Saladino Tournament Schedule Posted By Adam Adkins
ALONSO RAVENS 2007 SALADINO CHAMPIONS
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FRIDAY 3/23/07 CHAMPIONSHIP At Brandon Alonso 4 vs Newsome 1 Free ReBroadcast on www.floridacast.com SEMIFINALS 3/22/07 At Brandon ALONSO 9, GAITHER 2 Newsome 5,Hillsborough 3
Dunn, Cooke (3) and Turner; Schurig, Diaz (5) and Nunez. W - Schurig (5-1). L - Dunn (3-2). 2B - Martinez (S), Richardson (H). Records -- H 12-3, S 8-5-1.
Eastham, Carlin (2), Fairfax (4) and Clements; Parker, Hine (6) and Swindell. W - Parker (6-1). L - Eastham (3-2). 2B - Carlin (R). Records - R 10-5, N 10-4.
Indian:...................W..L.........RF.....RA Alonso.....................2..1.........19.....08* Tampa Catholic..........2..1.........19.....15 Chamberlain..............1..2.........14.....13 East Bay..................1..2.........06.....22
Eastern:.................W..L.........RF.....RA Hillsborough...............3..0.........35.....04* Durant......................2..1.........23.....16 Tampa Bay Tech.........1..2.........16.....20 Lennard....................0..3.........01.....35
#6 - Michael Burgess, Hillsborough - ASU #1659 - Matt Schurig, Hillsborough - FIT #77 - Tommy Toledo, Alonso - UF #127 - Nevin Griffith, Middleton - FIU #151 - Chris Jones, Tampa Gaither - USF #243 - Todd Brazeal, Chamberlain - USF #351 - Drew Longley, Sickles #493 - Stephen Branca, Newsome - UCF #930 - Zach Pietrzyk, Bloomingdale - USF #1297 - Jeffrey Simpson, Bloomingdale - Stetson #1010 - Christopher Turner, Brandon #1124 - Gabriel Perez, Armwood #1382 - Trace Venegas, Plant #390 - Derrick Stultz, Wharton - USF #1914 - Vincent Lally, Wharton - Yale
USA Baseball
2005 YNT Trials
Anthony Ferrera - Riverview Vincent Lally - Wharton
2006 YNT Trials
Ray Delphey IV - Alonso Alex Panteliodis - Alonso Mychal Givens - Plant
2006 COPABE Gold Medalists
Mychal Givens - Plant Alex Panteliodis - Alonso
College Signees
Stephen Branca. Newsome........ SS. Central Florida Todd Brazeal..... Chamberlain.... 3B. South Florida Michael Burgess. Hillsborough.... OF. Arizona State Juan Carlin........ Riverview...... LHP South Florida Nick Driscoll....... Riverview..... OF. Navy Nevin Griffith...... Middleton..... RHP Florida International Chris Jones..........Gaither....... LHP South Florida Oliver Killoren..... T.R. Robinson C.. George Washington Vincent Lally...... Wharton....... LHP Yale Zach Pietrzyk..... Bloomingdale... RHP South Florida Matt Schurig....... Hillsborough.. RHP Florida Tech Jeffrey Simpson... Bloomingdale... OF. Stetson Derrick Stultz...... Wharton...... RHP South Florida Tommy Toledo..... Alonso.......... RHP Florida
Posts: 1644 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 06, 2005
Just thought I should let the reading audience know that several players on this list you posted on the 13th moved up leaps and bounds in the past 2 weeks.
Chris Turner at Brandon HS jumped about a thousand places to around 100 over a week ago. Yesterday, Turner was tendered an offer of a full-ride scholarship to play CF for Vanderbilt who is #1 in the country in most rankings.
Anthony Langston also entered at 454 in rankings last week as well as Nevin Griffith who also moved up considerably to close to top 50 ranking.
Peace, Shep
Posts: 2445 | Location: USA | Registered: January 09, 2006
Nine time state champs Tampa Catholic meets Alonso today in the tournament.
This game features such players as Tommy Toledo, Alex Panteliodis and Ray Delphy IV for Alonso. Tampa Catholic's Kyle Allen and Joe Kelly are very good up and comers.
The second game should include Tampa Catholic meeting East Bay and their ace pitcher Menendez, another star on the horizon.
These two games will be broadcast free of charge for your enjoyment.
Doty Steps Up In Gaither's Victory By ADAM ADKINS The Tampa Tribune Published: Mar 18, 2007
[u]BRANDON - [/u] Gaither coach Frank Permuy needed a pitcher to step up if his team was going to have any chance to win the Saladino Tournament. Saturday night, Eric Doty answered the call.
