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ERIC MUSKATEVCOn the day of their prom, the Falcons made quick work of Palm Harbor to win the district title.
DUNEDIN - The Falcons (18-9) got into their tuxedos an inning early Friday, defeating Palm Harbor University (14-11) 16-4 in six innings at Knology Park.
On the school's prom night, Dunedin handed coach Tom Hilbert his sixth district title with the program and his eighth overall - this one against the top-seeded Hurricanes, who the Falcons lost to twice this year.
"We're cranking on all cylinders," said Hilbert, who will be attending the regional tournament as a coach for the 10th time in 11 years. "We've had a very very good week."
Dunedin batted around in the top of the first off PHU starter Jeff Ludlow (3-2). Jeff Cheek, 1-for-3 with three runs, led off with a single that ignited a three-run, three-hit inning. The Falcons added two more in the second and three in the third when Andrew Moltz replaced Ludlow.
PHU led off both the first and second innings with triples from Steven Lynch (2-for-4) and Mark Zakshevsky off Falcons starter Kyle Mills (2-1). Both runners scored on sacrifices.
"If we ever put it together, we'd be scary," said PHU coach John Vigue. "This was a little wake-up call for us. We feel we're as good or better than those guys."
PHU scored a run in both the fourth and fifth to pull to 8-4, but a monster sixth for Dunedin put the game out of reach. The Falcons batted around for the second time and scored eight runs off seven hits, including Erik Turgeon's leadoff triple, his second of the game.
Turgeon finished 3-for-6 with three RBIs. Kevin Garcia was 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs for Dunedin, which finished with 16 hits.
Mills threw five innings and allowed three earned runs while striking out one. Turgeon relieved Mills for the final three outs in the bottom of the sixth.
"This was the first time we'd been ten-runned, the first time we've lost by more than five all year," Vigue said. "But tomorrow is a new day and we have a chance to turn it around."