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Armwood advances to state

Tribune photo by JULIE BUSCH

Armwood pitcher Zack Powers throws against Hagerty High School during Friday's game at Armwood.

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By SCOTT PURKS

Tribune correspondent

Published: May 16, 2009

Updated: 05/16/2009 01:01 am

SEFFNER - The first game of Friday's Class 5A region final was the simple story of Armwood's 11-2 blowout against visiting Oviedo Hagerty.

The second game? Not so simple.

The second game was wrapped in sub-plots, finally ending after almost three hours with another Armwood victory, 5-4 in nine innings. So, for the first time in school history, Armwood (26-5) is going to state baseball tournament.

"I think I died three or four times and then came back to life each time," Armwood coach Michael Wrenn said. "Our kids kept doing the right things, putting themselves in position to win twice loading the bases with the score tied at 4 and then stupid little things would get in our way."

Perhaps the most glaring little thing came in the top of the seventh with the score tied at 4, when Armwood shortstop Kristian Calibuso hit what appeared to be the go-ahead hit.

Instead, Hagerty's shortstop made a diving stab up the middle and flipped the ball to the second baseman, who fired to first. Calibuso was well ahead of the throw - that is, until he tripped and fell a few feet before first base and was called out.

"How many guys have you ever seen trip and fall while running to first base?" Wrenn said. "Especially in that situation?"

If Calibuso was safe, Armwood would have gone ahead 5-4.

Another of the sub-plots included the winning bases-loaded sacrifice fly hit to center by the Hawks' Joe Cartwright, a shot that redeemed Cartwright's drop of an earlier fly ball and a strikeout in the seventh inning with the bases loaded.

"I wanted to make up for the earlier mistakes," Cartwright said of his winning hit. "I was excited for the chance to be in that situation."

In Friday's opener, Armwood cruised with 12 hits while Hawks starter Robert Benincasa allowed only two hits and struck out five in the complete-game victory.

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