Junior softball team ready for rematch in title game

Entering Thursday night's game, the major baseball team also has high hopes for a District 13 championship.

By STEVE LEE

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 7, 2000

LAND O'LAKES -- Robbin Patton, scorekeeper for the Land O'Lakes junior softball All-Stars, is giddy about the team's prospects for a District 13 championship.

Especially after Land O'Lakes won its first two games -- 14-0 over Bloomingdale and 19-7 over North Brandon. Those same teams played Thursday night with the winner advancing to tonight's title game at 7 against host Land O'Lakes.

"Those are the only teams we played and we 10-run ruled both of them, so it'll be a good game," Patton said, jokingly. "It'll be a good game for us."

Pitchers April Slate and Samantha Cronk each have a win in the series. Slate is expected to start tonight.

Cronk helped her own cause in the win over North Brandon by going 4-for-4 at the plate. Jacklyn Bradley and Colleen Raison each had three hits with Raison belting a home run. Land O'Lakes' major baseball team also is making a run at a championship. That club played Lutz Thursday night with both teams entering the game with matching 2-0 records.

Land O'Lakes defeated North Seminole, 11-3, and Temple Terrace, 16-0.

Jonathan Cornelius, the scheduled starting pitcher against Lutz, tossed a three-hitter against North Seminole. Pitcher Cas Piruowski went the distance for the shutout win over Temple Terrace.

Jarrett Santana and Ricky Howroyd have led Land O'Lakes at the plate with three home runs each. Land O'Lakes' major softball team enters tonight's game against Thursday's East Bay/East Point winner on the brink of elimination. Land O'Lakes beat East Bay 9-7 and Antioch 13-3 before a 12-5 loss to Bloomingdale.

If the majors keep winning, coach Carlos Tejas expects to meet Bloomingdale in the final.

"They have a little bit better team and so do we," said Tejas, noting that Land O'Lakes defeated Bloomingdale for the District 13 President's Tournament crown with several all-stars from both sides having played in that series.

Kim Hensley had a triple and a double while Jessica Tejas had a double to help Land O'Lakes erase a 6-0 lead with five runs in the fourth against Bloomingdale. But Bloomingdale put the game out of reach with a six-run fifth.

The Land O'Lakes junior baseball team, which lost its opener 11-1 to Northeast, defeated Lutz 5-1 Wednesday to stay alive in the tourney.

Pitcher C.J. Soril struck out 12 Lutz batters and allowed seven hits to earn the win.

Soril and Andrew Nieves each had run-scoring doubles, and Joshua Johnston scored on Garret Gaudins' sacrifice fly.

NO HITS: Tommy Snow was untouchable in the Shady Hills major baseball team's 9-0 win over Crystal River. Snow pitched a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts.

"He can hit the outside corner and the inside corner," said Shady Hills pitching coach Earl Aydelotte, who has worked with Snow for four seasons. "He can hit his spots.

"He can throw three straight curve balls at you or two fastballs and a curve ball."

Snow was scheduled to play shortstop in Thursday night's District 15 game against Ocala American. Adam Kottwitz drew the starting nod on the mound.

Shady Hills' senior baseball team showed it can win the blowouts as well as the close ones with an 11-2 win over Chiefland and a 3-2 victory over Dunnellon.

Travis Simpson doubled in the eighth inning against Dunnellon and stole third. He raced home with the game-winner on a wild pitch.

Kyle Roller tossed a three-hitter and went the distance for the win.

Simpson pitched a complete game and held Chiefland to one hit in Shady Hills' first game. Chris Bowden hit a two-run homer in that contest.

To report news from Land O'Lakes and Shady Hills Little League, contact Steve Lee at (813) 226-3457; by fax at (813) 226-3455; or by email at lee@sptimes.com.

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