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Every little bit helps
By STEVE LEE, Times Staff Writer NEW PORT RICHEY -- Four West Pasco Junior Baseball All-Stars have already won a title this season. Manager Jeff Roxby is counting on that experience for another championship run. "I think it definitely helps," Roxby said. "I think having to win five games in six days helps." Mike Lemming, Jon Taylor, Jeff Roxby Jr. and John Frank played on the West Pasco Indians, who bounced back to win the District 12 Tournament of Champions after dropping the first game 11-10 to Dunedin American in the double-elimination event. Roxby said the key to the Indians' 5-1 tournament record was that three of the four players pitched. Lemming earned two victories and Roxby Jr. and Frank each won a game. Jonathan Koshko, a reliever who did not make the all-star team, also won a game. "When you get to elimination games, pitching counts," Roxby said. "We had four pitchers." West Pasco, which went 18-0 during the regular season, defeated Largo National 10-4 in the district final thanks to a seven-run sixth inning. Roxby said that victory avenged the West Pasco Devil Rays' loss to West Pinellas in last year's championship game. Four Indians hit .455 or better in the tourney. Roxby Jr. hit .700 with 4 RBIs and 8 runs scored, Jimmy Burke hit .500, Lemming and Dwayne Lansdown each averaged .455 with Lemming driving in four runs and Lansdown scoring five. Roxby was hoping for additional help from some of last year's players who were part of West Pasco's Major Baseball district championship team. Most of those players are 13 and in Roxby's opinion need time to get used to the larger field used for Juniors and Seniors. "It's an adjustment for those 13-year-olds," Roxby said. The Cardinals nearly gave West Pasco two champions, but that Senior Baseball team lost 3-2 to the Palm Harbor Pirates in the district final. Trailing 3-0, the Cardinals scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and came within a few feet of the outfield fence of winning. But Josh Rose's smash to deep left-centerfield with Patrick Potter at second base was caught for the final out. "It was at the warning track," West Pasco manager Bob Fransen said. "We would have won 4-3." Colter Revak scored on Potter's double and Dakota Hardesty came around on a throwing error to set the stage for the final play. Fransen lauded his players for rallying against Palm Harbor. "The kids just fought so hard," Fransen said. "It was neat to see."
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From today's Pasco Times Letters |
