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West Pasco Earns State Berth
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Published: July 24, 2008
NEW PORT RICHEY - For the second consecutive year, Dave Grabowski will lead a West Pasco Majors Little League team to a state tournament.
Last year, Grabowski coached the West Pasco 9-10-year-old team to a section title and to the state tournament. A year older, the boys again won their section last week at the Cross Bayou Section 7 Little League tournament, this time winning the 11-year-old title.
"We have got all but two players from that team," Grabowski said of last year's section champions.
Grabowski is making quite a name for himself. Last year's squad became the first West Pasco Majors team in the 55-year history of the organization to capture a section title and play in a state tournament.
This year, the West Pasco squad swept all three section games to earn the state tournament berth. In the clinching game, a 14-1 win over West Hernando, Harrison Keslar, who hit .636 during the section tournament, had three hits, a double and three RBIs and Blaize Grabowski had a grand slam. Elliot Desvergnes, R.J. Johnson and Joe Vaccarino combined to hold West Hernando to one run on one hit.
In a 13-10 win against Seminole, Tyler Hanks and Keslar Vaccarino each had a pair of RBIs. In the section's opening game, an 11-4 win against Tampa Bay, Hanks had a bases-clearing double for three RBIs. While on the mound, he picked up the win, giving up one run through three innings.
For the section, neither Desvergnes nor Johnson gave up a run during their pitching stints.
West Pasco will begin the state tournament Friday at the Coral Springs American Little League complex, 10000 NW 29th St. in Coral Springs. West Pasco's first game is at 7:30 p.m.
Despite being the second team in Hudson Little League history to win a district, Hudson's squad wasn't able to continue the good luck in the Section 7 tournament.
Still, Coach Rick Hampshire looked at the bright side.
"It was a good experience," Hampshire said. "The players had a good time. Just wish, though, it would go better than it did.
"Anything after winning the district was just icing on the cake."
The bonding between the coaches, players and their families was an added plus, Hampshire noted.
Plant City Seniors Take Section 4 Title
DADE CITY - The Plant City Senior Baseball Little League All-Stars won a Section 4 title Saturday to advance to the state tournament, beating Dade City 9-7.
Plant City was 3-0 in the round-robin tournament played at John Burks Memorial Park, while Dade City was 1-1.
In the 10-11 baseball division, Lake Wales defeated Seffner East Point 10-4 for the title. Lake Wales was 3-0. Braden River won the Junior Baseball All Stars class. They were 3-0 and defeated Land O' Lakes, 16-1, in five innings in the final game of the tournament.
Plant City's Rene Negrete blasted a three-run, second-inning home run and pitcher Lee Easters picked up the victory.
Dade City's Chris Dious was the losing pitcher. Brennan Allen hit a two-run home run and Pat Bailey launched a solo blast for the Pasco County team. Allen was 3-for-4 with a double and three runs.
Senior All-Stars Saturday
Dade City 10,
Bloomingdale 0
Pat Bailey and Brandon McSwain both hit two-run homers for Dade City. Brennan Allen was the winning pitcher.
Junior Baseball, Saturday
Braden River 16,
Land O' Lakes 1, (5 innings)
Braden River pitcher Steven Mathe allowed just two hits, walked one and struck out five as Braden River moved to 3-0 in the tournament and earned a state tournament berth.
Braden River erupted for eight runs in the first inning. Land O' Lakes pitcher Jordan Thomas started and took the loss. He also reached on an error and scored his team's only run.
Zach Henderson and Ryan Gonzalo both singled in the fifth inning to prevent Mathe from throwing a no-hitter. Land O' Lakes committed five errors.
Braden River was 3-0, but already clinched the title before the game.
Braden River, which had eight hits in the game, will compete in the Junior Baseball State Tournament in Apopka.
OTHER SCORES
Junior All-Stars, Friday
N. Lakeland 5, Land O' Lakes 4
Plant City 4, Bloomingdale 2
Junior All-Stars, Saturday
S. Brand. 14, Land O' Lakes 13
N. Lakeland 14, S. Brandon 12
Major All-Stars, Saturday
New Tampa 12, Manatee 3
Haines City 12, Manatee 11
10-11 All-Stars, Saturday
Lake Wales 10, Seffner East Point 4
Correspondent Larry Bugg contributed to this report.
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