Making only his second start of the season, the Cowboys junior right-hander was dominant. Doty limited Brandon to only two hits, walked none and struck out 10 in Gaither's 9-1 victory on the tournament's opening day.
"I felt great out there," said Doty, who missed a week and a half with bronchitis earlier this season. "It was great to come back and finally have a good game and get a win."
Eric Arce staked Brandon to a 1-0 lead when he doubled home a run in the first following a two-out error. However, Doty was near perfect after that, limiting the Eagles to two base runners the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, Gaither's offense went to work, with Drew Malley (2-for-2, three runs) and Chris Jones (2-for-3, RBI, three runs) leading the way as the Cowboys scored nine unanswered to close the game.
Gaither wasn't the only team to benefit from some good pitching. Sickles' Gregg Cooke and Josh Dunn staked their claim for the best one of the day, with the sophomore duo combining to shut out Plant in a 3-0 win.
The Panthers had plenty of chances to score runs, but somehow Cooke and Dunn found their way out of trouble each time. The biggest might have come in the sixth, when Dunn worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam, bringing Plant's total to 14 left on base. Dunn then set the Panthers down in order in the seventh.
"It the face of disaster they didn't blink," Sickles coach Bob Pagano said. "That was nice to see."
Matt McLaughlin had two RBIs to lead Sickles, while teammate Kenny Wilson scored twice. Preston Tucker and Mychal Givens each had two hits for Plant.
In the tournament's opening game, first-year participant Spoto downed Freedom 4-3 in nine innings, scoring the winning run on Freedom's fifth error.
Justin Cameron and Trent Jones each had three hits for the Spartans, while George Schmitt tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. Chris Bonti had three hits for the Patriots, while Parker Pope went 2-for-3 and forced extra innings with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh.
[u]AT MIDDLETON:[/u] Saturday night's game was all about offensive surges and defensive flaws, as Middleton defeated Leto 6-4.
Middleton struggled in the first inning when starting pitcher DeAndre Pressley worked himself into a tough situation by loading the bases on consecutive singles and a walk. Pressley pitched with confidence by striking out the next batter to end the inning.
The Tiger offense also struggled early. In the second, two errors and a double steal left Leto's Robbie Scime with two runners in scoring position with no out. Scime came right back and struck out the next three batters to retire the side.
The Tigers capitalized on walks by stealing and forcing Scime to commit a balk and force in a run. Then Anthony Langston hit a double for another run.
The Falcons answered when Ignacio Recio scored on a balk to tie the game at 2. The Tigers scored in the bottom of the fifth when Tameel Scott came in on a wild throw. Middleton scored again when Kyle Lynch laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Jarryd Reid. The final run of the inning came when Tim Walker singled and came home on a double by Corey Thomas. Leto scored another run on a pair of doubles by Scime and Gonzalez.
In the last inning for Middleton, Reid doubled in Lynch.
In the other games at Middleton, Leto beat Cambridge 9-3 and Jefferson topped Cambridge 10-3.
Eric Milis
[u]AT RIVERVIEW:[/u] Leadoff hitter Christian Lopez did it all for the Riverview Sharks as they beat the Armwood Hawks 8-5.
Lopez went 4-for-4 with a grand slam and three singles to help the Sharks (8-4) beat the Hawks (8-3).
The Sharks struck first in their half of the first inning when Lopez stole home to make the score 1-0.
Armwood answered the following inning as DH Jared Simon capped off a four-run inning with a two-run single that gave the Hawks a 4-1 lead.
Down by three, the Sharks came to life in the fourth. After two doubles scored a run, Lopez brought his team to life after belting a grand slam over the center-field wall to give the Sharks a 6-4 lead.
"I thought it was just a long pop and I would tag the runner in," Lopez said. "I've been in a slump, but I went and practiced two times this morning, worked on my swing, and I guess it showed tonight."
Armwood scored a run in the fifth, but failed to break the game open when Scott Spencer lined to center with the bases loaded. Riverview would then go on to score two more insurance runs to make the final score 8-5.
In the second game of the day, the King Lions dominated the Blake Yellow Jackets 10-0.
Shortstop Nick Oertling went 2-for-3, with a home run and double to lead the Lions (5-7) past the Yellow Jackets (0-10) in five innings.
The first game, Hillsborough's Marco LaMonte homered twice to lead Hillsborough past Durant 12-1.
Jordan Chariton
[u]AT CHAMBERLAIN:[/u] A fifth-inning grand slam from host team Chamberlain's Nic Marchese did not threaten Alonso's winning trend. The Chiefs' Justin Richardson walked three batters with the bases loaded, the final walk to Eric Collins giving the go-ahead run, and the victory to the Ravens (10-2) 6-4.
"I knew we had the bats to come back," Ravens left fielder Grant Gajdosz said.
The Ravens' Sherman Johnson had a leadoff bunt in the bottom of the sixth and was followed by a Chris Freshcorn double. Tommy Toledo loaded the bases when the deep pop-up was dropped.
With no outs and bases loaded, Richardson walked Alex Panteliodis and Ray Delphey, tying the game at 4. After two outs, Richardson then walked Collins, scoring Toledo with the winning run.
Chamberlain (5-6) attempted a rally in the seventh inning, but stranded Austin Black and C.J. Evans.
In earlier action at Chamberlain, Alonso's Alex Panteliodis pitched a complete game and shut out Tampa Catholic (9-3-1), beating the Crusaders 10-0. Nathan Hardin went 4-for-4 with two home runs.
Tampa Catholic bounced back from its loss to Alonso by beating East Bay (3-8) 12-2. Kyle Allen homered for the Crusaders.
Matthew Parke
[u]AT NEWSOME:[/u] The Saladino Tournament is supposed to be a showcase of the area best talent, and Kyle Parker didn't disappoint as the Newsome junior pitcher shined from start to finish in a two-hit shutout of Robinson (3-8) 4-0 during the last game of the Northern pool play.
For seven strong innings, Parker (5-1) dominated the Knights, recording 12 strikeouts with a strong curveball that kept the Robinson batters second-guessing all night.
"He's been pretty consistent for us," Newsome coach Chad Haschel said. "He's coming off three days' rest, so we weren't sure what we were going to get. It was nice to get seven, and save other arms in the tournament."
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third when senior Ryan Osenton singled in Ethan Lovell to make it 1-0. Then later in the same inning, senior David Jackson singled home Osenton from third and senior Stephen Branca from second, giving the Wolves a three-run lead.
Newsome (9-3) added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore Jacob Farley hit a sacrifice fly to bring in senior Matt Greer, who had tripled.
In the first game of the day, Zach Pietrzyk of Bloomingdale (9-2) pitched a one-hitter in a 8-0 drumming of Plant City (3-7).
The second game only lasted five innings due to the 10-run rule. Tampa Bay Tech (1-9), behind the stellar pitching of Anthony Edison, one-hit Lennard (0-10) in a 10-0 rout.
Jeffrey Jones
Posts: 1644 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 06, 2005
After eight years at the University of Tampa, the Saladino Tournament is headed back home, so to speak.[/u] By JOEY KNIGHT Published March 17, 2007
After eight years at the University of Tampa, the Saladino Tournament is headed back home, so to speak. The headquarters for this year's six-day event is Brandon High, site of the first four tournaments including the inaugural one in 1981. To commemorate that first tourney, and illustrate the evolution of the Saladino, we've put together some little-known (or perhaps, forgotten) trivia from the '81 event. For those who insist on living in the present, we've got some information on this year's tournament also.
[u]Back, back, back, back ... to 1981[/u]
Big Red Alert
A then-and-now look at the Saladino Tournament's inaugural champion, MVP and winning coach (all from Hillsborough High)
Then; Now
Hillsborough (winning team); 8-3, heavily favored to win Eastern pool
Billy Reed (coach); retired and living in Hyde Park
Dwight Gooden (MVP); 194 big-league wins, nearly as many legal woes
First the Shuttle, then the Saladino
A look at what was happening in the world April 13, 1981, when the Saladino debuted:
Billboard No. 1 pop song: Kiss on my List, by Hall and Oates
At the movies: Nighthawks, The Postman Always Rings Twice, This is Elvis
National news: U.S. Space Shuttle makes first launch (day before tournament starts)
Entertainment news: Van Halen co-founder and lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen marries One Day at a Time co-star Valerie Bertinelli (two days before tournament starts)
The First Pitch
More than 400 people - from media representatives to major leaguers, politicians to pro wrestlers - have tossed out a ceremonial first pitch at the Saladino Tournament, but current Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin was the first.
Martin tossed out the inaugural pitch before the inaugural tournament game - King vs. Leto on April 13, 1981 - and also served as the guest speaker at the first Saladino pre-tournament breakfast that day.
To further illustrate how sharp Tony Saladino's memory remains, he's quick to point out current Bloomingdale coach K.B. Scull picked up Martin from a local airport that morning.
Fast Forward to 2007
[u]Pool Assignments[/u]
Atlantic - Brandon, Wharton, Gaither; Pacific - Middleton, Leto, Jefferson, Cambridge; Indian - Chamberlain, East Bay, Alonso, Tampa Catholic; Eastern - Hillsborough, Durant, Lennard, Tampa Bay Tech; Western - Spoto, Freedom, Plant, Sickles; Northern - Newsome, Robinson, Bloomingdale, Plant City; Southern - Riverview, King, Blake, Armwood
[u]Parking/Admission[/u]
All fans attending games at Brandon will park in the lot behind the football field, located on Kings Avenue just north of State Road 60. All handicap, VIP, scouts and media will park in the lot behind the baseball field, located south of Victoria Street. To reach the "baseball" lot, take Kings Avenue north to Victoria, turn left and take the left into the lot just beyond the baseball field.
Admission to each game at all sites is $5.
[u]Tradition Lost[/u]
After 26 years of making breakfast for all participants in the tournament - always on the Saturday morning before the first game - the pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage have been pulled.
"It's just gotten so big, and my wife (Bertha Saladino, who always cooked the breakfast) isn't feeling 100 percent," Tony Saladino said. "I mean, we're talking about cooking breakfast for about 700 people at one time.
"So, we decided this year to just do without it."
The decision was reached much to the chagrin of 75-year-old Bertha, who through the past year has been suffering with blood clots, and more recently, ear infections and a bruised hip after a fall.
"It took me months to get over the idea of not having the breakfast," Bertha said.
[u]Extra Bases[/u]
As always, the games are only part of the Saladino experience. The annual Old-Timers Day Luncheon, a private event for local former major and minor leaguers and semi-pro players, will be held Wednesday at noon at Brandon High.
The Tiny Tots Game Room, an adult-supervised play area for children 8 and under, will be open at Brandon throughout the tournament.
Posts: 1644 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 06, 2005
After Overcoming Hurdles, Saladinos Feel Relieved By ADAM ADKINS The Tampa Tribune Published: Mar 18, 2007
BRANDON - Bertha Saladino probably put it best. There might be several people who like change, but her and husband Tony aren't among them.
It seems there has been nothing but change for the Saladinos leading up to the 27th annual installment of their baseball tournament, and it has been a tough couple of weeks. They have had to deal with the loss of one of the tournament's staples (the annual breakfast), a late change to the host site (from the University of Tampa to Brandon High) and an even later change to the tournament field (Oldsmar Christian had to pull out because of a lack of players).
That's why Tony felt a huge amount of relief early Saturday morning when Freedom and Spoto trotted onto the field at Brandon. The tournament's opening game went off without a hitch, letting Tony know he had survived the late hiccups.
"With everything that happened, it put a little pressure on us, put us in crunch time," Tony said. "Everything happened at a bad time, but we survived.
"We've had problems before. … But it's going to be fine. We got the first game in. It just stalled us, but it didn't stop us."
Despite everything that happened the past few weeks, the thought of ending the tournament never entered Tony's mind. He said Saturday the ultimate determinant of the tournament ceasing is Bertha's health, as well as his own.
"I don't think these hurdles we've come to will be a factor when we stop," Tony said. "We just seem to get by all these obstacles. For the kids' sake, we're going to see it happen somehow."
All the late changes for this year's tournament have been made easier by the support the Saladinos have received, Tony said. The most notable was Brandon's administration stepping to the plate immediately when the Saladinos needed a new host site. But Tony said he still owed a debt of gratitude to everyone who played a role in what might be considered minor details in the grander scheme of the tournament.
"We've had a lot of people to thank along the way," Tony said. "That's the hardest part. It's hard to get to all the people to thank them. If there's one thing I could relay to the public, it's thank you, to those who had anything to do with our success."
Not everything has been easy, though.
The cancellation of the annual breakfast, done for a combination of reasons, including the feeling it wasn't wanted anymore and Bertha's health problems, is still a soft spot, especially for Bertha. She continually fought back tears Saturday morning when trying to talk about the event not happening this year. She remembered how she used to spend her nights for the two months before the tournament began, sitting in front of the TV and individually wrapping the silverware in napkins.
"There's has been so much emotion," Bertha said. "I try not to think too much about it. … Twenty-six years of doing that; that's a long time.
"There have been a lot of adjustments we've had to make. But as you can see, we have overcome it."
And there have been some plusses, too.
Tony especially has been pleased with the setup at Brandon and the amount of space he has been given. The fact the school's administration is not rushing him to exit the premises at the conclusion of the tournament is an added bonus, he said.
Tony said he will begin to look for a permanent host site at the conclusion of this tournament. And he has a school at the top of his list if the administration is willing.
"I wouldn't mind one bit if [the tournament] ended where it began," Tony said, referring to Brandon.
Tony sat in the hospitality tent beyond left field at Brandon early Saturday afternoon, about 30 minutes after Freedom and Spoto wrapped up the tournament's first game, a 4-3 Spoto victory in nine innings. Oldsmar Christian would have been playing Wharton in the second game at the host site had the small private school not had to pull out of the tournament.
Instead, it was a welcome break, Tony said, and a chance to reflect on how the event is off to another successful start.
"We had to rush, but I think we got everything in. We made it," Tony said. "Now, we'll just put the finishing touches on it."
Posts: 1644 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 06, 2005
Freshman-Heavy Brandon Team Outduels Wharton By ADAM ADKINS The Tampa Tribune
Published: Mar 20, 2007
BRANDON - Brandon coach Matt Stallbaumer didn't need to say much. After watching left-hander Austin Browder stifle Wharton for seven innings in a 3-1 Eagles victory Monday night in the Saladino Tournament, Stallbaumer needed only a few words to express his thoughts on his 5-foot-5, 155-pound freshman hurler.
"He's our guy right now," Stallbaumer said.
In his second consecutive complete game, Browder allowed six hits, one walk and struck out three, outdueling Wharton senior right-hander Derrick Stultz in the process. The only run he allowed was on Steven Christiansen's fourth-inning double that dropped between two Eagles outfielders in left-center.
Browder's performance Monday came on the heels of a complete-game victory over King on March 13 in his first career start.
"That's what he does," Stallbaumer said of Browder, one of seven freshman starters in the Eagles lineup Monday night. "And we seem to find a way to get him just enough."
It didn't seem like Brandon would get anything after scratching out a run in the first, when James Ramsay singled, stole second and scored on a two-out error to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Stultz, a University of South Florida signee, was dominant through the next four innings, putting those 12 down in order and striking out eight of his 11 total during that stretch.
However, Brandon caught a break in the sixth, scoring the tie-breaking run on a throwing error while Cory Schools added a run-scoring single for insurance.
Ramsay had two hits and scored twice for Eagles, while Wharton's Greg Schueller had two hits in the loss.
In the first game, Durant's Robbie Beck went 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored as the Cougars downed Lennard 14-0 in five innings.
Dane Beeman added a pair of RBI singles for Durant, while starter Kyle Carasea went the distance in a three-hit shutout, striking out seven. In the late afternoon game, Marco LaMonte hit a three-run home run and Keith Diaz went 3-for-4 with two runs scored to lead Hillsborough past Tampa Bay Tech 12-2 in five innings. The win gave the Terriers the Eastern Division crown and a berth in Wednesday's quarterfinals.
LaMonte's homer, which capped a six-run fourth inning that broke a 2-2 tie, was his third in two tournament games.
Senior right-hander Joey Gildea went the distance for Hillsborough. Anthony Edison had two hits to lead the Titans.
AT CHAMBERLAIN: In a showdown between Saladino Tournament unbeatens, Sickles (8-3-1) lost a two-run lead to Spoto in the top of the seventh, but took advantage of an infield error in the bottom half of the inning to win 6-5 and wrap up the Atlantic Division crown.Sickles senior Matt McLaughlin singled in the seventh and was replaced by pinch-runner Shane Huckaby, who scored the winning run three batters later on the Spartans' miscue.
Spoto (5-7) took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on a two-out RBI-single by Trent Jones, who had three hits for the second consecutive tournament game. Sickles rebounded with three runs in the fifth, the last on a Michael Cora double. He finished 3-for-3 with two doubles.
Sickles starter Shaun Agnes was pulled for closer Chris Plastic to start the seventh. After retiring Jones, Plastic gave up a single to junior Matt Yaquinto, then a game-tying two-run homer to sophomore Arley Benton that landed on Ola Avenue beyond right-center field.
In the nightcap, the host Chiefs (6-6-1) used home runs from Todd Brazeal (two-run) and Austin Black (solo) to build an early lead and pull away 7-0 against East Bay (3-10) in the Indian Division.
Chamberlain starter Anthony Gordon retired the first 15 hitters, but his bid for the first perfect game and 13th no-hitter in Saladino Tournament history ended on a sharp single by Indians senior Rich Roberti to lead off the sixth. Gordon settled for a complete-game three-hit shutout. They need a similar effort today against Tampa Catholic to have a chance at the wildcard quarterfinal berth.
"It all started clicking together and I just kept going with it," Gordon said.
Bart O'Connell
AT MIDDLETON: The Middleton Tigers won 4-1 over the Jefferson Dragons in a mostly defensive game. The first inning Monday night proved difficult for Jefferson, going three and out and then watching as Middleton got runners in scoring position. The Tigers, however, couldn't capitalize.A walk by Jefferson pitcher Ramon Figueroa ultimately led to a Middleton run. Tigers' Jarryd Reid was walked and then stole on consecutive pitches and was driven in by Jamie Mallard.
In the sixth inning, with Middleton leading 1-0, Corey Thomas hit a three-run homer to put Middleton up 4-0.
Jefferson made an effort in the seventh, benefiting from two Middleton errors that landed Justin Pena on third. With the bases loaded, Jefferson was only able to drive in Pena before Middleton pitcher Nevin Griffith ended the game on successive strikeouts.
In the earlier game, Plant edged Freedom with a 1-0 victory.
Eugenio Torrens
AT RIVERVIEW: The Riverview Sharks dominated the King Lions Monday night in an 11-1 win. King starting pitcher Jarred Macbeth couldn't get into his usual groove, loading the bases by giving up two hits and a walk. A double by Kyle Eastham, followed by a triple by Anthony Ferrara left King behind 4-0.
Pitching struggled into the second inning as three more Shark runs crossed the plate.
King loaded the bases in the fourth with two outs. But Randy Spear hit a laser back to pitcher Chris Knott, who snagged it, robbing Spear of a hit and a couple of RBIs. King shortstop Nick Oertling made a spectacular diving grab in the fourth, coming back up to his feet and firing the ball to first for the out.
The game ended in the fifth when Riverview's offense loaded the bases and an error by King's catcher after a forceout at home, then a wild pitch made the score 9-1. With the 10-run rule in everyone's mind, Tony Suarez hit a two-RBI single, scoring the runners from second and third.
Riverview got spectacular pitching from Knott, who tossed a no-hitter, giving up one earned run and two walks.
Earlier in the day, Armwood beat Blake by the same score of 11-1. Armwood pitched a good game only allowing an earned run and a single walk. Blake senior pitcher Carlo Ottanelli pitched his first complete game, giving up two earned runs. Unfortunately for Ottanelli, his team committed seven errors.
Eric Milis
AT NEWSOME: Despite allowing a run for the first time in five games, the Bloomingdale Bulls got contributions from Joe Castellanos and Jeff Simpson in a 6-3 victory over the Newsome Wolves during pool play of the Saladino Tournament.
Castellanos went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs and Simpson scored two runs and reached base all four times he stepped to the plate.
Castellanos put the game away for the Bulls in the bottom of the fifth inning. Derek Hirsch, who was held out of the starting lineup for unspecified reasons, led off the inning with a double and Castllanos crushed a fastball over the right-field fence for a two-run home run.
Eric Ginn (3-1) picked up the victory for Bloomingdale going 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and five strikeouts.
In the first game of the day, Robinson scored three runs in the top of the first inning and hung on for a 5-3 victory over Plant City.
Charles Gonzalez
Posts: 1644 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 06, 2005
Gaither Holds Off Wharton's Rally By ADAM ADKINS The Tampa Tribune
Published: Mar 21, 2007
BRANDON - The ending was probably much more interesting than Gaither would have liked, but the outcome was just what the Cowboys were looking for.
Gaither staved off a seventh-inning rally attempt by Wharton to hold on for a 5-3 victory Tuesday night in the Saladino Tournament, giving the Cowboys the Atlantic Division crown and a berth in today's quarterfinals.
"We let them hang around too long," Gaither coach Frank Permuy said. "When you let good teams hang around, there's going to be pressure."
In the other games at Brandon, Durant downed Tampa Bay Tech 8-4, and Plant defeated Spoto 7-1, which helped the Panthers claim the lone wild-card berth into the quarterfinals.
The pressure mounted after Gaither starter Chris Jones left after six innings because he reached his pitch count. The Wildcats got the tying runs on base with two outs, but reliever Drew Malley caught Steven Christiansen looking for a game-ending strikeout.
The Cowboys staked Jones (six strikeouts) to an early lead, scoring all their runs through the first three innings. Mike Fernandez's two-run single capped a three-run third, which put Gaither on top 5-1.
Wharton fought back with RBI singles from George Capote in the fourth and Ryan Gawrych in the sixth, but couldn't capitalize in the seventh.
Derek Heiser and Sergio Delgado each had two hits and an RBI for Gaither, while Brady North added two hits and scored twice. Andrew Virgili had two hits and scored twice and Capote had two hits to lead Wharton.
