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By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 9, 2008

GULFPORT - After his team won the Florida Little League state championship, Citrus Park Little League manager Joe McGuire said his goal was to play on Friday.

When Friday came, Wyatt Reid ensured his teammates would play next Friday.

Reid hit two home runs, including a two-run shot that ended the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Citrus Park advanced to the Little League World Series with an 11-0 victory against Westside (Ala.) Little League in the Southeast Regional final at Arnold S. White Stadium.

Reid drove in seven of the team's 11 runs, the first of which came in the first inning. Kevin Merrell reached on an error to open the inning, and Ryan McCullers and Mike McGuire drew walks as Westside starting pitcher Justin Ware struggled with his control. Reid grounded into a fielder's choice, with McGuire out at second and Merrell scoring. Citrus Park was unable to add to its early lead, leaving McCullers stranded at third.

Any fears Citrus Park's fans might have had about leaving runs on the table in the first were allayed in the third. After McCullers walked and McGuire singled, Reid hit his first home run, taking an 0-2 pitch the opposite way into a crowd of fans standing behind the right-field fence. The home run chased Ware from the game and gave Citrus Park a 4-0 lead.

"He just threw me a hanging breaking ball, and I hit it the other way," Reid said. "I only hit the ball hard twice. I just came up in the right spots."

The runs also gave Reid some margin for error on the mound. McGuire had started the game on the mound for Citrus Park, and he threw well through two innings, allowing one hit and one walk, but he jammed his hand picking up a ground ball barehanded to make the third out of the second inning.

Reid picked up where McGuire left off, holding Westside to a pair of singles in three innings, striking out four. He also padded Citrus Park's lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, driving in Merrell from third on another groundout.

Then, after a 1-2-3 top of the fifth inning, Citrus Park's bats exploded. Austin McCullers led off the inning with a single, and Danny Lastra hit a homer to center.

After Brennan Garcia grounded out, Brett Wilkosz and Merrell hit back-to-back homers to bring Citrus Park within one run of ending the game early. Ryan McCullers singled, and reached second on a groundout by McGuire. Reid then hit the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence to end the game.

Manager McGuire said he was happy the team's bats arrived in time for the championship game. He said a similar thing happened in the state championship game, when Citrus Park beat Fort Myers 12-1.

"I wanted the bats to come alive like they did in Boynton Beach," McGuire said. "I wanted them to hit like they did in the state championship game."

He also noted that the team's home runs Friday came from all around the order.

"All of these kids hit homers," McGuire said. "They can all hit the ball 270, 280 feet; they all hit the ball well."

Citrus Park will open the World Series on Friday at 2 p.m. against the Midwest Region champion. Reid and his teammates were thrilled to be headed to Williamsport, Pa.

"This is like nothing else," he said. "You've grown up watching this and wanting to be in it, and now we're going."

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

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