Preps

Plant, Gaither win

TAMPA -- In one simple play, a flip from the pitcher to the first baseman, Middleton's unlikely -- some would say unbelievable -- run through the Saladino Tournament was dashed.

It came in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Tigers holding a 5-4 lead against Plant in Thursday's semifinal. The Tigers' best pitcher, Mark Gildea, was on the mound with runners on first and second and no outs.

Plant laid down a bunt. Gildea fielded it cleanly, and with plenty of time to cut down the runner at first, the ball sailed from his hand over the first baseman's head.

The tying run trotted across home plate as a charging Corey Brown rounded third and slid safely home for a 6-5 victory.

While Plant (14-2) celebrated its third trip to the championship in the past six years, Middleton, a first-year school, trudged off, stunned, to the dugout.

"It's tough to swallow," Middleton coach Larry Doby Johnson said. "To get that close and have it slip away is really, really tough.

"But I also have to say that I'm real proud of this group. Nobody gave us a chance before this tournament, and we showed a lot of people what we're made of. We have a lot to be proud of."

Middleton entered the tournament 3-8 and lost to its first two regular-season games to Plant 10-1 and 15-1.

"All I know is that Middleton is a totally different team than when we played them before," Plant coach Bo Puckett said. "I don't know what happened to that team, but they've really turned things around.

"We feel fortunate to get out of here with a victory."

Middleton (7-9) started the game with a double, single, walk and single, which was followed two hitters later by a two-run single.

The Tigers finished with three first-inning runs only to allow just as many to Plant in the bottom of the first.

After that, it was pitching by committee with Middleton using four and Plant three, the last being Johnny Taylor, who had thrown three innings all season.

Taylor allowed no runs in two innings Thursday.

"To be able to see a guy like Johnny Taylor come in and deal like he did (Thursday), well, it's really uplifting," Puckett said. "He stepped right in, in one of the biggest games of the year, and got it done.

"Now I see another guy I can go to in a tight situation."

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