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Carroll doesn't get fooled again

By BRANT JAMES

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 15, 2001

TAMPA -- Luis Raffan had been so far behind the fastball on the previous pitch that Bubba Ingram wanted to throw it again.

Instead, the Winter Haven All Saints' left-hander followed his catcher's advice and offered a changeup. Raffan took advantage, blasting a two-run, fourth-inning triple that lifted Miami Archbishop Carroll into the Class A final 4-3. "It looked like they were playing us in all game," Raffan said. "We had a double steal on, so I was just hoping to slap it. But he got it inside so I could turn on it."

Sophomore Mitch Del Castillo persevered through a three-run first inning -- two of the runs scored either on mental or physical errors -- to earn his third consecutive complete-game win of the post-season. Del Castillo (8-1) allowed seven hits and a walk.

Ingram (7-3), the Saints ace coach John Carpenter had hoped to save for the final, allowed a run on two hits in three innings. "If I knew then what I knew now, I would have brought in Ingram with two outs and runners at second and third," Carpenter said.

In All Saints' (24-7), the second-ranked team in Class A, Carroll (24-11) added the third high-profile victim in its title chase. The Bulldogs have also beaten No. 7 Miami Northwest Christian and No. 1 Delray Beach American Heritage. Carroll trimmed it to 3-2 in the third when Eric Martinez scored on a two-out Edgar Sucre single. Raffan followed when rightfielder Mike Lloyd muffed the ball.

Dominic de las Osa opened the fourth with a single. After a sacrifice bunt, Danny Aguiar was hit by a pitch. One out later, Raffan (2-for-2, 2 RBI) produced the Bulldogs' third and fourth two-out runs.

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