Rainy Day Blues

SPRING HILL - There was no joy in Mudville. The host team was knocked out.

Thursday's rain turned Anderson Snow Sports Complex into a mucky mess, but workers from both the county and Spring Hill Dixie League managed to make the fields playable.

Thus the two semifinal games of the AA Rookies (ages 7-8) All-Stars District 6 Tournament, originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m., finally got underway shortly before 9 p.m.

However for the one remaining host team, Spring Hill National, the outcome probably didn't bring any sunshine to the day.

Facing the last unbeaten team in the field - South Lake - Spring Hill failed to take advantage of an early outburst and ultimately found itself eliminated from the tournament via a 19-12 decision.

"They just made a couple of errors, other than that they buckled down," Spring Hill Manager Frank Pastorelli said. "They played a good game. We almost came back.

"South Lake is good. They're well-round. They were saving that pitcher (T.J. Kendall) for last. Just when we thought we were coming back, they had their best pitcher waiting for us."

No slow start

Spring Hill (2-2) showed no ill effects from the rain delay that forced the game to start over two hours late, bursting out of the gates for six runs in the top of the first.

Colton Olasin and Michael Dono both worked walks before the third baseman booted Frank Pastorelli Jr.'s grounder to plate the first run.

Brandon Frangione drove in one on an infield single to third and Chris Cesiro added a RBI single that fell in shallow right.

A dropped fly ball in left and Hailey Smith's two-run single to center accounted for the rest of the damage. However, Spring Hill committed five errors in allowing South Lake (5-0) to score four times in the bottom half.

After Spring Hill went down in order in the second, Jy'kez Jackson led off for South Lake by hitting a long fly to right and racing around the bases for an inside-the-park home run.

South Lake went ahead later in the inning on Kendall's infield single deep in the hole to the left side. A total of 17 batters came to the plate, 12 of them scoring, and South Lake ended the frame up 16-6.

Spring Hill rallied for five runs in the third, yet after South Lake added two runs in the fourth, Kendall came on to pitch and struck out the side.

He also struck out the side in the fifth, though he permitted a leadoff triple to Frangione, who scored on a wild throw home.

The sixth went the same way, Kendall striking out three for nine in three innings of work. Frangione's triple and Olasin's two-out single in the sixth marked the only blemishes.

South Lake moved on to last night's final against Bushnell. The win also clinched a berth in the State Tournament for South Lake, as the top two teams from the district advanced.

"We started off sloppy but we just came back," South Lake Manager Mike Hatcher said. "That (the second inning) was a momentum changer, that's for sure.

"...It's (advancing to states) a big accomplishment, especially when we weren't picked to go past the third game."

Meanwhile, Spring Hill lost out in its bid to repeat as district champion at this level.

"I think it was an excellent learning experience for the kids," Coach Pastorelli said. "I've seen them improve so much. I know they're better baseball players because of it. Me and my coaches are better coaches because of it. I think only good things came out of it. I'm just proud of them."

South Lake 19, SH National 12
1 2 3 456 R H E
SHN 6 0 5 010 -- 12 6 8
SL 4 12 2 10X-- 19 12 5
SHN - Cesiro, Smith (2), Pastorelli (3) and Smith, Kirkpatrick (2), Smith (3).
SL - Hatcher, Jackson (3), Kendall (4) and Kendall, Dahl (3).
W - Hatcher. L - Cesiro.
2B - Riffle, Jackson (SL).
3B - Frangione (SHN).
HR - Jackson (SL).
Records - Spring Hill National (2-2), South Lake (5-0).

DIXIE YOUTH LEAGUE AA ROOKIES (AGES 7-8) ALL-STARS
DISTRICT 6 RECAP
at Anderson Snow Sports Complex

06-07
Ridge Manor 13, Sumter 3 (4 inn.)
South Lake 6, Spring Hill American 4
Wesley Chapel National 15, Hernando 7
Spring Hill National 7, Wesley Chapel American 3
Bushnell 16, Wildwood 2

06-09
SH American 14, Sumter 3
Hernando 13, Wildwood 10
South Lake 24, Ridge Manor 0 (4 inn.)
Bushnell 4, SH National 3

06-10
SH American 10, Hernando 8
Ridge Manor 9, WC American 8
South Lake 7, Wesley Chapel National 0

06-11
Wesley Chapel National 17, Ridge Manor 2 (3 1/2 inn.)
SH National 22, Hernando 12 (4 inn.)
South Lake 9, Bushnell 3