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Two teams headed to Dizzy Dean series

By EMERY SKOLFIELD
Published July 9, 2006

Two teams from the Pinellas Park Youth Baseball League are headed to the World Series.

The league's 6-and-under and 10-under All-Star squads were victorious at their Dizzy Dean State Championship tournaments, earning automatic bids to the organization's World Series.

Dizzy Dean Baseball is an association like Little League or Cal Ripken Baseball, and its games are played mostly in the southeastern states.

The 6-under tournament will be held in Rossville, Ga., while the 10-under team is headed to Moody, Ala. Both tournaments begin July 14.

No Pinellas Park team has ever won a Dizzy Dean World Series title.

The Pinellas Park "A" 6-under All-Stars rolled to their state title, winning all four tournament games while outscoring opponents 80-10. Pinellas Park "A" beat Wildwood in the title game at Fossil Park.

The 6-under All-Stars are managed by Mike Galinski. Team members are: Justin Bench, Reagan Birch, Jacob Broerman, Garrett Cook, Troy Galinski, Elijah Hoeker, Garrett Hoeker, Cavan Ingram, Cody Lisenby, Aaron Shahriari, Joshua Sison, Scott Upman and Chase Wilson.

The 10-under All-Stars, managed by Phil Atkinson, won all five of their games to conquer the 11-team state tournament held in Gulf Breeze. Austin Berry struck out three batters in the final inning and hit a home run in a 7-2 title game victory against the Tallahassee Bulldogs.

Team members are: Phillip Atkinson, Berry, T.J. Frounfelter, Dylan Geri, Brandon Grigsby, Cory Hart, Jordan Peri, Michael Rivera, Ricardo Rivera, Cody Stewart and Clint Tonini.

SOCCER: The U-14 Clearwater Chargers boys, ranked No. 7 in the U.S. Club Soccer national poll, saw their season come to an end on Tuesday with a 1-0 loss to Dallas Texans Red in the semifinals of the U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Championships in North Little Rock, Ark.

Dallas Texans Red, ranked No. 2 in the nation, went on to beat CASL Elite of North Carolina 3-1 to earn a spot in the national tournament.

The Chargers, who went 3-0 and outscored opponents 10-1 to win their pool, beat the North Meck N.C. Storm 2-1 in the quarterfinal round behind goals from Nick Jones and Korey Veeder.

The U-16 and U-18 Countryside Lightning girls also bowed out in the Region III semifinal round.

The U-16 Lightning fell 4-2 to eventual champion ESC 90 Black of Oklahoma, while the U-18 girls lost 3-2 to the PTC Lazers 88 Elite of Georgia.

The Clearwater Chargers U-17 boys team finished 1-2 in its pool and failed to advance to tournament play.

SWIMMING: St. Petersburg Aquatics performed well at the Laser Spine Institute Summer Invitational, held June 30-July 2 at North Shore Pool.

Summer Finke, Jennifer Crankshaw, Tracy Rorer, Jonathan Taddeo and Cameron Chambers each captured high-point age-group distinction.

Finke, swimming in the 9-10 girls division, won the 50 backstroke, while Crankshaw (13-14) won the 400 individual medley. Rorer won the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley.

Melanie Margalis won the 400 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley, while Megan Romano took six events: the 50, 100, 200 and 400 freestyle; and the 100 and 200 backstroke.

Jacob Hawk (11-12) won the 100 and 500 freestyle.

Representing the Palm Harbor YMCA-based Westlake Village Swim Team, Jake Danikowski (8-under), Blake Freeman (13-14) and Katherine Mayer (8-under) won high-point honors in their respective age divisions at the Bardmoor Invitational on June 24.

Danikowski won all of his events, while Mayer was first in the freestyle and individual medley, and Freeman won the breaststroke and butterfly.

Caitlin Warner of the Clearwater Aquatic Team was the top overall female finisher at the Clearwater Beach Patrol Ocean Mile Swim.

Jennifer Guyler was the top finisher in the 15-19 girls division, while Neil O'Donoghue was victorious in the 14-under boys division.

Times correspondent Emery Skolfield can be reached at (727) 481-2027 or sptimesyouth@yahoo.com.

[Last modified July 8, 2006, 23:06:24]