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Jaramillo, Pirates Enjoying Rush

By EDDIE DANIELS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 5, 2008

DADE CITY - Here's a sample of what Jorge Jaramillo crammed in his craw prior to his Pasco Pirates' 12-3 demolishing of Nature Coast in the Class 4A-Region 3 semifinals: "Two chocolate doughnuts and a sweet tea."

Tests aren't in yet as to whether that sugary pregame meal helped Jaramillo with his five hits and six RBIs.

With the Pirates facing their first deficit in four games against the Sharks on Friday night, Jaramillo's fructose kicked in.
Nature Coast (21-7) scored once in the first inning on a single by Jack Diven and twice more in the second on a sacrifice bunt by Danny Colon and an error on the Pirates defense.

"There was no doubt in our mind," Jaramillo said of his team mounting a comeback. "It was early in the ballgame, there wasn't anything you could do about that. It's behind you. We were locked in from then."

Understatement of the night.

When Pasco (25-5) got its turn, the Pirates singled, walked and reached safely on a Nature Coast error to load the bases with one out. On the 10th pitch of his at-bat and after fouling off five consecutive pitches, Jaramillo rifled a shot to right field, scoring three runs and tying the game, 3-3.

From that point, there was no letup.

Two runs came across in the bottom of the third, two more were added in the fourth, including a solo home run by Dylan Giella, for a 7-3 advantage. For good measure, the squad - on its third opposing pitcher - added five more to its swelling lead.

It likely has something to do with a championship mentality Pasco coach Ricky Giles has been fostering within his team the entire season.

"We're right there at that spot now," Giles said. "A lot of times when you've never really been there, you always want to get to a point where you want to make it there. I don't want to just make it there. I want to finish. I want to go all the way and finish it.

"If the kids play and they stay focused, I think we've got a shot."

And if Olga's Kitchen in Dade City keeps up with those two doughnuts and sweet tea that Jaramillo ingested before the game Friday night, that may be enough of a rush to propel the Pirates when they travel to Palatka for the best-of-three games series in the regional finals Friday and Saturday, if necessary.

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