Inverness All-Stars face challenge right off bat

By CAREY FREEMAN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 29, 2001

Jack Salozzo has made a habit of following in Pete Maggiore's footsteps, and it's a habit the new Inverness Senior All-Stars manager would love to break.

That may be easier said than done this season.

Not only does Salozzo follow perhaps the most successful Little League softball manager in county history, his team follows in the footsteps of the county's most successful squad. "It's funny, but I've always been behind Pete," Salozzo said. "Two years ago, I took my 9-10 (Minor) team and won the district but lost in the sectionals and Pete's Juniors (13-year-olds) took fourth in the state.

"Then," Salozzo said, "I took the Juniors and won district and sectional and finished third in the state, but Pete wins state and goes to the World Series."

The rest is history.

Maggiore's decision last year to forfeit in the semifinals of the Senior Softball World Series rather than play a team that fielded boys may have cost him and his club a chance at a world title. But the run created some cavernous footsteps for Salozzo and this year's edition of the Inverness Senior All-Stars.

Can Salozzo's group, which has just two members (Jessica Macdonald and Eleshia Young) from last season's team, match that effort? Better yet, can it even come close?

"So many ducks have to be in a row," Maggiore said. "Plus, there has to be a lot of sacrifice from the coaching staff and the girls."

But Maggiore and others do see a light at the end of the tunnel.

With only Inverness, Crystal River and Dunnellon entered in the district tournament, the path to state may be a little easier than it was for Maggiore's team. After that, though, nothing comes easy.

"That helps," Maggiore said. "If they get hot, they can go to state. But state was rough last year and so was Texas (Southeast Regionals)."

Compounding matters is the fact Salozzo is losing several potential stars to the ranks of the area's traveling squads -- a list that includes all-area second baseman Alycia LePage, catcher Whitney Gelin, shortstop Mettina Maggiore and pitcher Megan Rall, all of whom were Citrus High School starters this season.

"Mainly, what we have is my girls Senior team," Salozzo said, referring to the seven members from his Top Teams champion Diamonds.

"It's basically a whole different team from last year. We have one pitcher in Tara Neumann, but my daughter (Sara) and Ashley Worrell also pitch some.

"Defensively, we're pretty tight," he said. "We're just waiting for the bats to come around a bit."

LITTLE LEAGUE SCHEDULES

An annual rite of summer begins Friday with the first day of the Little League District 15 All-Star Tournament. Teams will be competing in eight divisions for the right to advance to sectional tourneys. The district tournament will proceed for the next two weeks and, barring rainouts, will conclude July 16. The whole thing ends in August with Little League's annual World Series events.

DISTRICT 15 ALL-STAR TOURNAMENT

SENIOR BASEBALL

At Inverness (Whispering Pines)

SATURDAY: Game 1: Crystal River vs. Central Citrus, 9 a.m. Game 2: Shady Hills vs. Inverness, noon.

SUNDAY: Game 3: Dunnellon vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m. Game 4: Game 2 loser vs. Game 1 loser, 4 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.

JUNIOR BASEBALL

At Crystal River (Bicentennial)

SATURDAY: Game 1: Dunnellon vs. Central Citrus, 9 a.m. Game 2: Crystal River vs. Shady Hills, noon.

SUNDAY: Game 3: West Hernando vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m. Game 4: Inverness vs. Game 2 winner, 4 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 7 p.m.

MAJOR BASEBALL

WEST DIVISION

At Crystal River

SATURDAY: Game 1: Crystal River vs. Central Citrus, 9 a.m. Game 2: Dixie County vs. Kennedy Park, 11:30 a.m. Game 3: Ocala National vs. West Hernando, 2 p.m.

SUNDAY: Game 4: Shady Hills vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m. Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 3:30 p.m. Game 6: Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 6 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 7: Game 1 loser vs. Game 5 loser, 7 p.m.

EAST DIVISION

At Inverness

SATURDAY: Game 1: Anthony vs. Fort McCoy, 9 a.m. Game 2: Lady Lake vs. Ocala American, 11:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Game 3: Inverness vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m. Game 4: Dunnellon vs. Game 2 winner, 3:30 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 7 p.m.

9-10 MINOR BASEBALL

CENTRAL DIVISION

At Central Citrus (Beverly Hills)

SATURDAY: Game 1: Crystal River vs. Central Citrus, 9 a.m. Game 2: Ocala National vs. West Hernando, 11:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Game 3: Shady Hills vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m. Game 4: Dixie County vs. Game 1 winner, 3:30 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 7 p.m.

NORTH DIVISION

At Dunnellon

SATURDAY: Game 1: Inverness vs. Dunnellon, 9 a.m. Game 2: Ocala American vs. Anthony, 11:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Game 3: Lady Lake vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m. Game 4: Fort McCoy vs. Game 2 winner, 3:30 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 7 p.m.

SENIOR SOFTBALL

At Inverness

SATURDAY: Game 1: Inverness vs. Crystal River, 9 a.m.

SUNDAY: Game 2: Dunnellon vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 7 p.m.

JUNIOR SOFTBALL

At Crystal River

SATURDAY: Game 1: Inverness vs. Crystal River, 9 a.m.

SUNDAY: Game 2: Dunnellon vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 7 p.m.

MAJOR SOFTBALL

At Central Citrus

SATURDAY: Game 1: Crystal River vs. Central Citrus, 9 a.m. Game 2: Dunnellon vs. Dixie County, 11:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Game 3: Inverness vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m. Game 4: Kennedy Park vs. Game 2 winner, 3:30 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 7 p.m.

9-10 MINOR SOFTBALL

At Dunnellon

SATURDAY: Game 1: Inverness vs. Crystal River, 9 a.m. Game 2: Central Citrus vs. Dunnellon, 11:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 1 p.m. Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3:30 p.m.

MONDAY: Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 7 p.m.

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