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Hillsborough Saladino Tournament 2007

Q Quincy1,000+ posts
Saladino Tournament Schedule
Posted By Adam Adkins



ALONSO RAVENS 2007 SALADINO CHAMPIONS

..............

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


WEDNESDAY
QUARTERFINALS

At Brandon

GAITHER 4, MIDDLETON 1
Middleton 000 100 0 - 1 4 4
Gaither....201 001 x - 4 7 1

Fluidd, Jorden (4) and Lynch;
Menendez and Fernandez.
W-Menendez. L-Fluidd.
2B-Frances (G).
Records-G 11-3; M 10-3.

ALONSO 3, PLANT 0
Plant. 000 000 0 - 0 4 1
Alonso 000 030 x - 3 5 0

Bergin, Lowe (6) and Womack;
Delphey and Pendleton.
W-Delphey. L-Bergin.
2B-Pendleton (A).
Records-A 12-3, P 11-3.

HILLSBOROUGH 11, SICKLES 1 (F/5)

Sickles...... 100 000 0 - .1 3 5
Hillsborough 082 100 0 - 11 6 2

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.

NEWSOME 8, RIVERVIEW 1
Riverview. 000 001 0 - 1 6 1
Newsome...422 000 x - 8 9 0

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.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


THURSDAY

Note: Championship bracket subject to change as wild card will not play winner of own bracket.

This is the complete schedule for the 27th annual Tony Saladino Tournament, which begins Saturday.

DIVISIONS

Atlantic:..............W..L.........RF.....RA
Gaither...................3..0.........14.....04*
Brandon.................2..1.........04.....10
Wharton.................1..2.........04.....08
Oldsmar Christian.....0..3..........00.....00 (Dropped Out)

Pacific:..................W..L.........RF.....RA
Middleton.................3..0.........19.....09*
Jefferson..................2..1.........16.....09
Leto........................1..2.........13.....09
Cambridge.................0..3.........12.....33

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

Western:.................W..L.........RF.....RA
Sickles......................2..1.........10.....09*
Plant........................2..1.........08.....04+
Freedom....................1..2.........07.....06
Spoto.......................1..2.........10.....16

Northern:.................W..L.........RF.....RA
Newsome...................2..1.........17.....06*
Robinson....................2..1.........16.....09
Bloomingdale...............2..1.........16.....14
Plant City...................0..3.........03.....23

Southern:..................W..L.........RF.....RA
Riverview....................3..0.........33.....07*
King...........................2..1.........19.....12
Armwood.....................1..2.........17.....12
Blake..........................0..3.........02......35

COMPLETE SCHEDULE
(By day and site)

SATURDAY
POOL PLAY
At Brandon:

SPOTO 4, FREEDOM 3
Spoto... 000 201 001 - 4 11 0
Freedom 200 000 100 - 3 9 5

Cox, Schmitt (7) and Benton;
Woodham, Britt (7) and Shoen.
W-Schmitt. L-Britt.
2B-Yaquinta (S); Goodrich, Bonti (F).

SICKLES 3, PLANT 0
Plant.. 000 000 0 - 0 8 1
Sickles 002 010 x - 3 6 2

Bergin, Lowe (7) and Womack;
Cooke, Dunn (5) and Longley.
W-Cooke. L-Bergin. Sv-Dunn.
2B-Womack (P); Martinez (S).
3B-Longley (S).

GAITHER 9, BRANDON 1
Gaither. 013 200 3 - 9 9 1
Brandon 100 000 0 - 1 2 6

Doty and Graham;
Connett, Bennett (3), Schools (5), Troyer (7) and Smith.
W-Doty. L-Connett.
2B-Arce (B).
3B-Heiser (G).


At Chamberlain:

ALONSO 10, TAMPA CATHOLIC 0 www.FLORIDACAST.com
Alonso........... 014 014 0 - 10 12 0
Tampa Catholic 000 000 0 - .0 .5 2

Panteliodis and Pendelton;
Kelly, Provenzano (3), Arena (6) and Sproat.
W-Panteliodis (5-0). L-Kelly.
2B-Panteliodis, Pendelton (A); Delphey, Knox (TC).
HR-Hardin 2 (A).
Records-A 10-2, TC 8-3-1.

TAMPA CATHOLIC 12, EAST BAY 2 www.FLORIDACAST.com
Tampa Catholic 341 13 - 12 14 3
East Bay........ 000 20 - .2 .4 4

Espin, Yaeger (5) and Luper;
Shamblin, Gill (2), Hird (5) and Norton.
W-Espin (2-1). L-Shamblin (0-3).
2B-Lee, Knox, Allen (TC); Norton (EB).
3B-Lee (TC).
HR-Allen (TC).
Records-TC 9-3-1, EB 3-8.

ALONSO 6, CHAMBERLAIN 4
Chamberlain 000 400 0 - 4 8 1
Alonso....... 001 041 x - 6 6 2

Richardson, Brazeal (5) and Marchese;
Marks, Hardin (6) and Guttierez.
W-Marks (2-0). L-Richardson (1-3).
2B-Marchese (C); Freshcorn (A).
HR-Marchese (A)
Records-C 5-6, A 11-2

At Newsome:

BLOOMINGDALE 8, PLANT CITY 0
Bloomingdale 100 012 4 - 8 10 1
Plant City.... 000 000 0 - 0 .1 4

Gerbasi, Jacobson (5), Butler (7) and Wells;
Pietrzyk and Castellanos.
W-Pietrzyk. L-Gebasi.
2B-Simpson, Hirsch, Castellanos (B).
Records-PC 3-7, B 9-2

TAMPA BAY TECH 10, LENNARD 0
Tampa Bay Tech 413 11 - 10 6 0
Lennard........... 000 00 - .0 1 5

Edison and Agger;
Leister, Aguilar (2) and Simpson.
W-Edison. L-Leister.
2B-Aguilar (L).
3B-Edison (TBT)
Records-TBT 1-9, L 0-10

NEWSOME 4, ROBINSON 0
Robinson 000 000 0 - 0 2 1
Newsome 003 001 x - 4 9 3

Barron and Killoren;
Parker and Swindell
W-Parker (5-1). L-Barron (1-3).
3B-Greer (N).
Records-R 3-8, N 9-3

At Riverview:

HILLSBOROUGH 12, DURANT 1
Hillsborough 230 106 - 12 10 1
Durant....... 001 000 - .1 .3 4

Schurig, Delgado (4) and Nunez;
Bingham, Polk (2) and Davis.
W-Schurig (4-1). L-Bingham (0-1).
2B-LaMonte, Burgess (H); Nordello (D).
HR-LaMonte 2, Laurienzo (H).
Records-H 9-3, D 7-5

KING 10, BLAKE 0
King. 152 02 - 10 6 1
Blake 000 00 - .0 2 1

Tutko, Freeman (5) and Hansen, Hollowell (4);
Branford, Weir (4) and Harris, Branford.
W-Tutko (2-0). L-Branford (0-1).
2B-Oertling, Buckley (K).
HR-Oertling (K).
Records-K 5-7, B 0-10

RIVERVIEW 8, ARMWOOD 5
Armwood. 040 010 0 - 5 .8 3
Riverview 100 511 x - 8 11 2

Bennicasa, Willoughby (4) and Bolling;
Suarez, Fairfax (3), Eastham (5) and Clements.
W-Eastham (4-2). L-Bennicasa (3-1).
2B-Cartwright (A); Eastham, Ferrara (R).
HR-Lopez (R).
Records-A 8-4, R 8-3


At Middleton:

LETO 9, CAMBRIDGE 3
Leto....... 031 113 0 - 9 9 1
Cambridge 110 100 0 - 3 5 4

W-Pedro. L-Miller.
2B-Gonzalez (L). 3B-Leto (L).
HR-Taglarini (C).
Records-L 3-8, C 5-4.

JEFFERSON 10, CAMBRIDGE 3
Jefferson. 202 240 0 - 10 10 3
Cambridge 000 210 0 - 3 3 1

W-Vidal. L-Cox. 2B-Pena (J).
3B-Taylor (J).
Records-J 6-6, C 5-5.


MIDDLETON 6, LETO 4
Leto...... 010 101 1 - 4 7 5
Middleton 002 031 x - 6 6 0

W-Pressley. L-Scime.
2B-Scime, Gonzalez, Pedro (L); Langston, Thomas (M).
3B-Pedro (L).


MONDAY
POOL PLAY
At Brandon:

DURANT 14, LENNARD 0
Durant. 422 33 - 14 11 1
Lennard 000 00 - .0 .3 8

W-Carasea. L-Beddow.
3B-Sabourin, Polk (D).
Records-D 8-5, L 0-9.

HILLSBOROUGH 12, TAMPA BAY TECH 2
TBT......... 002 00 - .2 4 7
Hillsborough 101 64 - 12 9 1

Lopez, Barnes (4), Taveras (4) and Agger;
Gildea and Nunez.
W-Gildea. L-Lopez.
2B-Diaz (H).
HR-LaMonte (H).
Records-H 10-3 T 1-12.

BRANDON 3, WHARTON 1
Wharton 000 100 0 - 1 6 2
Brandon 100 002 x - 3 4 2

Stultz, DeLaPortilla (6) and Schueller;
Browder and Smith.
W-Browder. L-Stultz.
2B-Christiansen (W).
Records-B 7-6, W 9-3.

At Chamberlain:

SICKLES 6, SPOTO 5
Spoto.. 002 100 2 - 5 13 3
Sickles 101 030 1 - 6 10 2

Schmitt, Brines (6), Filardo (7) and Benton;
Agnes, Ch. Plastic (7) and Longley.
W-Ch. Plastic (1-0). L-Filardo (0-2).
2B-Cora 2, Atkinson (Si); Cameron (Sp).
Records-Sp 5-7, Si 8-3-1

CHAMBERLAIN 7, EAST BAY 0
East Bay... 000 000 0 - 0 3 6
Chamberlain 240 100 x - 7 6 0

Menendez, Devore (4) and Norton;
A. Gordon and Marchese.
W-A. Gordon (2-0). L-Menendez (3-3).
HR-Brazeal, Black (C).
Records-EB 3-10, C 6-6-1.

At Newsome:

ROBINSON 5, PLANT CITY 3
Plant City 201 000 0 - 3 10 1
Robinson... 310 001 x - 5 .7 1

W-Carpenter. L-Kip. Sv-Venegas.
2B-Ragans (PC); Killoren, Pitisci (R).
HR-Venegas (R).

BLOOMINGDALE 6, NEWSOME 3
Newsome..... 011 000 1 - 3 9 2
Bloomingdale 201 030 x - 6 7 2

Ginn, Payne (5) and Castellanos.
Montague, Stoeckle (5), Branca (5) and Swindell.
W-Ginn (3-1). L-Montague (1-1). Sv-Payne (2).
2B-Copack (N); Hirsch (B).
HR-Castellanos (B)
Records-B 11-2, N 9-4.

At Riverview:

ARMWOOD 11, BLAKE 1
Blake.. 000 001 - 1 7 7
Armwodd 333 002 - 11 11 0

Ottanelli and Brandford;
Spano, Briggs (5) and Chancey.
W-Spano (1-0). L-Ottanelli (0-2).
2B-Mosquera (B); Boatright, Bolling 2 (A).
Records-B 0-11, A 9-3.

RIVERVIEW 11, KING 1
King..... 001 00 - .1 .0 2
Riverview 430 04 - 11 13 1

Macbeth, Tarte (2), Graham (5); Knott.
W-Knott (2-0). L-Macbeth (1-3).
2B-Eastham 2, Ferrara (R).
3B-Ferrara (R).
Records-K 5-8, R 9-4.

At Middleton:

Plant 1,Freedom 0

MIDDLETON 4, JEFFERSON 1
Jefferson 000 000 1 - 1 2 2
Middleton 001 003 x - 4 2 2

W-Griffith (2-0). L-Figueroa.
2B-Farris (J).
HR-Thomas (M).



TUESDAY
POOL PLAY
At Brandon:

PLANT 7, SPOTO 1
Plant 010 011 4 - 7 12 2
Spoto 000 100 0 - 1 3 1

Mischo, Lowe (7) and Ramos, Womack (7);
Lott, Cawthon (7), Filardo (7) and Benton.
W-Mischo. L-Lott.
2B-Tucker, Womack (P); Cameron (S).
Records-P 11-2, S 5-8.

DURANT 8, TAMPA BAY TECH 4
Durant 111 410 0 - 8 9 1
TBT... 000 021 1 - 4 3 2

Wright, Teplitzky (6) and Garcia, Davis (6);
Agger, Hernandez (4) and Edison, Agger (4).
W-Wright. L-Agger.
2B-Fussell, Bromley 2 (D); Agger (TBT).
3B-Nardello (D).
Records-D 9-5, TBT 1-13.

GAITHER 5, WHARTON 3
Wharton 010 101 0 - 3 7 0
Gaither 113 000 x - 5 9 2

Scheerhorn, Goforth (3), DeLaPortilla (5) and Schueller;
Jones, Malley (7) and Graham.
W-Jones. L-Scheerhorn. Sv.-Malley.
2B-Virgili, Dawson (W).
Records-W 10-4, G 10-3.

At Chamberlain:

HILLSBOROUGH 11, LENNARD 1
Lennard..... 001 00 - 1 .3 .2
Hillsborough 020 63 - 11 11 3

Leister and Simpson;
Dupre and Marl. Mitchell.
W-Dupre (2-0). L-Leister (0-3).
2B-Laurienzo, Nunez, Richardson (H).
3B-Marl. Mitchell (H).
Records-H 11-3, L 0-10.

EAST BAY 4, ALONSO 3
Alonso.. 000 011 10 - 3 8 4
East Bay 011 100 01 - 4 6 3

Freshcorn, B. Johnson (4), Ding (8) and Pendleton;
Pierce, Devore (7) and Norton.
W-Devore (1-1). L-Ding (0-1).
2B-Roberti (EB).
Records-A 11-3, EB 4-10.

TAMPA CATHOLIC 7, CHAMERLAIN 3
Chamberlain 002 010 0 - 3 11 1
Tampa Cath. 040 102 x - 7 11 4

Granda, Wells (4) and Marchese;
Allen, Crossland (4), Arena (6), Yeager (7) and Sproat.
W-Allen (3-0). L-Granda (0-1).
2B-Allen 2 (TC).
3B-Richardson (C).
Records-TC 10-3-1, C 6-7-1.


At Newsome:

FREEDOM 4, SICKLES 1
Sickles 000 010 0 - 1 9 2
Freedom 020 200 x - 4 7 1

Carr and Shoen.
McGrath, Debonis (4) and Turner.
W-Carr. L-McGrath.
2B-Merrell (S).
HR-Perdomo (F).

ROBINSON 11, BLOOMINGDALE 2
Bloomingdale 000 002 0 - .2 .6 2
Robinson.... 020 072 x - 11 13 3


Venegas and Killoren.
Brown, Launikitis (5), Ambrosino (5) and Castellanos.
W-Venegas (1-0). L-Brown (0-2).
2B-Lopez, Castellanos (B); Venegas Cimino, LaLuz, Pisisci (R).
Records-B 11-3, R 5-8.



NEWSOME 10, PLANT CITY 0
Newsome... 011 422 - 10 13 0
Plant City 000 000 - .0 .2 6

Greer and Swindell.
Romero, Beauchamp (4), Griffin (6), Garren (6) and Bochy.
W-Greer (2-2). L-Romero.
2B-Branca, Copack (N).
3B-Jackson (N).
Records-N 10-4, PC 3-10.


At Riverview:

KING 3, ARMWOOD 1
Armwood 000 001 0 - 1 2 1
King... 020 001 x - 3 5 1


Bolling and Chancey;
Johnson and Hanson.
W-Johnson (3-2). L-Bolling (5-2).
HR-Johnson (K).
Records-A 9-4, K 6-8.

RIVERVIEW 14, BLAKE 1
Riverview 008 204 - 14 14 1
Blake.... 000 010 - .1 .4 4


Vazquez, Diaz (4), Sumner (5);
Harris, Branford (4).
W-Vazquez (1-1). L-Harris (0-6).
2B-Clement, St. John, D'Angelo (R).
3B-Clements (R).


At Middleton:

Jefferson 5 vs. Leto 2

MIDDLETON 9, CAMBRIDGE 4
Middleton 410 310 0 - 9 8 4
Cambridge 001 210 0 - 4 8 3

W-Seth. L-McDougall.
2B-Reid (M); Tagliarini, Shears (C).
3B-Scott (M).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last edited {1}
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Q Quincy1,000+ posts
Players To Watch

#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
Last edited by Quincy
ShepsterShepster1,000+ posts
quote:
#1010 - Christopher Turner, Brandon


Quincey,

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
Last edited by Shepster
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
They are worthy of the higher ratings for sure.

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.

www.FLORIDACAST.com



Tampa Catholic vs Alonso at 1:20

and

East Bay vs Tampa Catholic at 4:20



TONY SALADINO TOURNAMENT


LIVE ON THE

CRUSADER BASEBALL NETWORK
Last edited by Quincy
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
[u]SALADINO BASEBALL TOURNAMENT[/u]

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
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[u]Rounding for home

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.
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[u]SALADINO BASEBALL TOURNAMENT[/u]

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."
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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
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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
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Pitchers Propel Plant
Published: Mar 21, 2007

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
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Gaither Defeats Middleton
Posted March 21, 2007 by Michael Harris
Updated Mar 21, 2007 at 03:20 PM


Brian Menendez picthed a 4-hit complete game in leading Gaither to a 4-1 victory in the quarterfinals of the Saladino Tournament on Wednesday.

Gaither will advance to play in Thursday’s semifinals at Brandon High.

*************************************************************
Gaither vs Alonso @ 4:30p @ Brandon HS

Alonso Blanks Plant
Posted March 21, 2007 by Michael Harris
Updated Mar 21, 2007 at 04:56 PM


Ray Delphey IV pitched a complete game as Alonso defeated Plant, 3-0. The Ravens will play Gaither in Thursday’s semifinal at 4:30 p.m. at Brandon.
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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 Saladino Tournament quarterfinals.

Alonso will play Gaither today in the semifinals.

"They're a great offensive team," Alonso coach Landy Faedo said, "but Ray is a pretty good pitcher, so it's not a surprise."

Delphey yielded all four Plant hits through the first three innings, but he benefited from good defense and a Panthers base-running mistake in the third inning to keep the game scoreless.

The Ravens finally got to Plant starter David Bergin in the fifth after the junior right-hander was nearly perfect through the first four innings. Bergin retired 11 in a row to start the game before yielding a single to Tommy Toledo.

With two outs in the fifth, Alonso catcher Adam Pendleton broke the scoreless game with a double to drive in Nathan Hardin, who had reached on a single. The Ravens scored twice more in the inning, once on a passed ball and once on an error, and that was more than enough for Delphey.

Plant managed only two more base runners after the Ravens gave Delphey the lead, with Mychal Givens reaching on a one-out error in the sixth and Jarod Womack drawing a one-out walk in the seventh. However, Delphey picked off Givens, and Womack was left stranded when Delphey ended the game with consecutive strikeouts, giving him eight for the game.

"I had confidence throughout the whole game. I was a little shaky there in the beginning, but when we got those runs I knew we were going to be able to do it," Delphey said.

Justin Salas had two hits for the Panthers.

Cowboys' Menendez Proves Worth On Mound

BRANDON - Gaither coach Frank Permuy said senior transfer Brian Menendez came to him before the start of the season and asked for a chance to prove himself on the mound.

After watching another good performance from his left-hander Wednesday morning, there's no question Permuy has seen enough to merit that much.

Menendez stifled Middleton with a steady diet of off-speed pitches and went the distance in a 4-1 Gaither victory in the Saladino Tournament quarterfinals, advancing the Cowboys into today's semifinals against Alonso.

"He is just a tough competitor," Permuy said. "And I'll tell you what, if there's anybody that I want to give the ball to win a ball game, it's him."

Menendez allowed four hits and one walk while striking out four in his third complete game this season. He allowed only two base runners after Middleton picked up its lone run of the game, that coming on Derrick Hugdins' sacrifice bunt to score Anthony Langston (2-for-3) in the fourth.

"I knew I had to be on my game today," Menendez said. "I knew they were going to be aggressive, so I knew I had to make them chase."

Middleton's aggressive approach and Menendez's off-speed repertoire was a recipe for disaster for the Tigers, who never were able to get on track offensively.

"He probably threw 85-90 percent off-speed pitches," Middleton coach Vernon Slater said. "Our adjustment to it was too late."

Sergio Delgado supplied all the run support Menendez would need with a two-run single in the first off Middleton starter Aaron Fluidd. Ray Frances (2-for-3) added a run-scoring double in the third, and the Cowboys tacked on one more in the sixth for good measure.

Permuy was upset about Gaither stranding six on base against the Tigers, especially after the Cowboys stranded 11 in Tuesday's win against Wharton. Luckily, Menendez's performance offset the lack of offense.

"He did a great job," Permuy said. "When you get pitching like that, you can get away with four runs."

Defending Champion Hillsborough Showing No Mercy To Opponents
By BART O'CONNELL
Tribune correspondent

Published: Mar 22, 2007

BRANDON - Each of Hillsborough's opponents in the Saladino Tournament knows exactly when things went wrong.

The Terriers have made the big inning a familiar theme in their defense of the Saladino crown, posting at least six runs in one frame during each of their four games.

Wednesday, it was an eight-run second that doomed Sickles (8-5-1) and propelled Hillsborough (12-3) to an 11-1 victory in five innings.

"I knew we were going to start hitting - we haven't played seven innings yet," said starting pitcher Matt Schurig of the Terriers' four mercy-rule wins. "I wasn't worried about that."

Hillsborough sent 11 to the plate during the inning, and all but one starter scored on Sickles starter Josh Dunn.

Designated hitter Marlon Mitchell and right fielder Jay Laurienzo walked, Mario Mitchell singled to load the bases and David Richardson drove the first two runs home with a double.

After RBIs for Brazos Barber and Keith Diaz, Michael Burgess walked to re-load the bases for catcher Casey Nunez, who had a two-run single. The last two runs scored on an error and a wild pitch.

Sickles committed five errors in the game, leading to six unearned runs.

"It was disappointing," Gryphons coach Bob Pagano said. "We knew we had to score runs."

Schurig shook off a bad first inning to give up just two hits in four innings of work.

He allowed a leadoff double to Tito Martinez, who was driven in by Kenny Wilson two batters later to give the Gryphons their only lead of the game

They also threatened in the top of the third, loading the bases with none out. But a runner's interference call led to a double play, and Schurig got out of the jam unscathed. After just 60 pitches, he should be available as a reliever if the Terriers reach the championship game.

Hillsborough coach Kenny White was pleased with his team's three stolen bases and two bunt singles, skills he sees as necessarily for the later rounds, starting tonight against Newsome.

