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King's ace stays calm

By SCOTT PURKS and FRANK PASTOR

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 15, 2001

TAMPA -- He thought he would have the jitters, but when West Palm Beach King's Academy's Gator Brooks took the mound for the Class 2A semifinal at Legends Field, he said, "I wasn't nervous at all."

It showed.

Brooks mowed through Tallahassee North Florida Christian's lineup Monday, allowing one hit and striking out five in a 2-0 victory. "I think the fact we played a tough schedule and had some tough situations this year prepared me for this game," Brooks said. "It turns out I was relaxed."

North Florida (24-9), meanwhile, fought against the current from the first inning after the second batter for King's Academy (29-4), Brooks, walked, and the next hitter, Joey Howell, tripled. Howell scored two batters later on a suicide squeeze.

A pitcher's duel ensued with North Florida's Micah Posey allowing just one hit in the final six innings.

"I felt like we settled down after the first inning, but we still couldn't get anything going against (Brooks)," North Florida coach Mike Posey said. "He moved the ball around pretty well and he kept us off-balance." -- SCOTT PURKS

P.K. Yonge edges Florida Christian

TAMPA -- Mike Mercadante pitched a complete game, and Flint Wipke's fourth-inning single drove home Ryan Luca with the winning run as Gainesville P.K. Yonge edged Miami Florida Christian 3-2. P.K. Yonge (27-5) will make its first state final appearance when it meets King's Academy tonight at 7. "This is a game that measured how good we were," P.K. Yonge coach Todd Gray said. "One-run games show what you're made of. These guys showed they have a lot of heart."

P.K. Yonge bunched five of its eight hits into the second inning when it took a 2-0 lead. Doug Davies led off with a triple and scored on Travis Mydock's single. Ryne Malone's RBI single made it 2-0. Florida Christian (21-13) got a run back on Ivan Saavedra's RBI single in the bottom of the second and tied it on Brian Aragon's RBI single in the third.

But Mercadante escaped bases-loaded, one-out jams in each inning, striking out Marcus Batista and Brian Lima in the second and striking out Chris Morales and getting Saavedra to ground out to first in the third.

"Give the kid credit," Florida Christian coach Ernie Padron said. "He made the pitches he needed to make in crucial situations. And he got us out."

Mercadante (11-3) struck out 10 while allowing six hits and four walks. Florida Christian's Alex Gonzalez (8-5) struck out 11. -- FRANK PASTOR

Today's games

CLASS A: Miami Archbishop Carroll (24-11) vs. Jacksonville Arlington Country Day (22-8), 4

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS: Carroll -- Junior left-hander Justin Courtright (2-5, 40 innings, 3.59 ERA, 26 strikeouts). Country Day -- Undecided, but senior right-hander Jeramy Simmons, senior right-hander Joseph Shafer and sophomore right-hander Stephen Byrd have thrown at least 31 innings and have ERA's of less than 1.43.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Carroll -- Beat Miami Northwest Christian 5-4, Boca Raton Grandview 3-1, Boca Raton American Heritage 5-1 and Winter Haven All Saints' 4-3. Country Day -- Beat Seven Rivers Christian 15-0, Malone 9-1, Quincy Munroe 10-1 and Seminole Presbyterian 12-2.

THE X-FACTORS: Country Day's Donald Brickle, who was hitting .468 with 11 homers entering Monday, also should be fresh for a mound appearance. Brickle, who has a 0.00 ERA in 23 innings, was taken out Monday after two scoreless innings. Carroll shortstop Jorge Gonzalez came in hitting .347 and went 2-for-2 with a run scored and two RBI Monday.

THE SKINNY: Country Day, making its third state final appearance in as many years, is in prime position to win back-to-back titles. Carroll has made only one trip to the state playoffs, losing in last year's first round. Carroll's lowest ERA is 2.15. Country Day doesn't have a pitcher with an ERA above 1.43.

CLASS 2A: West Palm Beach King's Academy (29-4) vs. Gainesville P.K. Yonge (27-5), 7

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS: King's -- Junior right-hander Jared Caldwell (2-0, 15 innings, 1.43 ERA, 7 strikeouts) or sophomore left-hander Matt Terrill (3-2, 35 innings, 3.43 ERA, 28 strikeouts). Yonge -- Senior right-hander Flint Wipke (9-1, 56 innings, 1.37 ERA, 78 strikeouts).

HOW THEY GOT HERE: King's -- Beat Orlando Lake Highland 6-1, Northside Christian 2-1, Winter Park Trinity Prep 7-1 and Tallahassee North Florida Christian 2-0. Yonge -- Beat Chiefland 7-0, Jacksonville University Christian 10-0, Jacksonville Providence 5-0 and Miami Florida Christian 3-2.

THE X-FACTORS: Yonge shortstop Ryne Malone, who came in with a .500 average and 27 RBI, went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Yonge's semifinal victory. King's catcher Devin Neddo got half of his team's hits, going 2-for-3 in the Lions' semifinal victory.

THE SKINNY: With his limited experience, Caldwell's confidence could be a critical factor. Terrill has thrown more innings (35), but his ERA is 3.43. Yonge appears to have the pitching advantage in Wipke, a senior who hits third and leads the team with 32 RBI. -- Compiled by Scott Purks.

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