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By FRANK PASTOR, ROD GIPSON, Times staff
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 2, 2001
TAMPA -- Anthony Moscato hurled his first career no-hitter and Tampa Catholic blanked visiting Frostproof 5-0 in the Class 3A, Region 3 quarterfinals Tuesday.
Tampa Catholic (23-5) will play Friday at Lemon Bay (22-9) in Friday's semifinals.
Moscato, throwing fastballs on 88 of 99 pitches, struck out seven while allowing just two walks in seven innings. Two batters reached on errors.
Moscato, who had never thrown a no-hitter in 13 years of organized baseball, retired 14 consecutive batters between the third and seventh innings.
He relied primarily on his fastball after struggling to get his curveball over the plate during warmups.
"I went out there with one pitch," Moscato said. "I just told myself, "Keep the ball down."'
Tampa Catholic scored three runs in the third inning without hitting a ball out of the infield.
Brian Nowotney walked and scored on a wild pitch. Courtesy runner James O'Donoghue came home on Craig Corrado's infield single, and courtesy runner Matt Noel was awarded home plate after Robbie Strickland balked. -- FRANK PASTOR
In beating Berkeley Prep for the third time this season, the Chargers (19-10) opened the game with a strong statement, getting twin two-run home runs to leftfield from Mike Giroud and Sean Wiggins. But the Bucs (12-19) shrugged off the four-run deficit during their at-bat, taking advantage of two Shorecrest errors to post three runs and erase thoughts of a Chargers blowout
Just as errors lifted Berkeley Prep back into the game, they would let them down later. In the fifth inning, Shorecrest's Cory Dlugozima escaped a rundown between first and second when Bucs shortstop Derek Hatcher mishandled the ball. What would have been the third out turned into another Shorecrest run when Giroud doubled to left to score Dlugozima. -- ROD GIPSON
TAMPA -- Seminole Presbyterian blew a six-run, first-inning lead but recovered to defeat Canterbury 9-7 in the regional quarterfinals Tuesday at John J. Pizzio Jr. Memorial Field.
The victory came one day after Seminole Presbyterian coach J.J. Pizzio's wife, Elizabeth, delivered the couple's second daughter, Mya Vita. The win earns the Lancers (22-8) a trip to the region semifinals and a game Friday at Bradenton Christian (20-5).
Adam Rogers' bases-clearing single highlighted Seminole Presbyterian's six-run first. Canterbury scored four runs in the third and three in the fourth to take a 7-6 lead, but Bobby Cupp's RBI double and Rogers' run-scoring single in the bottom of the inning put Seminole Presbyterian back ahead.
Freshman Justin Craig struck out six batters, running his career total to 109, in four innings of relief to pick up the victory. -- FRANK PASTOR
Daniel Sayne pitched a two-hitter and Temple Heights played error-free ball in beating Indian Rocks Christian 4-1 at the Naimoli Complex in St. Petersburg. Temple Heights improved to 4-14, while IRC ends its season 14-12.
Sayne was aided by good defense, including a spectacular catch in deep centerfield by Ryan Edmonds on Warren Garrison. Sayne induced a deep fly out with the bases loaded in the seventh to end the game. -- TIMES STAFF