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High stakes strangle Lancers

By MIKE READLING

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 15, 2001

TAMPA -- For three years Seminole Presbyterian coach J.J. Pizzio promised his team if it worked hard and followed a regimented plan, it would earn a trip to the state tournament.

That promise came true Monday night as the Lancers took to Legends Field for their first-ever Class A semifinal against defending champion Arlington Country Day.

What Pizzio couldn't promise his players is how the game they've been playing for so many years suddenly changes when the stakes are this high. He couldn't provide a substitution for experience at the state level against a team which has appeared in the past two title games.

At no time was the difference between playoff-hardened Country Day and newcomer Seminole Presbyterian more obvious than in the decisive first two innings of the Apaches' 12-2 win in a game shortened to five innings. Country Day will play West Palm Beach King's Academy in today's final at 4 p.m.

"You try to prepare them for what it's going to be like before you get here but this is such a fantastic venue to actually play baseball it consumes you from the time you walk on the field," Pizzio said. "You could tell from the first play of the game; after that it all blew up."

Country Day (22-8) scored once in the first, the key play being an error on the game's first grounder, and then sent 15 batters to the plate in the second en route to jumping out to a 10-0 lead before Seminole (21-9) even sent its fourth batter to the plate.

All nine Apaches in the starting lineup scored in the second inning as Country Day racked Lancer pitchers Justin Craig and Mark Brown for nine runs on five hits. There was one error in the inning to go along with two wild pitches, a passed ball, four walks (one intentional) and two hit batsmen.

Craig took the loss after allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on five hits while striking out one and walking two. He hit two batters and threw a wild pitch while lowering his record to 13-2.

Craig entered the game with nine earned runs in 772/3 innings and a 0.78 ERA.

On the other hand, his counterpart, Donald Brickle, threw two innings of no-hit ball, striking out two before coach Jack Spencer lifted him in an effort to save him for today's championship.

Reliever Stephen Byrd held the Lancers hitless until Tommy Salemy led off the fourth with a single, eventually scoring on Chris Phethean's grounder.

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