3 0 2 0 X -- 9 7 0
SHA - Tambasco, Laferty (3), Schonberg (5), Webster (6) and Treverton.
SHN - Gomez, Waskowitz (3), West (5) and Brosher.
W - Tambasco. L -- Gomez.
2B - Waskowitz (SHN), Tambasco, Terverton, Laferty (SHA).
HR - Brosher (SHN).
Records - Spring Hill National (2-1), Spring Hill American (2-0 ).

Dixie Youth League
AAA Majors (ages 11-12)
District 6 Tournament Recap
at Wildwood's Millennium Park

06-21:
Games rained out

06-23:
Spring Hill National 8, Wesley Chapel 2
Spring Hill American 12, Sumter (4.5 Inns.)
San Antonio 14, Wildwood 4
Hernando 5, Oak Griner 3
Bushnell 5, South Lake 4

06-24:
SH National 11, Bushnell 10 (6.5 Innings)
San Antonio 10, Hernando 7
South Lake 8, Wesley Chapel 4
Sumter 7, Wildwood, 4

06-25:
Games rained out.

06-26:
SH American 9, SH National 3
Oak Griner 5, Bushnell 4
South Lake 10, Sumter 0

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT