OKEECHOBEE –– Steven Flowers always plays with plenty of emotion. It's what fuels his game, and most of the time, it fuels his teammates as well. The fuel tank was near empty when Flowers walked off the field after the Avon Park All-Stars fell 13-2 in a five-inning, mercy-rule game to the Okeechobee All-Stars in the Dixie 13-year-old boys District 8 tournament at the Okeechobee Sports Complex on Saturday. "This is not how I know we can play," Flowers said. "I'm not happy with the way I played or the outcome. I know we can play a lot better baseball than that." The opening day jitters may have been to blame, as the Avon Park squad looked to be off their game, especially at the plate, where they managed just four hits against Okeechobee's Alex Estremera. "We had plenty of chances to make things happen," Flowers said. "But we couldn't capitalize on any of their mistakes." ...more

June 30, 2008

OKEECHOBEE — Clewiston's bats were as hot as the weather in Saturday's game against Avon Park in the opening-round of the Dixie 14-year-old boys District 8 tournament at the Okeechobee Sports Complex. Clewiston, which banged out eight hits, was led by third baseman Tyler Yebba, who went 3 for 4 with three RBI and Trey Pruitt, who scored two runs in an 11-3 victory. The win moved Clewiston into a winners' bracket game against Okeechobee on Sunday night, which beat Sebring 2-1 on Saturday night. The loss dropped Avon Park into an elimination game against Sebring on Sunday afternoon. See highlandstoday.com/sports and Tuesday's Highlands Today for complete coverage. Clewiston got rolling early against Avon Park by putting up five runs in the top of the first inning. ...more

June 30, 2008

Tommy Bertoniere clubbed a three-run home run and finished with four RBI on Sunday to pace Sebring in a 15-3 victory over rival Avon Park, eliminating AP from the Dixie 14-year-old District 8 tournament at Okeechobee Sports Complex. ...more

June 29, 2008

Noah Wilcox was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning with the bases loaded on Saturday to hand Okeechobee a 2-1 victory over Sebring in the opening round of the Dixie 14-year-old District 8 tournament at Okeechobee Sports Complex. ...more

June 28, 2008

OKEECHOBEE — Cody Cook could hear his coach yelling for him to run home, but with the game on the line, Cook didn't immediately respond to the order being given. "I just stood there a moment and then finally got what was happening," Cook said. "And I took off." What could've been a blunder wound up being the game-winner for Cook, who crossed home plate on a fluke play involving Justin Acevedo and a miscue by Okeechobee in the Sebring All-Stars' 1-0, eight-inning victory in the opening round of the Dixie Junior Boys (age 13) District 8 tournament at Okeechobee Recreational Complex on Friday. ...more

June 28, 2008

Avon Park didn't muster the firepower to match host Okeechobee in a 13-2 loss in the Dixie 13-year-old boys District 8 tournament at Okeechobee Sports Complex on Saturday. ...more

June 28, 2008

Clewiston's Trey Pruitt allowed one hit and one run in 3 2/3 innings and Tyler Yebba went 3 for 4 with three RBI on Saturday to lead Clewiston to an 11-3 victory in the opening round of the Dixie 14-year-old District 8 tournament at Okeechobee Sports Complex. ...more

June 28, 2008

SEBRING — Memories don't die hard for Seth Abeln, who remembers all too well those bitter feelings after Okeechobee bested Sebring last year. ...more

June 27, 2008

SEBRING — Cesar Martinez didn't let an error in the outfield linger over his team very long during Monday's practice — as quickly as the play was made, Martinez employed the youngster to run off his mistake. ...more

June 26, 2008

AVON PARK — Christian Crews may have been fatigued from a two-day rest, but he still hurled five solid innings and smacked a game-changing three-run home run in the third to lift the Okeechobee All-Stars to an 11-4 victory over the Avon Park All-Stars during the Dixie Youth Majors District 8 tournament at Durrah Martin Recreational Complex on Sunday morning. "I was a little tired but I just came out and tried to throw strikes," Crews said. "My fastball was working, and on the home run, I was just able to take advantage of a pitch up in the strike zone." Okeechobee assistant coach Neal Crawford has seen Crews put up performances such as this all season long and had all the trust in the world for his hurler. "Christian is deadly with his fastball," Crawford said. "He had one bad pitch when he hung one up there and [Fauthree] made him pay with the homer. I'm just really proud of these kids. I wouldn't have cared if we had won by one run. We're just happy with a win." ...more

June 22, 2008