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Cambridge in state final

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By ADAM ADKINS

aadkins@tampatrib.com

Published: May 21, 2009

PORT ST. LUCIE - Wednesday was a chaotic day for the Cambridge Christian baseball team, but it ended as a great one.

The Lancers, last year's Class 1A state runners-up, earned another trip to the 1A state final with a 12-6 win against Lake Worth Trinity Christian in a semifinal game at Tradition Field. Cambridge Christian (20-7) will face Deltona Trinity Christian, which defeated Jacksonville Eagle's View 14-11, in today's title game at 4 p.m.

"I know the other team had an emotional roller coaster," Lancers coach Rick Shears said, "but so did we."

The roller coaster began Tuesday when the FHSAA issued what amounted to season-ending suspensions to all but one of Trinity's varsity players because of a bench-clearing brawl in a regional final series. On Wednesday morning, Trinity filed an injunction in a St. Lucie court against the FHSAA to overturn the rulings. Less than two hours before the scheduled 5 p.m. start, a judge ruled in favor of Trinity, allowing all but two suspended players (who were not included in the court filing) to play. And waiting during it all were the Lancers.

"Today it was hard to focus," junior right-hander Matt Fishman said, "but I think we really buckled down and came out and took care of business."

The Lancers' offense, led by Trent Tagliarini (3-for-4, three RBIs), Andrew Widell (3-for-4, RBI, three runs), Derek Self (two hits, two RBIs) and Josh Hanna (three RBIs), scored 10 runs through the first three innings.

Trailing 10-4 in the fourth, Trinity loaded the bases with one out. In the box was cleanup batter Jacob Johnson, and looming on deck was Adaric Kelly, who already had two doubles and three RBIs. But, on a 3-2 pitch, Fishman induced a ground ball for a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play.

"That was huge," said Fishman, who went six innings for the win. "I love my defense for that. I was struggling all day. I didn't have my best stuff, but my defense stepped up behind me and was really a wall. Once we got that double play, I didn't really jump for joy. But inside, I was."

The Lancers will try today to win the program's first state title and the first for a Hillsborough County program since Tampa Catholic in 2001.

"Our goal is not the scoreboard but just how we play and how we glorify God," Tagliarini said, "but it would be nice if we could take another one."

Keyword: Prep Report, for a live blog from the 1A title game at 4 p.m. between Cambridge Christian and Deltona Trinity Christian.

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