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Tampa Catholic Beats Bloomingdale

Tribune photo by SCOTT ISKOWITZ

Bloomingdale's Richie Martin dives back to first base safely in front of Tampa Catholic's first baseman Eddie Fuentes.

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By JEFF BERLINICKE

Tribune correspondent

Published: April 4, 2009

TAMPA - After Tampa Catholic started its season 1-4, Coach Rich Arena had a talk with his team.

He told them they were playing insecure and without confidence. He told the team it had the talent to win and the Crusaders took his message to heart with a 6-3 win against Bloomingdale in the first round of the Saladino Tournament at Leto High School, marking their 11th straight win.

"We were playing insecure and it showed," Arena said. "We knew we were better than that but it was time to get some wins. We regained our focus after the slow start and we are clicking now."

Tampa Catholic (12-4) fell into an early hole but Arena said he was waiting for a comeback. Ryan Henry was making a rare start and mixed his curveball and fastball well after working out of a first-inning jam. Bloomingdale (11-6) stranded runners on second and third after Richie Martin started the game with a walk, stole second, then scored on a single by Sal Gardina. Henry got out of the jam and held Bloomingdale until the third when the Crusaders took a 3-1 lead they never gave back.

All three runs came with two outs. J.D. Diaz doubled and Nico Millan and Shane Rowland reached on back-to-back errors. Henry singled to score two runs and the Crusaders were ahead 3-1.

Bloomingdale came back to tie it at 3 in the fifth when Martin singled and stole second, then scored on a Gardina double. Gardina scored later on a sacrifice fly.

But the Crusaders came right back when Diaz scored on a fielder's choice. Two more runs in the seventh iced it and Henry finished for Tampa Catholic.

CHAMBERLAIN 8, LETO 1: The game was scoreless into the third but, with two out, Justin McCormack walked and T.J. Mouse reached on an error, setting the stage for Brett Gordan's three-run homer.

The Chiefs (7-10) scored three more times in the fourth, capped by a two-run double by Mouse. Leto (8-9) came back with its sole run in the fourth, but Chamberlain starter Alberto Benjamin closed it out.

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