Durant jumped to an early lead against Tampa Bay Tech and the Cougars cruised to a victory. Durant starter Junior Wright retired the first 11 Titans in order before losing a perfect-game bid on Anthony Edison's two-out single in the fourth. Wright lasted five innings, yielding only two hits and striking out six.
Cougars senior Tom Nardello sparked the Durant offense, going 2-for-3 with two triples, two RBIs and two runs scored. Daniel Bromley added a pair of RBI doubles for Durant, and Jeremy Fussell went 2-for-3 and scored three times.
Alex Agger doubled and scored Tampa Bay Tech's first run in the fourth. Santiago Lopez, Clarence Jackson and Edison each had an RBI for the Titans.
Plant starter Chris Mischo tossed six strong innings and the Panthers finally scored some runs in a victory against Spoto.
Mischo limited the Spartans to one run on two hits, striking out six. Mike Lashbrook drove in the winning run with a fielder's choice in the fifth and added a two-run single in a four-run Panthers seventh for some insurance. Jacob Lowe added three hits and two RBIs for Plant, and Shane Scanlon and Justin Salas also had two hits.
Justin Garza brought home Spoto's lone run with a RBI single in the fourth that followed Justin Cameron's double.
Indians Upset Alonso For 1st Saladino Win
At Chamberlain, East Bay pulled off the biggest upset of the Saladino Tournament, beating quarterfinal-bound Alonso 4-3 in eight innings. It snapped an eight-game losing streak and gave Indians third-year coach Nelson Menendez his first Saladino win.
"Besides a couple plays, we played very good defense, and when we got in trouble, our pitching saved us," Menendez said. "We hope that this carries on."
Indians starter James Pierce lasted until the seventh, holding Alonso (11-3) to seven hits, none for extra bases. Charlie Devore got the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief. Center fielder Rich Roberti scored twice, including the game-winner on an infield throwing error.
East Bay (4-10) already was eliminated from wild-card contention, and the Ravens already had clinched the Indian Division.
Meanwhile, Hillsborough (11-3) used a six-run fourth inning to overcome a slow start against Lennard (0-10) in an 11-1 mercy-rule victory. Sophomore left-hander Brian Dupre allowed three hits in a five-inning complete game win.
Longhorns starter Casey Leister kept Hillsborough's top four hitters off-balance until a three-RBI double by cleanup man Casey Nunez in the fourth made it 8-1. Lennard scored its first tournament run in the third, when Fernando Castro walked and scored on a single by freshman Travis Frease.
Tampa Catholic (10-3-1) won the nightcap 7-3 against host Chamberlain (6-7-1) and finished runner-up in the Indian bracket. Will Knox (three hits, two runs) and Anthony Espin (two hits, two RBIs) led the offensive attack for the Crusaders. Knox finished the tournament with eight hits.
Bart O'Connell
Riverview Too Much For Winless Blake
First-place Riverview (10-4) overpowered last-place Blake (0-12) 14-1 in the Saladino Tournament at Riverview.
Blake's best pitcher, Ian Harris, took the mound and it looked as if an upset was possible, with Harris placing his pitches well through the first two innings.
The third inning changed things, as the Sharks teed off and scored eight runs. Harris gave up six of them and was replaced by Jordan Branford, who pitched the rest of the game.
Riverview pitchers were sharp the whole night, with three combining for 12 strikeouts and not walking a batter.
Eric Milis
Middleton Stays Unbeaten In Pool Play
Middleton beat Cambridge 9-4 and advanced to the Saladino Tournament quarterfinals undefeated in tournament play.
Middleton's speed was the difference in the game, proving to be too much for the Lancers. The Tigers stole five bases in the first inning.
Jarryd Reid led off with a double and stole third. He was driven in by Anthony Langston. Langston then stole second and third and was driven in. After surrendering four runs in the first, Matt Fishman got a strikeout to end the inning.
The Lancers' first inning went three up and three down, ending in a double play. Cambridge was able to notch a run in the third inning after Andrew Widell stole second to put him in scoring position, with Erik Shears driving him in.
With Middleton leading 5-1 heading into the fourth, Middleton put up another three runs. Cambridge added two runs, making the score 8-3.
Although Middleton won, the Tigers committed four errors to Cambridge's three. The Lancers used four pitchers but walked eight Middleton batters.
In the earlier game, Jefferson ousted Leto 5-2.
Eugenio Torrens
Recharged Newsome Shuts Out Plant City
All Newsome coach Chad Haschel wanted for his team was a chance to advance in the Saladino Tournament. And that's what the Wolves got.
After Robinson upset Bloomingdale in one of the early games, Newsome capitalized on its opportunity with a 10-0 victory in six innings over the Plant City Raiders on the final day of pool play.
