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Citrus Park Advances To Semifinals

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By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 6, 2008

Updated: 08/06/2008 12:11 am

GULFPORT - Citrus Park Little League manager Joe McGuire has stressed throughout his team's run in the Little League Southeast Regional tournament the importance of scoring early.

On Tuesday night, his team scored all the runs it would need in the top of the first inning, and Michael McGuire homered twice late as Citrus Park beat Tullahoma National (Tenn.) Little League 10-2 and advanced to the semifinals as the Pool A winner.

"Score five runs in the first inning, that's the key to our success," Joe McGuire said.

Taking advantage of Tullahoma starter Jordan Sheffield's wildness, Kevin Merrell and Ryan McCullers drew walks to open the game. Michael McGuire then drove home Merrell with a double to the fence before McCullers came home on a wild pitch.

Wyatt Reid doubled home McGuire and, after a strikeout, Austin McCullers drew another walk. Three more wild pitches from Sheffield allowed Reid and Austin McCullers to score.

Sheffield's wildness also brought a nervous moment at the start of the second inning, when Citrus Park batter Brett Wilkosz was hit in the helmet by a fastball and looked disoriented as he was attended to by on-site medical staff. Wilkosz left the field under his own power, and Joe McGuire said after the game he had been taken to a hospital as a precaution, but that he should be fine.

The first-inning runs afforded McGuire the opportunity to lift starting pitcher Merrell after only one inning. McGuire said he wanted to save Merrell so he could face the TCFM Yellow Jackets (S.C.) Little League in tonight's semifinal at 7:30. In relief, Darren Miller threw the remaining five innings, allowing two unearned runs in the third inning, while striking out eight.

"He pitched a great game," McGuire said.

Miller said he took motivation from his strikeout that ended the top of the fifth inning. Miller struck out five of the last six batters he faced, and appeared to gain velocity as the game went on.

After Tullahoma scored twice in the third to cut Citrus Park's lead to 7-2, Michael McGuire hit the first of his home runs to lead off the fifth inning, clearing the left-center field fence by a comfortable margin. When he next came to the plate with two outs in the sixth, he hit a towering shot that almost cleared the trees that ring the left-field fence.

McGuire finished 3-for-3 with a walk, three RBIs and three runs.

"I didn't even feel the ball hit the bat," he said. "I just saw it go."

Now entering the semifinals, Joe McGuire said he was impressed by the Yellow Jackets, who finished as runners-up in Pool B after a 4-3 loss to Westside (Ala.) Little League earlier in the day.

"They don't throw hard, but they have very crafty pitchers," McGuire said. "They mix up their pitches very well. They won't throw fastball, fastball, fastball; they mix it up pretty well, so our batters will need to stay back. If they stay back, we'll be fine."

Reporter Nicholas J.E. Murray can be reached at (813) 259-8243 or nmurray@tampatrib.com.

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