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Tampa Catholic gets past Avon Park in 12 innings

By Times staff writers

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 9, 2001

TAMPA -- Robert Valiente's sacrifice fly in the 12th inning gave Tampa Catholic a 5-4 victory over Avon Park.

Not only did freshman Charles Cleveland get a hit to keep a seventh-inning rally alive, he came in to relieve starter Tony Moscato in the eighth and threw four scoreless innings. And he did it after only three days of rest following Friday's complete-game victory.

The victory earns Tampa Catholic (25-5) another trip to the state tournament, where it has won eight titles, tying the Crusaders for the second-most in Florida history with Avon Park and Miami Westminster Christian.

TC will play its state semifinal Wednesday at Legends Field against Marianna, a 2-1 winner over Jacksonville Bolles.

SEMINOLE PRESBYTERIAN 16, FORT MYERS EVANGELICAL 13: Adam Rogers hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in 10 runs as Seminole Presbyterian defeated Fort Myers Evangelical at John J. Pizzio Memorial Field.

The win gave Seminole (24-7) its first berth in the state tournament, where it will face Jacksonville Arlington Country Day.

Seminole Presbyterian tied the game at 13 in the sixth inning as John Whitlock scored from first on a Tommy Salemy single to the wall, which the Sentinel centerfielder misplayed. The Lancers took the lead for good when Salemy scored on Bobby Cupp's bases-loaded walk.

VENICE 7, DURANT 1: After yielding a run in the first inning of the Class 6A, Region 2 final, Venice ambushed Durant with seven runs in its first three at-bats to win Tuesday at Venice. Arnold Hughey pitched a two-hitter, and Mike Matthews and Brian LaNinfa had six of Venice's 12 hits as the Indians handed the Cougars a post-season loss for the second time in three years.

Durant (21-7) briefly had the upper hand, scoring an unearned run in the top of the first.

But Venice struck for three runs in the bottom of the inning, one in the second and three more in the third.

SIGNINGS: Three Shorecrest players have signed to play with Division I colleges, Ryan Heacox with Stetson, Mike Giroud with East Tennessee State and Mike Williams with the College of Charleston.

Heacox, a right-handed pitcher, was 11-1 this season with a 1.75 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 721/3 innings.

Giroud, a second-team all-Pinellas choice last season who will play outfield and second base in college, was 34-for-82 (.415 average) this season with 34 runs, 27 RBI and 15 extra-base hits.

Williams, an outfielder-pitcher, did not play this spring after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament while playing soccer this winter. As a junior in 2000, he batted .403 with 21 RBI.

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