Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Little League

Hernando Pre-Majors ousted from tourney

The team's Dixie World Series ends after three games with a 5-3 loss to a team from Tennessee.

By LARRY BUGG
Published August 3, 2005

Hernando's trip ended Monday at the Dixie Pre-Majors World Series in Ponchatoula, La.

The 15- and 16-year-old players lost 5-3 to Bartlett, Tenn., and were eliminated from the tournament.

Kyle Neal was the losing pitcher for Hernando, which went 1-2 in the Series. He pitched 51/3 innings, struck out two, allowed six hits, walked one and hit one.

"Kyle went out and competed," Hernando coach Donnie Whitehead said. "He didn't have the command he usually does. He kept us in the ballgame. He made a key pitch here and there.

"They (Tennessee) are a good ball club. They did a good job of being disciplined. They did a lot of little things they needed to do to win. They took pitches, bunted well. They did a good job of keeping pressure on us."

Several Hernando players had decent offensive games.

Kai Huff hit his second home run of the World Series, a solo shot. Mike Dudek was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI and Kenny Treverton was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Hernando had nine hits but left 11 on base.

Tennessee scored three times in the second and twice in the sixth.

"Defensively, we had one bad inning," Whitehead said of the sixth. "They had a sacrifice bunt and Neal had a throwing error. He tried to force a throw. He probably should have eaten it. That allowed a run to score.

"They are down in their order. The next guy bunts for a single. They sacrificed both guys up. They scored on a sacrifice fly."

There were little things Hernando players did that contributed to the loss but didn't show up in the box score.

"There were a couple of mental lapses," Whitehead said. "That took the wind out of our sails. They were simple routine plays that kids have made a million times. It was one of those days when nothing went our way."

"We left 10 on Sunday and 11 on base (Monday)," Whitehead said. "When (Tennessee) needed to make the plays, they dug deep enough to get it done."

Whitehead said playing in pressure games like these will pay dividends for each player.

"Playing in events like this, the pressure situations in these games are so magnified compared to a regular high school game," he said. "These kids have had a chance to get used to this. It will be that much easier for them. They will be able to relax and just play. That's true in life in general. The more adversity you can face, the better you will do in life."

Contributions helped allow the players make the trip.

"We are grateful to everybody in the community for their support," he said. "We raised a little over $4,000 to send us here. Everyone in the community needs to note that there are at least 14 great young men who are about to become part of the community. They will be good members of society and I have been proud to be associated with them."

[Last modified August 3, 2005, 00:36:17]