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Rough start can't keep Dunedin from Series

By PETE YOUNG

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 3, 2001

The Dunedin big league baseball team spent Thursday hanging out in Biloxi, Miss., admiring the sparkling new notch in its belt.

That's because Wednesday night, Dunedin defeated losers bracket champion Biloxi 7-4 to capture the Southern Regional title.

Dunedin advances to the big league (ages 17-18) World Series beginning Saturday in Easley, S.C.

"We're just kicking back, hanging out, getting a little rest and relaxation," said coach Dave Eggers, whose team departed this morning for South Carolina.

In Wednesday's game, Dunedin made it 3-for-3-for-3: In its third Southern Regional game Dunedin got off to its third terrible start and rallied for its third consecutive win.

Starter Shawn Williams was nearly knocked out early but bounced back to go the distance, just like Mike White (three runs allowed in the first inning) and Josh Whittle (three runs allowed in the second inning) rebounded from bad starts for complete-game wins in Dunedin's first two games.

Williams surrendered four runs in the bottom of the first Wednesday, but allowed just three more hits and two walks in throttling Biloxi during the final six innings.

The comeback started in the fourth when Ryan Graham stroked a two-run home run, and Dunedin scored three times in the fifth on four hits -- by John Wirick, Greg Crawford, Kenny Holmberg and Williams -- to take the lead for good.

Williams gave himself a buffer in the top of the seventh, crushing a two-run home run.

AAU: The Pinellas County-based Grand Slam Slammers won three of four games in the second round of pool play at the 14-and-under AAU national tournament in Sarasota to advance to the final 16.

After losing 10-9 to the Southern Nevada Bulldogs, the Slammers rebounded to win three in a row, defeating the Sarasota Snappers, South Shore Sea Dogs (Mass.) and Central Florida Silver Raiders (eight innings).

In the 2-0 win Wednesday against the Sea Dogs, Kyle Mills pitched a no-hitter.

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