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Squad enjoys success right off batBy CAREY FREEMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, INVERNESS -- When Bob Pippin formed the Citrus Hurricanes under-16 squad, he was looking to get some extra fall work for his son, Robbie, and his 12 Citrus High School teammates. Yet, what started as a glorified training session has become serious business for Pippin and the 13 members of his 16-and-under club, as evidenced by their performance in a tournament last weekend in Fort Myers. "It's just something we did to keep them playing through fall, to keep them together during the down time," said Pippin, manager of the first-year team. "It's something that, honestly, people in this area have talked about doing for a while," he said. "Finally, with my son in the program, I just decided to do it." Pippin and his coaches, Clint Smith and Richard Brown, put the squad together earlier this month. The team is not affiliated with any national sanctioning body and plans to enter open tournaments throughout the fall. Last weekend, the Hurricanes made the trip to Fort Myers for a invitational tourney hosted by the Southwest Florida Eagles baseball club. The 'Canes weren't expecting much in the days leading up to the tournament, but they found themselves pleasantly surprised by the effort of their squad. It posted a 2-1 record and claimed second place in the eight-team field. "We're elated," Pippin said. "They went down with a great attitude, worked their butts off and played tremendously good baseball. "We went down with the expectation that we'd win a couple and lose a couple. But they went right to work, and when we left, we heard nothing but good things from the other teams and the people that ran the tournament." Held in Fort Myers Terry Park, the home for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1920s, the tournament was comprised of four 16-and-under squads and four 18-under teams. Citrus opened with a 6-3 win over the Pasedena Panthers behind a complete-game, three-hitter from Luke Czerwinski and several clutch hits by Robbie Pippin and Matt Peters, who drove in four of the Hurricanes' six runs. The next victory came at the hands of Sebastian Inlet, an 18-under club that usually competes in American Legion events. Citrus rode a complete-game shutout from Darrell Brooks, who allowed 4 hits and logged 5 strikeouts. The Hurricanes' luck ran out in a 4-1 championship loss to the Southwest Florida Eagles. "If this is any indicator of what to expect in the future, it should be a lot of fun," Bob Pippin said. Citrus was helped considerably by the middle of its order. Brooks, Robbie Pippin, Mike Wilburn and Kieve Huff -- the No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 hitters -- each racked up averages better than .300 in the tournament. Pippin led the way, batting .444. The Hurricanes' next action will come Labor Day weekend in an open tourney at Disney's Wide World of Sports.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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