Chemistry, offense spur state-bound West Pasco

By CHRIS WAGENHEIM
Published July 17, 2007

After a dominant weekend, the West Pasco Little League All-Stars are moving on to the state tournament this weekend in Fort Myers.

"Basically, they played unbelievably," coach Dave Grabowski said. "There were other teams favored to win, but you know what, we are scrappers and grinders. I can't explain it; it is just amazing how these boys play under pressure."

West Pasco shut out Bayshore 3-0 on Friday. Then the all-stars sailed past Seminole 12-1 on Saturday. By Sunday West Pasco was 2-0, and Bayshore and Seminole were 1-1.

With Pasco playing 0-2 Crystal River and Bayshore going head to head with Seminole, Grabowski and his crew did not have to win to move on to state.

"We played to win, we started off six to nothing; we were losing," Grabowski said. "Basically the breaks that we were getting throughout the whole tournament, they were getting."

Despite the early deficit, West Pasco crawled back to take the lead in the sixth inning 8-6. It wasn't enough as Crystal River scored three more, walking away with a 9-8 win.

"(This game) had a lot of positives; I don't think that there was one negative to it," Grabowski said. "When the game was over, none of the boys felt like they lost.

"We also fought on from a 6-0 game, took the lead 8-6, which is huge and we got to see how our pitchers were."

Grabowski said his team is jelling and that each game, win or lose, the players are learning something valuable.

"I feel like at each stage or each game, the team is getting tighter and tighter," Grabowski said. "After our game on Sunday, we had a big party and all the families are tight-knit, the kids are tight-knit.

"We are going to state and we are just a steamroller right now. I feel like if we play our game, people are going to be in trouble."

Teams are also will be in trouble if Grabowski's offense can stay hot.

Nine of the 11 players are batting about .300 while Max Martin, Harrison Keslar and Blaize Grabowski are hitting .458, .667 and .679, respectively.

The team also has combined for 20 doubles in nine games.

[Last modified July 16, 2007, 22:28:55]