State champions savor experience of Regional

Palma Ceia/Tampa Bay/Interbay fell 6-4 to Virginia in the final game of pool play Sunday at the Little League Softball Southern Regional tournament.

By JARRETT GUTHRIE
Published July 30, 2007

GULFPORT - Palma Ceia/Tampa Bay/Interbay fell 6-4 to Virginia in the final game of pool play Sunday at the Little League Softball Southern Regional tournament.

Coach Lee Pitisci said his team grew from its experience at the tournament despite going 0-3.

He compared the time spent in the dorms around Arnold S. White stadium to a summer camp for Florida's state champ.

After Sunday's loss, Pitisci and assistants Kevin Franklin and Carlton Cozart gathered both teams at the mound and in front of the scoreboard for pictures.

"It's obvious to me the team got more out of this tournament than softball," Pitisci said.

"After they lost, the first thing they did was to run to the other team, hug them and take pictures. They wished them the best of luck in their future games, and that is what it is all about."

Alexis Jackson, who Sunday went 2-for-3 with two singles, echoed her coach's opinion about staying in the dorms with teams from seven other states.

"It is awesome. I've never done this before," she said. "Virginia and South Carolina have been in our room every night."

Pitisci said he found it hard to single out one player but Jackson's hitting was a crucial part of the team's success.

"Alexis Jackson has been a tremendous part of our offense," he said.

CATCH OF THE DAY: PC/TB/IB centerfielder Ashton Hill's effort got the final out of the fifth. With two on, Hill dived for a sinking liner about 20 feet behind second base.

More Little League

10-11 BASEBALL: Citrus Park's bats woke up late but defeated New Tampa 8-1 in the semifinals of the state tournament in Pinellas Park.

Citrus Park faces Cocoa in the final at 4 p.m. today.

New Tampa took a 1-0 lead in the fourth, but Citrus Park responded, scoring three in the fifth on two two-out singles. The first, by Michael McGuire, scored Victor Ortega, and as New Tampa threw the ball in, Kevin Merrill scored and McGuire advanced to third. Wyatt Reid then drove in McGuire.

Citrus Park added five in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run single by Austin McCullers and a bunt single by Levi Gilcrease that drove in a run.

McGuire earned the win, striking out six over five innings.

JR. SOFTBALL: Palma Ceia/ Tampa Bay/Interbay advanced to today's state final by defeating Naples 5-1 in Bloomingdale. It faces Indian River at 10 a.m.

Tyler Riendeau pitched a complete game in what coach Laurie Steckel called "the game of (Tyler's) Little League career." Danielle LaRoy had two run-scoring singles.

MAJOR BASEBALL: Down to its final strike and trailing DeFuniak Springs 1-0, Seminole got a three-run homer from Anthony Lamoureux to win 3-1 and reach today's semifinals in Tallahassee.

"I wasn't thinking about hitting it out at all," Lamoureux said. "I just wanted to hit the ball hard somewhere and get one run in.

"Everyone had confidence in the dugout. We knew we'd come back and win."

Seminole faces North Springs at 10 a.m. The final is scheduled for 5:30 today.

Times staff writer Brandon Wright contributed to this report.

[Last modified July 29, 2007, 23:55:49]