Hernando Comes Up Flat Versus South Lake, 15-1

WILDWOOD - The performance by Hernando in Friday night's elimination game at the AAA Majors (ages 11-12) All-Stars District 6 Tournament at Wildwood's Millennium Park left the team's skipper, Dudley Cullum, speechless.

There was nothing he could say. Hernando appeared out of gas, out of pitching arms and out of sync in its 15-1 four-inning loss.

South Lake, which lost its district opener to Bushnell 5-4, but had since come back to win three straight, met unbeaten Spring Hill American at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Hernando went home with only a 5-3 victory over Oak Griner in its first district game to show for its efforts.

South Lake put two runners on base with one out in the first inning but failed to score. It was the only time that happened. It would send at least nine batters to plate in each of the next three innings.

In the second inning, South Lake scored eight runs on eight hits, also taking full advantage of three Hernando errors and two walks. Joey Passino, Matt Garner and Danny Gonzalez each singled in two runs in the inning.

South Lake added three more to its total in the third, Trenton Padgett's base hit driving in two of them, and would finish with a four-run fourth, Garner getting his fourth hit and fifth RBI of the game.

Hernando's best chance came and went in the first, when it loaded the bases on two walks sandwiched around a base hit by Connor Foradas. However, a groundout would end the threat and, for all intents and purposes, Hernando's hopes.

Its only run came in the bottom of the fourth, when a shutout was averted by a Bradley Platt walk to start the inning, followed by an Isaiah Cullum single that sent him to third and a Kaleb Johnson groundout that scored him.

The pitching win went to South Lake starter Clay Stansell. Brent Stentz absorbed the loss.