But so far runs haven't been a problem, as the Terriers have outscored their four tournament opponents 46-5.

"It might be a 10-run game," White said, "but we did a lot of little things to prepare us for that kind of performance."

Wolves Run Wild On Bases In 8-1 Victory

BRANDON - There was plenty of dirt and grass flying around Don Powell Field on Wednesday night. Most of it was sticking to Newsome's uniforms.

The Wolves couldn't have been much more aggressive in their quarterfinal game Riverview. Double-steals, squeeze plays, getting from first to third on a bloop single - Newsome tried it all, and most worked in an 8-1 victory. They are making their first appearance in the semifinals tonight against Hillsborough.

"The difference was our baserunning," Wolves coach Chad Haschel said. "We took extra bases every chance we got. And for the [opposing pitcher], that gets tough."

The skrappy play began immediately, with five stolen bases as part of a four-run first inning. The first three Wolves hitters (Ethan Lovell, Ryan Osenton and Stephen Branca) reached base and scored, as did No. 6 hitter David Jackson, who walked, advanced to third on a single and scored as part of a double steal.

After tacking on two more runs in the second, Riverview (10-5) starter Kyle Eastham was pulled having allowed six hits in 1 2/3 innings. Junior Colby Fairfax didn't fare much better, allowing two more runs on two hits.

Newsome (10-4) finished the game with eight stolen bases.

"We try to put as much pressure on the opponents as we can," Lovell said. "Coach just tells us to be aggressive. Everybody do their job, do their part and everybody gets the job done."

Wolves starter Kyle Parker kept a shutout going until the sixth, when Riverview's Juan Carlin doubled and scored on a single by Eastham. Parker threw six innings for his second tournament victory, allowing six hits, walking three and striking out five.

Parker, who two-hit Robinson in Saturday's 4-0 shutout win, will not be available for the rest of the tournament, Haschel said. The Wolves' pitching staff is shorthanded, but the coach said three pitchers will be available for tonight's game, but he did not reveal their names.

Osenton, Kyle Copack and Ryan Swindell had two hits apiece. Branca scored two runs.

Lovell had a single, two steals, two runs scored and an assist from right field, gunning down Riverview's Anthony Ferrara with a perfect strike to third base.
Last edited by Quincy
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
On Old-Timer's Day, Ex-Players, Coaches Remember The Good Old Days
Published: Mar 22, 2007

It's days like Wednesday Marcelo Maseda cherishes.

The 87-year-old former Tampa Smoker was on hand for the Saladino Tournament's Old-Timer's Day, the annual event that allows former players with Tampa roots to catch up and reminisce about "the good old days."

Maseda has been to the tournament's event every year it has been held, and it is one he looks forward to.

"I love it every year," Maseda said. "It gives me a chance to see a bunch of my old friends."

Maseda, "the man who always has a cigar in his hand," said he could tell 1,000 baseball-related stories if given the time, and he relayed several fairly quickly while under the hospitality tent at Brandon.

Maseda told of Al Lopez nearly killing him when the Hall of Famer ran over him with his car at MacFarlane Park, though Maseda said it was entirely his own fault. He told of coaching current big-league managers Lou Piniella and Tony LaRussa during coaching stints in American Legion and at Jefferson High, as well as in his coaching days at the University of Tampa.

Maseda also told of a memorable 1949 American Legion matchup between his Ybor City Post 5 squad and West Tampa's Post 248, getting some help in telling the story from one of the heroes of that game, former three-time all-city player Ernest Urso.

Trailing by a run in the seventh, Maseda ordered the hitter, legendary Plant football coach Roland Acosta, to lay down a squeeze bunt. He also told Urso, who was standing at third, to run over the catcher if he tried to block the plate. When the pitch to Acosta was high, Urso did his job, leveling the catcher, which led to a win.

"He hit him, and the mask went one way and the ball went the other," Maseda said. "And Danny Hernandez never stopped coming from second and we won the game."

Tournament co-founder Tony Saladino said about 40 people attended Wednesday's luncheon, adding there were some complaints about the commute to Brandon. Saladino said if Brandon remains as the host site, as he hopes, he will schedule a shuttle transport for next year so more can attend.

ONE OF A KIND: Veteran umpire Willie Larkins stands alone in Saladino Tournament lore. Larkins, who was behind the plate for the Alonso-Plant quarterfinal Wednesday, has worked a game in all 27 years of the tournament.

Larkins, who works construction, will celebrate his 43rd year as an umpire June 1. He's spent 35 of those years with the West Coast Umpire Association, and has umpired in the state finals 16 times in his career.

Larkins' fondest memory in the tournament was watching an unheralded Tampa Bay Tech team upset the tournament's No. 2 seed, though Larkins was unsure of the year.

QUICK TURNAROUND: Less than 12 hours after they wrapped up the Atlantic Division with a victory against Wharton, Gaither was back on the field Wednesday morning for its quarterfinal against Middleton. And Coach Frank Permuy said the quick turnaround took a bit of a toll on his players.

"Yeah, we're tired," said Permuy, adding his team was at Brandon for an 8:30 a.m. batting practice. "By the time everybody got home and got a bite to eat [Tuesday night], it was probably 1 o'clock before some of these guys unwound and went to sleep. I told them [Wednesday morning] I was just glad everybody was here and on time."

GOLDEN REUNION: While Alonso junior Alex Panteliodis and Plant sophomore Mychal Givens were on opposing teams during Wednesday's quarterfinal, the pair played together last summer for the USA Youth National Team and helped the squad claim a gold medal in the Pan-American Championships in Venezuela.

The two had a slight reunion during the game, when Givens collided with Panteliodis while running to first in the top of the sixth. Givens was later picked off by Alonso starter Ray Delphey IV, who made the 36-person national team trials but did not make the 18-man roster.

