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Palm Harbor starts out with 9-3 win

By JOHN SCHWARB

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 14, 2001

To advance to the Little League World Series, the Palm Harbor seniors have twice survived the losers bracket.

Monday night, they took the first step toward an easier week, defeating Eastland, Mich., 9-3 in the first game of the nine-team, double-elimination tournament.

Palm Harbor will play at 7:30 tonight in Kissimmee and will likely face Sunnyvale, Calif., which led late Monday against tournament host Florida District 3 before the game was suspended by lightning.

Ace pitcher Cody Rainer got the start against Eastland and went the distance, scattering 10 hits and striking out seven while walking none.

Rainer gave up all of his runs in the third inning as Eastland took a 3-1 lead, but diving plays from third baseman Tyler Clippard and second baseman Ed Garton, and a nifty play in leftfield from Matt Jimmenez prevented further damage.

"The defense was sterling," Palm Harbor coach John Petika said. "They kept the game close when it looked like (Eastland) could get a big lead on us."

In the top of the fifth inning, Chris Howell's single scored Kevin Morris and Bobby Uzdavines to tie the game 3-3.

In the sixth inning, Morris put Palm Harbor up 5-3 with a single that scored Brian DeGonzague and Ryan Fons.

A two-run single from John Petika and another two-run hit from Morris put the game out of reach in the seventh inning.

"The stadium is 410 (feet) to center and 390 in the power alleys, so you've got to play small ball and we did," coach Petika said.

In the state tournament and last week's Southern Regional, Palm Harbor was knocked into the losers bracket early and had to fight through several elimination games.

Ryan Harvey is scheduled to pitch tonight.

The game can be heard on the radio at WLVU-AM 1470.

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