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By ALEX LYNCH
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 19, 2001
The Tournament of Champions have crowned most of its winners, and the Florida Little Major League District All-star Tournament has begun.
In District 5 senior baseball, Pinellas Park National defeated Seminole 11-5 Monday to win the title. It knocked Seminole into the losers' bracket Friday with a 15-5 win. Saturday, Seminole bounced back to reach the final by defeating Cross Bayou 7-5.
In junior baseball, Northeast led Pinellas Park National 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning Monday before rain forced the game to be suspended. The game will be completed today.
If Northeast holds on, it will win the title. If Pinellas Park National wins, the teams will play for the title immediately afterward.
The winners' bracket semifinal turned into a 16-6 blowout win for Northeast over cross-town rival Northwest. Alex Bulger hit two triples, and Raymond Skrotsky went 4-for-5 to lead Northeast. Nick Luker earned the win on the mound.
In the losers' bracket, Pinellas Park National knocked Northwest out with a 9-4 win. Jonathan Spincken, Kevin Spiers and Brandon Tenney starred in the win.
In the District 12 major baseball final Thursday, Palm Harbor American's Ryan Garton and Jamison Sweat combined for a four-hit 5-0 win over Palm Harbor National. Zach Sobel, Taylor Tillung and Chris Holtzman led the team offensively.
In West Pinellas' 10-1 win over West Pasco in the juniors baseball championship, Chris McDonald earned the win on the mound and Houston Blackwell led the team in hitting. West Pinellas won eight consecutive games in 13 days for the title.
In its 9-3 semifinal win over Palm Harbor National on Wednesday, Anthony Marra threw 126 pitches, striking out 12.
In senior baseball, Palm Harbor National defeated West Pasco 3-2 for the title. It was the third time the teams met during the tournament. The winners' bracket final ended with a 14-13 thriller in favor of West Pasco.
In the final, Palm Harbor National (coming out of the losers' bracket) squashed West Pasco 13-1, forcing another final. In that game, Chris Heil pitched seven innings with seven strikeouts. Clay Perkett, John Petika and Cody Rainer led the team offensively.
The senior softball tournament also had a third game, this time between Dunedin and West Pasco. Dunedin, with the combined pitching of Sarah Kohlbrenner and Kalli Cora, stopped West Pasco 3-1. Apryl Wall and Christian Ionata played key roles defensively for Dunedin.
In the Florida Little Major Leagues all-star tournament, being held at Northwest Park, Northwest beat Pinellas Park 16-5 and Seminole edged Woodlawn 9-8.