BAD BREAK: Hillsborough's Marco LaMonte had a bit of bad luck Tuesday when he broke his bat, one that helped him get off to a blistering start in the Saladino Tournament. LaMonte, who hit three home runs in the Terriers' first two tournament games with the DeMarini bat, hasn't used the bat since, and, coincidentally, hasn't hit another home run.

While LaMonte taped the bat as a quick repair, he said it doesn't sound right and he probably won't use it again. The good news is he has a backup - the same model - and singled to left with it in Wednesday's win against Sickles.

Adam Adkins, Bart O'Connell
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
Alonso Advances To Saladino Final
Posted By Bart O'Connell at Mar 22, 2007 at 08:20 PM
Updated Mar 22, 2007 at 08:23 PM


Starter Tommy Toledo pitched a complete game and Nathan Hardin hit a three-run triple in a five-run third inning as Alonso defeated Gaither 9-2 in the first Saladino Tournament semifinal at Brandon. It is the second time the Ravens have advanced to the championship game. They lost to Gaither in 2005 in their only other championship appearance.

In the second semifinal, Newsome leads Hillsborough 3-1 in the third inning. The winner advances to tomorrow night’s championship game at 7:30.
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
Saladino allows many to test mettle
These are only a few of the 2,741 reasons any baseball fan should annually catch at least a few innings of the Saladino Tournament.
By JOEY KNIGHT
Published March 22, 2007

BRANDON - The late-morning sun lazily ascends above Don Powell Field, the brisk air conveys the periodic ping of aluminum bat hitting ball, and the aroma of grilling hot dogs wafts toward the bleachers.

These are only a few of the 2,741 reasons any baseball fan should annually catch at least a few innings of the Saladino Tournament.

Now, we present Reason No. 2,742: Austin Browder.

And No. 2,743: Eric Doty.

Not to mention No. 2,744: Kyle Carasea.

None of the three - who pitch for Brandon, Gaither and Durant, respectively - were exactly conspicuous names on the figurative roll call of local high school baseball talent when the 2007 Saladino commenced.

Now, they just might be, all because the Saladino provided them the unique opportunity to pitch - a lot - in a prominent setting before a few scouts.

Browder, a 5-foot-5 freshman, tossed a complete-game victory against Wharton. Doty, sidelined 10 days by bronchitis, went the distance in a win against Brandon. Carasea, a converted reliever, tossed a five-inning three-hitter against Lennard.

"I think (the tournament) brings out the best in everybody," Gaither coach Frank Permuy said. "Everybody wants to play well in this tournament."

And for the most part, everybody does play. Hence the reason you're reading this week about unheralded pitchers such as Browder, Doty and Carasea, to name only three.

Every team plays a minimum three games. Two will play six. Management of a pitching staff, therefore, becomes an art form. At some point, the usage of an ace must be economized, the potential of a seldom-used youngster maximized.

"I think that's the whole game," Durant coach Ron Fussell said.

Browder had worked fewer than 10 innings all year when Eagles coach Matt Stallbaumer ran him out against Wharton. With the score tied, two outs and a runner on third in the sixth, he struck out the Wildcats' designated hitter looking.

The next inning, with two outs, runners at first and second and Brandon ahead 3-1, Browder forced a popup to the catcher to end the game. His partial line: three strikeouts, one walk.

"He was the kind of a guy we definitely wanted to introduce high school baseball to," Stallbaumer said. "I find myself already (asking) how quickly can I get to his next start on our schedule."

All because a window of opportunity was cracked at the nation's top high school tournament. In a regular week, when teams are in the throes of district play, Hillsborough sophomore left-hander Brian Dupre may never have gotten a whiff of the mound.

But in Tuesday's final round of pool play against Lennard, when the Terriers already had clinched their division and were preserving their more proven arms for the championship round, coach Ken White handed him the ball.

Dupre allowed three hits in five innings. Three nights before, Doty, a lanky junior making only his second start, struck out 10 Brandon hitters, including three in the seventh.

"He's being looked at by a few schools, and he's made some impressions on some guys here," Permuy said.

If this isn't the essence of the Saladino, then Lou Piniella is meek.

The tournament affords an unheralded few the long-awaited opportunity to pitch.

It only grows sweeter when a handful of those have the audacity to shine.

[Last modified March 21, 2007, 23:27:17]
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
Newsome Advances To Its First Saladino Final
Posted By Bart O'Connell at Mar 22, 2007 at 10:52 PM
Updated Mar 22, 2007 at 10:56 PM


Newsome (12-4) dethroned defending Saladino Tournament champion Hillsborough (12-4) with a 5-3 win Thursday night at Don Powell Field.

Wolves senior Stephen Branca, making his first ever start on the mound, held the Terriers to five hits. Branca and DH Kyle Copak had two hits apiece.

Newsome will play Alonso in Friday’s final at Brandon
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
TBO.com > Sports > Prep Sports

Toledo, Hardin Lift Up Alonso
By ADAM ADKINS The Tampa Tribune

Published: Mar 23, 2007

BRANDON - Gaither may have won the one of two meetings with Alonso this year that truly counts when all is said and done, but the Ravens are the ones who still have the chance to claim the unofficial title as Hillsborough County's best team.

Alonso got a good performance from pitcher Tommy Toledo, and designated hitter Nathan Hardin came through with the biggest hit in a five-run third inning as the Ravens ran away with a 9-2 victory against Gaither in a Saladino Tournament semifinal Thursday at Brandon.

The victory advanced the Ravens into tonight's tournament championship against Newsome, and somewhat helped them avenge a Class 6A-Distrcit 7 loss to the Cowboys a week earlier.

