BRADENTON - Osceola's games against Bradenton Bayshore are a good reflection of the kind of season the Warriors have had.
In a February game in Bradenton, Osceola lost to the Bruins, barely able to score. A month later at home, the Warriors shut Bayshore out, lighting up the pitcher with eight hits.
Wednesday, in the 4A-13 district semifinal, the Warriors once again looked like a totally different team, losing 3-0.
"We haven't come through in the games when we needed to," Osceola coach Bill Rasmussen said.
Only one inning went by that Bayshore didn't get on base and with those kinds of odds, the Bruins were bound to score. The Bruins (16-9) scored twice in the second and again in the third - all the offense they would need to advance to next week's region tournament and Friday's district championship game against Palmetto. The Tigers defeated Bradenton Southeast 11-0 Wednesday. This is Bayshore's first trip to the region tourney.
The Warriors (13-7) had a slow start, going three-up and three-down in the first two innnings. No Osceola batters struck out, but Bayshore's defense contained them.
Osceola pitcher Michelle Tatlock walked Bayshore's lead-off batter in the second and hit the second with a pitch, putting the Bruins' first two runners on base.
Osceola had its best chance to score in the third. Taylor Stanley got on base with a one-out walk and Amanda Shirley joined her, hitting a single to leftfield. A ground out from Kim Dupper advanced the runners again, bringing Tatlock to bat with two outs. Down in the count 1-2, Tatlock switched to hit from her right side. She sent a hard shot deep to leftfield, but it was caught to end the inning.
Bayshore pitcher Jenni Campos (10-2) ended the game on a putout, her sixth of the game. Tatlock (11-6), a senior, pitched her last game.
"I tried to get her to smile," Rasmussen said. "They play better when they're having fun."
There was little for the Warriors to enjoy on Wednesday.
