Having been part of numerous championship teams as Citrus Park coach, Bruce Oglevie knows what it takes to be a winner. But he was surprised when his minor girls took the District 6 championship with relative ease.
With Thursday's 17-7 victory against Palma Ceia shortened by the 10-run mercy rule, Citrus Park moved on to the sectional tournament, which starts Saturday in Oldsmar.
"This is quite unexpected," Oglevie said. "Having been a part of quite a few championship teams, I wasn't sure. We were inexperienced and very young. So I was pleasantly surprised."
Though his team was split almost evenly between 9- and 10-year-olds, Citrus Park went undefeated through four games and outscored opponents 61-11.
"Most teams have almost all 10-year-olds, but we were half and half, so that was one reason I was a little nervous," Oglevie said. "This was the youngest and least experienced team I've coached, but they showed some teamwork and that's why I'm so proud."
Pitching pushed Citrus Park to the title. The team got two no-hitters during its run, one from Jessica Wallace and the other from Chelsea Oglevie. In four games, opponents mustered six hits, four of which came off Alyssa Ely in the title game. Angela Kafalas led Citrus Park's offense. She hit two homeruns, a triple and two doubles during the tournament. The team will have to make do without rightfielder Colby Maffei as it advances, because she is going on vacation.
"She was surprised to be an All-Star," Bruce Oglevie said. "We won't have her at sectionals and not at states either, even if we can make it that far."
Another thing Citrus Park won't see at the next stage is the big blowouts that carried it through district.
"We stressed the fundamentals," Oglevie said. "Bunting was big. We're big on pitching and defense. We're not going to out-score many teams by a lot, but we probably have two, if not the best close to it, 10-year-old pitchers."
