Tambasco Comes Up Large

His dad calls him Banana because he says that nothing really bothers him.
Late Friday night in the title game of the Dixie Youth League All-Stars AAA Majors (ages 11-12) Baseball State Championship Tournament against South Lake that was surely true for 11 year-old Vito Tambasco.
The Powell Middle School student finished 2-for-3 with two home runs and pitched a complete game to pace Spring Hill American to a 5-4 win and a berth in the Dixie World Series starting Aug. 4 in LaGrange, Ga.
"He literally put us on his back and carried us today to the championship," said Spring Hill American Head Coach Shawn Laferty.
In the two post-season tournaments Spring Hill American have been in, Tambasco has hit seven home runs and driven in 19 runs in 12 games. He also has been one of the main pitchers for SH American, winning two games in the state tournament.
But it was his mettle in Friday night's title game against tough South Lake that brought out the best in Tambasco. Spring Hill American had lost earlier Friday night 4-3 to South Lake to force a winner-take-all title game.
And between games, Tambasco found out he was going to be the starting pitcher in that game. It was during the District 6 title game against South Lake, a game which Spring Hill lost 11-3, that Tambasco had problems as he was forced to leave the game in the third inning with a sore shoulder.
"It only took about one day to get over it," he said Friday. "But I was worried about this game because I didn't want to let my teammates down."

Two-way threat

To say he didn't would be an understatement.
The young right-hander pitched six innings, throwing 104 pitches, giving up eight hits, four runs (three unearned) while striking out 11.
"I had no doubt in my mind about using him," said Laferty. "He's a great pitcher and he did a great job tonight. His change up is what kept them off-balance all day."
Tambasco helped himself at the plate.
In the fourth inning with Spring Hill tied at 2-all, Tambasco came to the plate with Blake Laferty on first. Tambasco then took a 1-2 pitch over the right-center field fence for a two-run homer and give his team a 4-2 cushion.
Later in the sixth, he gave his team a little more breathing room when he hit a 0-2 pitch again over the fence in center for Spring Hill's final run.
"On the first home run, I was looking for a changeup but he threw me a fast ball and I got lucky and hit it out," he said. "Then on the second homer, I saw him move the ball in his glove and I thought he was going to throw me another changeup. But he threw another fast ball."
His father Vito Tambasco, who works for the Pasco County government and coaches the Spring Hill Junior boys baseball team that plays this week in the state tournament, says he is very proud of his boy.
"Last year he won the district title game and went seven innings and pitched his heart out," said the elder Tambasco. "He won that game too for the AAA Minors. He's a gamer."
His brother, Thomas, who plays for the Spring Hill Juniors team, last year hit seven home runs in the Majors playoffs.
"I'm not surprised by either one of them," added Mr. Tambasco. "I've been coaching them since they could walk because they're both good ball players."