With Alonso nursing a 3-1 lead in the third, Hardin broke the game open after Gaither starter Eric Doty lost his control. Doty already had hit two batters in the inning (he hit five in the game) and had just yielded a bases-loaded walk to Ray Delphey IV when Hardin turned on a low fastball and snuck it just inside first base. It ended up as a three-run triple for Hardin, and it left Gaither coach Frank Permuy perplexed at what had just unfolded.

"I don't know how he hit it," Permuy said. "It was a hell of a pitch."

Alonso coach Landy Faedo said it looked like a similar pitch Hardin took for strike three in his first at-bat, and the Ravens' coach was happy his junior left-hander made the adjustment the next time up.

"That time, he was a little more aggressive and he went for it and got it," Faedo said.

The big inning proved a huge boost for Toledo. The Florida-bound right-hander went the distance to pick up the victory, bouncing back after a slow start in which he allowed a run in the first and had to work out of a second-and-third, one-out situation in the second to prevent Gaither from taking control.

"In the last couple of starts he's had, he hasn't been as crisp in the beginning. But he battles, and when guys get on base he makes the pitches that he has to make to keep them from scoring," Faedo said.

Once the Ravens gave Toledo the big lead, he got stingy. He scattered four hits over the final five innings (he allowed six total) and allowed only one more run, on Derek Heiser's RBI single in the fourth.

"That's why he's Toledo," Permuy said. "When the going gets tough, he gets tougher."



Determined Branca Does It All For Wolves
By BART O'CONNELL Tribune correspondent

Published: Mar 23, 2007

BRANDON - Stephen Branca's assignment in the Saladino Tournament semifinals didn't seem fair.

Having never started a game on the mound in his life, the Newsome senior was asked to shut down defending champion Hillsborough's potent offense. What he lacked in pitching experience, however, he made up for in determination, leadership and sheer adrenaline.

Branca pitched a complete-game five-hitter, striking out the last three Terriers for a 5-3 victory. The performance advanced the fourth-year school to its first Saladino final, where it will play Alonso tonight.

"He's a competitor. At this level that's 80 percent of what you do," said Wolves coach Chad Haschel of Branca. "All of our kids are. They hate to lose. We had no doubt he could do it."

"I didn't try to overpower anybody," Branca said. "I relied on my teammates. We've got a great team here and they picked me up."

After giving up a leadoff single to Marco LaMonte, who later scored, Branca retired the next six Terriers. The rest of the Wolves (12-4) got him a lead with the same aggressive play that carried them to a quarterfinal win against Riverview, stealing another eight bases Thursday.

Senior Matt Greer got things started with a walk and two steals. Then David Jackson bashed a run-scoring triple down the left-field line to tie the game. Jackson would score on a fielder's choice by Jake Farley, and No. 9 hitter Mike Petrilli singled, stole second and made it all the way home on a throwing error to cap a three-run inning against Terriers (12-4) starter Joey Delgado.

After an RBI single by Hillsborough's Casey Nunez in the third, Newsome responded by scoring two runs with two outs in the fifth, thanks to run-scoring singles by Branca and Kyle Copak, who both went 2-for-4.

"That gave us a little bit of breathing room, because they were coming back with some of their studs," Haschel said.

In the sixth, the Terriers got hits from Keith Diaz and Michael Burgess to start the inning, but after Diaz scored, Branca retired the next two hitters to maintain the lead. Though he was reluctant to take credit for the victory, Branca provided his own ending by striking out the side in the seventh. The last five hitters in Hillsborough's lineup went 0-for-12 with three walks.

"It means everything," Branca said of the win. "We haven't had 11 wins in the regular season, and we've got 12 now. This is great for us, and I'm just happy for my team."
Last edited by Quincy
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
TBO.com > Sports > Prep Sports

Urso Would Like To Bring Tourney Back To UT

Published: Mar 23, 2007

TAMPA - Though the Saladino Tournament has embraced a return to its original host site, University of Tampa baseball coach Joe Urso is still interested in having preliminary and championship rounds back at the UT Baseball Field in future years.

Urso, who attended Thursday's games in Brandon, said he kept the Spartans' schedule clear this week so UT could host 19 Saladino games, six more than last year. But space issues caused by dormitory construction beyond the outfield fence and the newly finished amenities behind the dugouts and stands made bringing in the tournament's portable trailers impossible.

That prompted tournament co-founder Tony Saladino to move the games to Brandon.

"We could have fit two trailers and an RV, but not three trailers and an RV," Urso said. "Basically it boiled down to the construction going on.

"Hopefully the two sides can get back together."

Saladino has said that he's interested in making Brandon the permanent host site, as he's pleased with the room, the parking and the time he has to move his trailers after the event.

In previous years the tournament financially helped the UT baseball program, as Urso, his family and players ran the concession stand and put the proceeds back into the team. Losing the tournament created a "financial hit," he said. More importantly, it cut off the exposure Hillsborough's top players had to the Spartans' program, a valuable recruiting tool.

ONE BAD DAY: Not much went right for Gaither in Thursday's semifinal loss to Alonso. The Cowboys even had a problem making a late substitution.

Gaither coach [u]Frank Permuy forgot to put junior Lenin Beltre on the lineup card before the game[/u]. Beltre was warming up before the start of the seventh inning when the umpire alerted Permuy about the omission, which prevented the backup third baseman from entering the game.

"We all made mistakes today, including me," Permuy said.

DID YOU KNOW: If recent Saladino Tournament history repeats itself, the winner of tonight's championship game will play a lot more baseball this year while the loser will experience an even more excruciating loss later this season.

The last two tournament winners, Gaither (2005) and Hillsborough (2006), each reached the state title game later in the same season. Meanwhile, the tournament runner-ups Alonso (2005) and Durant (2006) failed to make it out of the district tournament.

POWER SHOW: The tournament's home-run derby is today at 5:30 p.m. Each participating team is allowed to enter one hitter.