Newsome advances to play Riverview today in the championship bracket at Brandon.
Haschel said Monday night's 3-1 loss "was tough, but the players felt good [Tuesday morning] and were like, 'Coach, we are going to get some help.' We knew we had our ace on the mound and we just wanted a chance."
The Wolves were led by pitcher Matt Greer, who pitched a complete game. Greer gave up two hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings of work.
"Matt's last two outings he has been really solid," Haschel said. "And our players get confidence when he is mowing them down early."
Designated hitter Duston Pachoud provided a spark in the No. 9 spot, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Kyle Copack went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
Good pitching was the theme of the day as Robinson starter Trace Venegas got a complete-game victory over Bloomingdale, 11-2. Venegas allowed two runs on six hits.
Andrew Carr also got a complete-game victory for Freedom, scattering nine hits in a 4-1 win over Sickles.
Charles Gonzalez
Posts: 1644 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 06, 2005
When Plant shows up this afternoon at Brandon for its Saladino Tournament quarterfinal game against Alonso, Coach Dennis Braun might need to walk over and shake the hands of each member of his pitching staff.
While the Panthers, who possess one of Hillsborough County's most prolific offenses, struggled to score runs through three tournament games, their pitchers stepped up their game (allowing only four runs in three games) to help them secure the lone wild-card berth into the quarterfinals.
"We've been hitting the ball, we just haven't been getting timely hits," Braun said. "But I am definitely happy with the pitching so far."
The good news for the Panthers is they seemed to break out of their offensive funk late in Tuesday's win against Spoto.
After scoring only two runs through their first 18 innings in the tournament, the Panthers scored six in their final three innings against the Spartans. That's more on pace with the Plant team that averaged 12.6 runs per game entering the tournament.
PLAYOFF ATMOSPHERE: There's little doubt that Hillsborough used the 2006 Saladino Tournament as a springboard to its runner-up finish in the Class 5A state tournament. This season Coach Kenny White is using the tournament as a motivating tool just like former coach Pat Russo did. Hillsborough has responded by outscoring its three Eastern Division opponents 35-4.
"Russo, he made this thing like it was the state playoffs," senior C Casey Nunez said. "He really enforced that with us. And Coach White's come out and he's told us the same thing. Nothing else matters but to win this tournament."
MISSING PIECE: Hillsborough 3B Mario Mitchell (2nd inning) and 1B Keith Diaz (3rd) were removed from Tuesday's game against Lennard by the home plate umpire after stepping into the batter's box without a mouthpiece. White said both are eligible to play in today's game.
Seniors Cameron McGriff and Eduardo Rojas, who replaced Mitchell and Diaz, respectively, combined for four hits and three runs scored.
RECORD SETTERS: Durant senior Tom Nardello helped last year's tournament runners-up leave their mark on the 2007 tournament, even though the Cougars didn't advance out of pool play.
Nardello legged out a pair of triples in Tuesday's win against Tampa Bay Tech, which not only tied the individual single-game record but gave the team four for the tournament, tying the mark set by Armwood in 1990. Logan Polk and Brad Sabourin each tripled for the Cougars in Monday's win over Lennard.
Also, Hillsborough's Marco LaMonte tied the record for most home runs in a tournament with his third in Monday's win over Tampa Bay Tech.
RING BEARERS: For the first time in the history of the tournament, the Saladino Tournament champions will receive rings commemorating the team's accomplishment, tournament co-founder Tony Saladino announced.
Ring manufacturing company Balfour will donate the rings to each of the players and coaches on the championship team, Saladino said.
MAYBE THE BEST: Wondering which district might be the toughest in the county? All three teams from Hillsborough County with ties to Class 6A-District 7 - Alonso, Gaither and Sickles - advanced to this year's tournament quarterfinals as division winners.
Adam Adkins, Bart O'Connell
Posts: 1644 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 06, 2005
We don't know what happened this evening to our audio broadcast on Floridacast.com.
The signal from the cellular wireless card appeared to indicate we were up and running with full signal, but it appears we lost signal quite a few times during the broadcast.
This will not happen in the championship game.
Posts: 1644 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 06, 2005
Delphey Shuts Down Plant's Potent Offense By ADAM ADKINS The Tampa Tribune Published: Mar 22, 2007
BRANDON - In a game that featured two of the best teams in the area, one person managed to steal the show.
Alonso sophomore right-hander Ray Delphey IV dominated one of the best offensive teams in Hillsborough County, tossing a complete-game, four-hit shutout against Plant to lead the Ravens to a 3-0 victory in the Sala
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