STATE SOFTBALL ...more

May 9, 2008

Jacksonville Eagle's View rallied to an improbable 6-5 win against previously undefeated Lake Worth Christian in a Class 1A state semifinal Monday at Plant City Stadium. ...more

May 5, 2008

LAKE PLACID — Marilyn Jones just shook her head, smiled and wondered aloud when she'd see her team play a complete game this season. "They hit the ball for one inning and then take the rest of the game off," said the LP head coach, who watched her Green Dragons fall 13-3 to All-Saints Academy in a six-inning mercy-rule game on Friday. Lake Placid has struggled all season with consistency at the plate and in the field, but they've managed to show glimpses of the potential that their coach knows they have. "We've got some talent out there," Jones said. "We just have a hard time pulling all that talent together, and we always seem to hang our heads once we dig ourselves into a hole." That hole came in the first inning, when a pair of errors in the infield turned into four runs, including a three-run bomb over the left-field fence by Ashton Brice that gave the Saints a 4-0 lead just moments into the game. ...more

February 23, 2008

Tuesday night, the Zephyrhills softball team saved itself. Had the Bulldogs stumbled against Hernando, Zephyrhills coach Craig Milburn was about do something he had never done before. ...more

February 22, 2008

SEBRING — Kaitlin Ostrander made sure her high school debut on the softball diamond was a memorable one. The Sebring freshman overcame nerves and wet conditions and allowed just one hit to go along with seven strikeouts and shortstop Amanda Grimaldo slammed a solo home run as the Blue Streak softball team blanked Lake Placid 10-0 in six innings on Monday night. Ostrander, a hard-throwing left-hander, handcuffed the Green Dragons on an assortment of pitches and displayed great control, allowing two walks in a game that was played in a constant rain. ...more

February 19, 2008

AVON PARK — The rain coming down in sheets didn't dampen Jasper Brown's spirits — or his fastball. Brown hurled six strong innings despite Mother Nature doing her worst to get under his skin: He allowed just five hits and one run in South Florida Community College's 10-2 victory over Webber International University on Thursday. "I felt good out there," Brown said. "The rain didn't effect me much, although it did help with my breaking ball." ...more

February 14, 2008

AVON PARK — The Avon Park baseball team spent much of its preseason practice time on defense, but you wouldn't know it by the Red Devils' slug-heavy 7-6 victory over rival Sebring on the opening night of the AP First Pitch Classic at Head Field. The Devils hammered out 10 hits, including two home runs, and held off a Blue Streak rally in the top of the seventh to preserve a bit of early-season bragging rights. "I didn't expect him to pitch to me after I hit a home run off them last year," said AP's Kyle Jackson, who was 3 for 3 with a homer and two runs scored. "It's a good way to start our season off. We hit the ball pretty well in practice this week, so we figured we'd come out and pound." Three other Red Devils — Heath Barnes, Chad Marley and Terrill Conner — had two hits a piece, with Barnes sending his own shot out of the yard in the second inning. ...more

February 9, 2008

AVON PARK — South Florida Community College baseball coach Rick Hitt doesn't believe in moral victories. After watching his Panthers erase an 11-run deficit only to fall 13-12 to Hillsborough Community College on Wednesday, his assessment was rather blunt. "A loss is a loss, plain and simple," Hitt said. "Yes, they battled back and I applaud them for that, but we still lost." After falling behind 10-0, SFCC's Brandon Decker broke the scoreless drought for the Panthers (4-5) with a two-run blast over the right-field fence in the fifth, but the Hawks responded by adding three runs in the top-half of the seventh for a 13-2 advantage. After scoring three runs off a double by Ryan Thorlton and a sacrifice fly by pitcher Cameron Nelson, the Panthers exploded for three home runs by Jasper Brown, Brien Coppola and Nelson to cut the lead to two. ...more

February 8, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - If you think the Pasco softball team is complacent with finishing second in the state in Class 4A last season, think again. ...more

February 7, 2008

City Council members who were briefed on the Tampa Bay Rays' proposed waterfront ballpark Monday liked what they saw, for the most part. ...more

November 13, 2007