TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Baseball: Pasco Pushes Hernando Skid

BASEBALL

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Hernando High shortstop Josh Harvey puts the tag on Pasco High's Josh Johnson Tuesday night at Emerson Field.

ADVERTISEMENT

By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: March 24, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - For a team struggling through a lengthy losing streak, an opponent like Pasco High hardly rates as the best tonic.

After all, the Pirates are the three-time defending Class 4A, District 8 champions and find themselves right back in their familiar spot atop the district standings this season.

Still, last week they suffered a stunning 4A-8 defeat to a Hudson club with only one other victory on the year.

However, no such upset played out Tuesday night at Emerson Field. Host Hernando came out on the losing end for the sixth straight time, 7-2.

"They're a good ball club," Hernando Head Coach Tim Sims said. "But a couple of missed signals here or there, we were trying to make things happen, and locating it (pitches), it could be a different game.

"…We just need some more innings. We're heading in the right direction. We need more innings. The effort was a lot better tonight. We moped Friday night (13-1 loss to Zephyrhills). Tonight we played hard. They're good kids. We'll get in the right situation."

Long ball

After Pasco (10-2 overall, 9-1 4A-8) put up two runs in the top of the first, Hernando (3-12 overall, 1-11 4A-8) responded with two in the second without a hit.

Three straight two-out walks to Justin Gates, Josh Harvey and Tyler Bammert loaded the bases and forced a pitching change.

Weston Wirtz notched one RBI getting hit by a pitch and Ryan Brady drew another free pass to bring home Harvey and tie it up.

The deadlock didn't last long. Three batters into the third, Jacob Schrader put the Pirates back in front on a two-run home run going the other way to right field.

Josh Johnson started a three-run fifth with a solo shot to left. A throwing error brought another run across, and Jorge Jaramillo added the second RBI single of his 4-for-4 night.

That provided plenty of run support for a trio of Pasco relievers (Matthew Gude, Christopher Dious and Matthew Castle) who held the Leopards scoreless and never allowed a base runner past second over the final five frames.

Hernando managed just three hits, singles by Clayton Neff, Bammert and Matthew Brady.

Johnson had three hits by himself, while Cole Stancil and Schrader each scored three times for Pasco, who had already defeated the Leopards in Dade City, 12-6.

"We were pretty aggressive with the bat," Pasco Head Coach Ricky Giles said. "Base running, we kind of stink right now (three runners thrown out). We're kind of out of sync a little bit.

"But we played good. Coach (Sims) has got young kids playing really good. He's got a young team; they'll come around.

"We've been up and down. Pitching is the question for us. We're young there. Most of our hitters are experienced guys that have played championship ball. That's keeping us afloat right now."

PASCO 7, HERNANDO 2
123 456 7 R H E
PAS 202 030 0 -- 7 10 1
HER 020 000 0 -- 2 3 2
PAS – K. Gude, M. Gude (2), Dious (4), Castle (7) and Jaramillo.
HER – Gates, Rollins (5) and R. Brady.
W – M. Gude (2-0). L – Gates (1-5).
2B – none.
3B – none.
HR – Schrader, Johnson (PAS).
Records – Pasco (10-2 overall, 9-1 4A-8), Hernando (3-12 overall, 1-11 4A-8).

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at 352-544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT