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River Ridge rallies for another win, this time defeating Northeast 7-5 at the Dunedin Easter Tournament.
By JAMAL THALJI
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 13, 2001
DUNEDIN -- It has gotten to the point at River Ridge, official high school of the late-inning rally, that parents have suggested coach Jack Homko use subterfuge.
"The parents tell me to just tell the kids it's the fifth inning," Homko said. "I may as well because we don't really hit the ball until late in games."
It was no different Thursday as River Ridge rallied late for a 7-5 victory over Northeast at the Englebert Complex, claiming third place at the Dunedin Easter Tournament for the second consecutive year.
The Royal Knights (16-9) waited until the top of the seventh before igniting a five-run rally. After dropping its opener Saturday to Clearwater 2-1 in 11 innings, River Ridge has rattled off three consecutive wins.
The last was a thriller. Aaron Worley hit an inside-the-park home run to take a 1-0 lead in the third. The speedy second baseman knocked the ball to deep leftfield and beat the throw to home by a step, scoring despite being knocked down by the catcher before he fielded the ball.
"I didn't think you could block the basepaths without the ball," Homko said. "But the umpire said he didn't think he intentionally blocked his way home."
In the fourth, Brandon Dellechiaie deposited an old fashioned home run over the fence to tie it at 2. The Vikings, aided throughout the game by five Royal Knight errors, re-took the lead 3-2 with a run in the sixth.
Then it was time, once again, for the rally caps.
Tom Dillon sent a triple over the leftfielder's head to score Matt Lee and Greg Esteves for a 4-3 lead. Then Billy Phillips hit a single to center, scoring Dillon to make it 5-3.
Doug Kneib followed with a two-run homer to leftfield to make it 7-3. River Ridge chewed through three pitchers in the inning.
Phillips took over on the mound for Justin Roth in the bottom of the inning. Two passed balls later, the Vikings cut the deficit to 7-5. Phillips ended the game with his fourth strikeout, catching the batter looking and improving to 3-2.
"Nothing's ever easy, is it?" Homko said. "We go up by four and then give up two passed balls."