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Durant sparkles on diamond

The softball team is unbeaten. The baseball squad is 5-1 in the district.

By BRYAN BURNS
Published March 9, 2007

A look at high school sports action around eastern Hillsborough County:

COUGARS ON TOP: With about one-third of their seasons completed, the baseball and softball programs at Durant High School are enjoying good times.

In softball, the Cougars - 20-5 and district (Class 6A-8) champions a year ago - are undefeated through eight games. With their 2-0 win over Sarasota on Tuesday, they have beaten every team in their district at least once.

"The biggest thing is our hitting has been timely," coach Matt Carter said. "Our pitching has been good, and we haven't made many mistakes defensively. ...It was a culmination of things all coming together at the right time."

Durant, which received votes in the state poll, handed Plant City its first loss of the season (9-3, Feb. 28) and reeled off district wins over Lakeland (10-0) and Sarasota-Riverview (6-3) before the Sarasota victory. The Cougars host district rival East Bay tonight in the teams' second meeting. Durant won 3-1 on Feb. 13. "My biggest fear as a coach is I hope we didn't peak too soon because we still have a lot of important games to play," Carter said.

Ron Fussell has his Cougar baseball squad in contention for first place in the district with a 5-1 league record.

Durant had stood alone atop the district standings with an unblemished record, but managed just two hits Tuesday in a 5-0 loss to Sarasota that dropped it below the Sailors.

The Cougars, led by senior duo Steve Bridwell (team-high .476 batting average) and Josh Teplitzky (1.07 ERA, 19.2 innings pitched), begin their second go-round against district teams tonight at home against East Bay.

RUNNING ON EMPTY: Local high school track teams had a tough time at last weekend's 37th annual Nash Higgins Relays at Leto High School

Only the girls teams at Armwood (third place) and Brandon (fourth place) finished in the top five at the meet, which included every county public school as well as Jesuit High.

Armwood's high finish was due largely to its first-place shot put relay team of Shambrey Oliver, Saidah Grant and Corlissa Pope. Led by Grant's throw of 33 feet, 8 inches, the trio combined for a winning throw of 96 feet, 10 inches.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Bloomingdale will travel to Armwood tonight for a key game in the Class 5A, District 8 baseball race.

Both teams sit atop the league standings and are playing each other for the first time this season. The winner will have the inside track for the regular season league title.

Brandon and Newsome can escape from the middle of the 5A-8 pack with victories tonight. Brandon hosts Freedom while the Wolves will take on Tampa Bay Tech in Lithia.

In 6A-8, third-place Riverview can keep pace with league leaders Sarasota and Durant with a victory at home against Lakeland. The Sharks beat the Dreadnaughts, 2-1, on Feb. 15. Last-place Plant City has a non-league game tonight at Spoto.

[Last modified March 8, 2007, 07:47:36]