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Vito power

DIXIE AAA MAJORS ALL-STARS

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Spring Hill American's Vito Tambasco starts the celebration after striking out the final South Lake batter to clinch last year's AAA Majors state championship.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: June 27, 2009

Last year, Vito Tambasco was the baby of Spring Hill American, the youngest player on the roster for the Dixie AAA Majors (ages 11-12) All-Stars state champion.

On Saturday, with Spring Hill American playing its first game of this season's AAA Majors District 6 Tournament at Anderson Snow Sports Complex, he came in as a grizzled veteran.

The 5-foot-9 1/2 12-year-old Tambasco started things off in style, smashing a two-run home run to left field in a three-run run bottom of the first, part of a 3-for-3 day at the plate.

He would also finish things off by taking the mound with one out in the bottom of the fifth, recording fives strikeouts around one hit to earn the save in a 7-5 victory over Spring Hill National.

"Remember Reggie Jackson, how he said he was the straw that stirred the drink?" Spring Hill National Head Coach Al Sorrentino said. "That's Vito. He stirs the drink for them."

The Dixie MJ?

Fitting that Tambasco wears 23 on his uniform, the same number made famous by Michael Jordan. In a way, he has become the Michael Jordan of local Dixie ball.

"He's the best player out here, everyone knows it," Sorrentino said. "Sometimes the kids are kind of in awe of him.

"But you don't want to give someone too much respect. You want to battle and I think our kids did that."

Indeed the Spring Hill National players did not appear intimidated by Tambasco as a pitcher, yet aside from a two-out single in the sixth by Jace Bordonaba, no one could make contact.

Likewise Sorrentino opted not to pitch around Tambasco, especially prior to the homer that came with a runner on first and nobody out.

Tambasco drilled an 0-2 pitch that landed well beyond the outfield fence, a no-doubter that barely caused the left fielder to flinch.

Tambasco, along with his head coach and father, Vito Sr., admitted surprise that he even had the opportunity to swing the bat.

"Normally when they pitch to me," the younger Tambasco said, before getting cutoff by teammate Trevor McKenna.

"That's what happens," McKenna said.

"Vito is going to carry that team," Sorrentino said. "If we could get him to pop-up (in the first inning), it might have taken their air out. But he hit a home run, it lifts them up and they feel real confident."

Tambasco also contributed to a four-run third with a RBI single ripped over third base, and scored when Scott Dwyer followed with a two-run double off the center-field wall.

He added a single in the fifth, though at that point circumstances forced him to pitch. Spring Hill National rallied for five runs in the top half, four on Paul Blackwood's grand slam to left.

That was the last batter before Tambasco, who started at third then shifted to shortstop and second during the course of the game, moved to pitcher.

Sorrentino, in complimenting his team for closing the gap, took Tambasco's pitching appearance as a small victory considering the tournament's innings limits could affect how much he pitches in the later rounds.

"We can't lose another game, but the kids are confident still," Sorrentino said. "I'm happy they battled back. We made them use Vito. So there are plenty of positives. It's not like we played real bad. They hit the ball."

Carryover

For Tambasco, this is merely a carryover from last summer. Despite his relatively young age, he was perhaps the biggest star.

Through the 2008 state tournament, he hit .412 with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 13 games. That included a two-homer, complete-game effort in the state championship game, a 5-4 win over South Lake.

"It felt really good," Tambasco said. "It was my first time going to the World Series and I was the youngest person on the team."

His ability to provide both power with his bat and his arm has certainly made life easier for his coaches and his teammates.

"I tried to circle (the lineup) around Vito," Coach Tambasco said. "I didn't feel anyone would really pitch to him. You're going to choose your poison. Vito forces you to pitch to (the other hitters).

"I love him (pitching) at the back end. Vito on the back end, it's a four-inning game. If Trevor throws the way he did today (two perfect innings), it's a two-inning game."

The elder Tambasco believes his son's motivation comes from trying to match his oldest son, Thomas, who earned a state championship with the Spring Hill Senior Boys (age 14) last year and was a key varsity call-up for Nature Coast as a freshman.

"He wants to compete with his older brother all the time," said Coach Tambasco. "That and the fact that nothing bothers him, he's happy-go-lucky, he just wants to play. Everybody loves him because he's got a great personality.

"I've been teaching him since he was 2 years old and could walk. So yeah, I'm a proud pop."

SPRING HILL AMERICAN 7, SPRING HILL NATIONAL 5
123 456 R H E
SHN 000 050 -- 5 4 0
SHA 304 00X-- 7 11 2
SHN – Hamilton, Bailey (4) and Tinari, Blackwood (4).
SHA – McKenna, Dwyer (3), Martinez (5), Tambasco (5) and Kimble, Ivers (3), Kimble (5), Ivers (6).
W – McKenna (1-0). L – Hamilton (0-1). S – Tambasco (1).
2B – Nascimento, Dwyer (SHA).
3B – none.
HR – Blackwood (SHN); Tambasco (SHA).
Records – Spring Hill National (0-1), Spring Hill American (1-0).

DIXIE YOUTH LEAGUE BASEBALL DISTRICT 6 AAA MAJORS (AGES 11-12) TOURNAMENT RESULTS
at Anderson Snow Sports Complex (double elimination)

06-27:
Spring Hill American 7, Spring Hill National 5
San Antonio 1, Hernando 0 (11 inn.)
Wesley Chapel 11, Ridge Manor 0

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

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