Hillsborough senior OF Michael Burgess won the event last year, wowing the crowd with gargantuan home runs at the University of Tampa. However, does the Terriers' All-American, who is scheduled to defend his derby title, think a repeat performance is possible at Brandon, where only one home run has been hit all tournament?

"It will be real tough to get them out because of the wind," Burgess said. "It'll take a line drive.

"My prediction would be three [home runs] wins it. It'll still be exciting."

ODDS AND ENDS: Former Riverview star Garrett Maines was the recipient of the $5,000 Tampa Tribune/Saladino Scholarship Award. Maines, the 2005 Tribune Player of the Year, is now playing for UT after transferring from Auburn. … Riverview pitcher Colby Fairfax was misidentified in Thursday's Tribune. Juan Carlin was the pitcher who relieved Sharks starter Kyle Eastham and allowed two runs in their quarterfinal loss.

Adam Adkins, Bart O'Connell
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
SALADINO BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Ravens Roll To Victory In Saladino Title Game
By ADAM ADKINS The Tampa Tribune

Published: Mar 24, 2007

BRANDON - Alex Panteliodis didn't know what all the commotion was about. Alonso's junior left-hander only wanted the ball back from catcher Adam Pendleton so he could get ready to toe the rubber once more and throw strike three to Newsome's Michael Petrilli.

There was only one problem.

"I didn't even know that was strike three," Panteliodis said. "I only thought it was strike two, and all of the sudden I see everybody running at me."

As the mob of Ravens approached Panteliodis to celebrate their 4-1 victory against Newsome in the 27th annual Saladino Tournament championship game Friday night at Brandon, Panteliodis' mind shifted to one other thought: staying on his feet.

The mob, however, had different plans.

"I didn't want to, but I was kind of forced," Panteliodis said. "Someone tripped me from behind, but that's OK."

Panteliodis went the distance, scattering five hits while striking out seven in his second win of the tournament. The only run he allowed was on an RBI single up the middle from Newsome senior Stephen Branca, when his shortstop and second baseman had a bit of miscommunication on who was going to field the chopping grounder.

"He did a great job on the mound, he kept the ball down," Newsome coach Chad Haschel said of Panteliodis. "Our whole thing is once we get it going then we put the gas pedal down, like we did the last couple of games, and don't let up. He never let us get up to speed."

Panteliodis was far from a one-man show. Tournament MVP Tommy Toledo went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, Sherman Johnson scored twice, drove in a run and had a couple of good defensive plays and Chris Freshcorn had a tie-breaking RBI triple to lift the Ravens to their first tournament title.

"That was a big win," Toledo said. "It all came together tonight."

Toledo picked a perfect game to swing a big bat. One night after pitching the Ravens into the tournament final with a complete-game effort against Gaither, the Florida-bound senior got the offense rolling with an RBI double in the first.

Alonso looked primed to blow things open after that against Newsome and starter Matt Montague, but the Wolves' senior left-hander pitched himself out of a second-and-third, no-out, first-inning jam with three consecutive strikeouts, keeping it a one-run game.

Getting out of trouble became somewhat of a theme for Montague, who pitched out of jams in each of the next two innings.

The Ravens finally broke through against Montague in the fourth. After Johnson drew a two-out walk, Freshcorn hammered a pitch to deep center for an RBI triple. Toledo then followed with an RBI single, his third hit of the night, to push the Ravens' lead to 3-1.

That was more than enough for Panteliodis, who seemed to get better late in the game after his team gave him a lead. He retired the final nine Wolves in order to close things out, striking out three in that stretch.

"It boosted my confidence. I was like, all right, I'm ready to go, my teammates got my back, they're all pumped up, and now I can just go do my thing," Panteliodis said.

MALLARD WINS DERBY: Last year, Middleton slugger Jamie Mallard put on an impressive performance in the Saladino home run derby, only to get trumped by Hillsborough's Michael Burgess.

Friday, Mallard got his revenge. The junior overcame windy conditions to beat 18 other entrants in Friday afternoon's derby, including defending champion Burgess, at Don Powell Field.

"I was in the dugout sitting there praying," Mallard said. "I know how it felt last year to be in the lead, and I know it can get taken away any second."

After blasting one over the left-field wall on his final swing to join six others that advanced to the second round, Mallard hit a low line drive over the fence (five points) and rattled the top of the fence a few pitches later (two points) to accumulate seven points. Jefferson senior Peter Millan and Armwood senior Jared Simon were runners-up with five second-round points.

Burgess hit two homers in the first round but none in the second.

"There was a big difference [in round two]," Burgess said. "A lot of balls I nailed that should have went out, but the wind picked up.

"Jamie did what he had to do to win."

ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: Tournament champion Alonso had four players take home extra hardware. In addition to Tommy Toledo taking MVP honors, DH Nathan Hardin and P Alex Panteliodis were named to the all-tournament team, while Sherman Johnson was named the best defensive player.

[u]Other all-tournament team members were[/u]
IF Stephen Branca,
OF Kyle Copack and
OF Ethan Lovell of Newsome;
C Casey Nunez and
1B Keith Diaz of Hillsborough;
OF Juan Carlin and
P Chris Knott of Riverview;
IF Tito Martinezof Sickles; and
IF Will Knox of Tampa Catholic.

Hillsborough senior SS Marco LaMonte, who went 8-for-18 with eight RBIs, eight runs scored and a tournament record-tying three home runs, took home the tournament's best hitter award. Sickles was awarded the team sportsmanship award, and Gaither earned the team spirit award.

CRUMBLEY HONORED: Jesuit athletic director John Crumbley became the third recipient of the Artie Vasquez Memorial Coaches Award, handed out by the West Coast Umpires Association. Crumbley coached the Tigers for 22 years before leaving the position last year.

Past recipients of the award, which recognizes good sportsmanship and a love for the game of baseball and young people, include Gaither's Frank Permuy and Alonso's Landy Faedo.

Adam Adkins, Michael Harris, Bart O'Connell

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