Collazo paces Jefferson 9-1

By JEREMY RASMUSSEN
Published May 11, 2005

TAMPA - After enjoying his customary pregame meal of a hot dog slathered with mustard and mayonnaise, Jefferson's Josh Collazo went out and devoured Lake Wales (18-11).

The husky pitcher delivered six innings of one-hit ball, while accounting for six of Jefferson's runs with two doubles and a grand slam in a 9-1 win.

"They beat us last year when I was pitching, and I was definitely looking for revenge," Collazo said. "The hot dog just gets me going. It gets me pumped up."

Collazo's first-inning double scored Fred Freeman for Jefferson (20-6). The pair hooked up again with the same result in the third.

The only hit Collazo gave up was a double to Josh Stoudamire in the third. Stoudamire scored on an error.

In the fourth, up 3-1 after Nick Naranjo doubled, Joey Rivera and Peter Millan walked to load the bases. Collazo sent a fastball from Highlanders pitcher John Church (7-2) about 340 feet over the leftfield fence for his 13th homer of the season.

Collazo (10-1) showed fatigue in the sixth inning, walking three straight, but coach Pop Cuesta decided to leave him in to finish the inning. Collazo responded with a strikeout to end the inning. Robert Gordon pitched the top of the seventh to get the save.

"We just hit the ball tonight. It was big Josh," Cuesta said.

WINTER HAVEN - Facing an abrupt end to a stellar season, Winter Haven delivered a knockout punch with seven runs in the fifth inning in a 9-5 victory over Armwood in the Class 4A, Region 3 quarterfinals Tuesday night.

On Friday Winter Haven (24-3) hosts Ridgewood, which defeated Leesburg on Tuesday.

Saterbo's based-loaded single off the leftfield wall, on a 1-2 pitch, scored Matt Fairel and Alex Brooks. Fairel, the rightfielder, started the fifth-inning onslaught with a bases-loaded, two-run single to chase Armwood starter Joey Gildea.

Schafer, who doubled and scored twice from the leadoff spot, struck out five of seven batters in the final two innings while going the distance.

Armwood (13-13) got to Schafer with two outs in the fourth. R.J. Anderson homered on a 3-1 pitch, then Jared Simon, Josh Wittcoff and Spencer Scott followed with consecutive doubles to give the Hawks a 3-2 lead through four innings.

Anderson also lined a two-run double in the fifth that put Armwood on top 5-2.

- THE LEDGER

TAMPA - Cambridge jumped on Manatee HEAT early, scoring six runs in the first two innings, on its way to a 6-2 victory in Class A.

Lefty Austin Welti (7-3) got the win for the Lancers.

Right-hander Jimm Fall, an eighth grader, relieved Welti to earn the save. Fall struck out six over his first three innings, including all three batters he faced in the seventh.

Cambridge (24-5) scored when Welti singled, stole second and moved to third on a single by Garrett Cox. He scored on a double by Byron Eger.

Eger added a run-scoring triple in the sixth.

Cox, a sophomore went 4 for 4, had two runs and two RBIs.

"Our team is young and small, but tonight our defense came through solid," Cox said. "We knew they would be throwing their ace, and we knew he had a lot to throw. But we jumped on him early and it turned out well for us."

With a run in the second and another in the third, the HEAT closed the gap to 3-2. However, Manatee was unable to push across the extra runs needed.

It had chances, but stranded enough runners to win it several times. The HEAT stranded runners in each inning, including two in scoring position in both the first and sixth.

Lancers coach Jack Cox was pleased with the overall performance of his team.

"I knew Manatee would be tough and they didn't give up," Cox said. "We still will have both of our pitchers available for the game Friday."

- TERRY JONES, Times correspondent

[Last modified May 11, 2005, 00:47:09]