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NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
From Sanford Herald Oct. 2007
http://mysanfordherald.com/articles/2007/10/2793.html
PANTHERS BASEBALL AMAZES EVERYONE WITH TURN AROUND
SANFORD - The 2007 "Howl at the Moon" Invitational Baseball Tournament , hosted by the FLORIDA FIRE
and the FFABC , was completed on Sunday September 30th with a few major surprises for those that left the park around Noon the day before. The biggest surprise was that the Florida Fire (the host team) almost got run ruled. The Panthers actually did get run ruled losing 11-3 in their first game ... now for the important surprises.
First it was no surprise that the State's top 8 teams were all in town to get a shot at he host FLORIDA FIRE. The FIRE having played in the top events in the country over the past 12 months had racked up a myriad of Championship trophies. In truly National events they placed 3rd out of 96 teams in Cooperstown NY, 3rd in Charlotte, NC at AAU Nationals. Recently they had gone down to Plantation and won a 22-team open event held by the Triple Crown Sports folks. The FIRE go into this month's FALL WORLD SERIES in St. Augustine as the reigning age group Champions.
For more on your local legends link to www.leaguelineup.com/firebaseball.
Surprises happen all the time in baseball. The Mets tanked the pennant ; The Cubs did not. In this kids version of the game of baseball the play on the field is spirited and the fans just as passionate if not more.
Our field of two pools included:
POOL A
FLORIDA FIRE - CASSELBERRY
MANASOTA METEORS - SARASOTA AREA
WELLINGTON WARRIORS - PALM BEACH AREA
DYNASTY ELITE - MIAMI AREA
POOL B
BULLETS BASEBALL - BRANDON/TAMPA
ST PETE HURRICANES - ST PETE
MIAMI ENFORCERS - MIAMI
PANTHERS BASEBALL - CORAL SPRINGS
The eight teams represented - each traveled from a far route to spend time in Central Florida to seek a Championship. The early favorites won their first games. In pool A the Fire won their first against the Manasota Meteors 6-3 while in Pool B the Miami Enforcers run ruled Panthers Baseball club of Coral Springs. The Meteors lost a game to the Wellington Warriors to drop to 0-2 while the Purple and Gold
Warriors took charge of Pool A with another big win against the Dynasty Elite to run their pool record to 2-0.
All the FIRE had to do is keep a winning streak against the Elite of Miami in tact to also finish 2-0 on the day. SURPRISE ! The Black & Red clad Dynasty Elite team was patient and took full advantage of 11 free bases (walks) and a few errors to tally 11 runs and break the backs of the FIRE while launching them on a path to glory for themselves evening their record to 1-1 with a significant advantage over the Fire by virtue of tiebreaker rules. Although the FIRE would beat the eventual POOL Champion Warriors on the second day
by a low score of 2-1 it would not be enough. The Elite finished off the Meteors to up their record to 2-1.
While the Manasota club failed to win a game in their debut with the big boys from larger metro areas they felt they could compete. In all the sequence of events left the FIRE four "runs allowed" shy of getting into the FINAL FOUR based upon tie breakers. Wellington placed #1 and Runner up via head to head went to the Elite over the Fire.
In Pool B similar circumstances were stacked against the Panthers. Unlike the Fire the Panthers got some help and found a way to survive pool play. "Losing big early was heart breaking ... no way I thought we could get back into it" stated Greg Ernewein, the head Coach ;adding "We new we could win our last two games - we just did not think it would matter". The reason is that in a short pool round-robin event every run is so critical. The Panthers took care of their business with outstanding defense and pitching. They would shut out the Day 1 darling Bullets (perfect 2-0 at the time) five-to-nil to bring up their record to 2-1 and drop the Bullets to 2-1 also.
Meanwhile the most watched game was the final game of pool play between the St. Pete Hurricanes and the Enforcers. The Enforcers lost a close game to the Bullets the night before in pool play and needed a victory to guarantee a place in the Final Four. However more hung in the balance for both Bullets and Panthers on what runs were allowed by the Enforcer pitchers. Yes going down to the final pitch those runners in scoring position for the boys from St. Pete would have altered the balance of who was in or out. "If one more run had scored - one lousy run - we were in!" exclaimed head coach Randy Sullivan of the Bullets. Two innings in a row the Hurricanes had runners at third base and less than two outs but both times failed to push across any runs. The Hurricanes results in 3 games were astonishing ... just 10 runs allowed overall - but a winless tourney at 0-3. Losses of 3-2 , 4-3 and 3-1 sent them home bitter about the event. "Bad Karma I guess" ,
replied one fan when asked what to make of the anomaly. Pitching overall dominated the event along with some flashes of great defense.
Web gem like plays from Michael Suarez (CF) and Andy Figueroa (SS) anchored the Dynasty boys along with awesome work behind the plate by Danny Servin(C). The Enforcers catcher Chris Hernandez was like a wall behind the dish as well while throwing out runners to turn games around.
As a result of all the tie break scenarios the Bullets who barely made it in time for their first two games due to other sports conflicts and rain havoc on the first day - only to rally and win both night games would fail at
advancement due to the head to head loss to the Panthers and the Enforcers winning the Pool Champion title due to percentage points fewer runs allowed per inning in pool play. " WE literality had to break out the calculator" stated Tourney director Mark Schanback. Surprise recipients- waiting patiently for the outcome-
that got to smile were the Panthers who now became the runner up since their head to head game with the Panthers was a primary tie break once the Champion was determined. "It was a funky rule that was applied
but we all agreed to it at he coaches meeting in case of ties" commented Eddy Demurias of the Enforcers.
In both pools there were no undefeated teams. Each had to use the format to break the 3 team deadlock.
The FINAL FOUR Stacked up with all 4 teams being from more than 3 hours from home.
Panthers met the Warriors in Semi Final number one. The Enforcers battled the Elite in number two.
The games were both crazy close with the first inning starting out like a blowout would ensue as the Panthers first 6 batters all scored before an out was recorded in the top of the first only to see the Warriors come right back with 5 runs of their own to close to within 1 run in the bottom. 6-5 after one and nearly an hour of play. The game then settled down ... the Panthers tallied just a single run in the second inning to raise their lead to 7-5 but the Warriors showed heart tying the game with 2 in the bottom half, knotting the score at 7 each.
Zach Kone (3B) had three hits including a double to drive in the 8th run for the Panthers in the 4th. In all Coen reached base safely 4 times in the game ... scoring himself twice. The game was tied at 8-8 when Joey Genord made it home safely in the 5th. In the 6th Mitchell Carroll (SS) scored the eventual winning run in the top of the 6th. The Warriors Jordan Marrs lead off the bottom of the 6th with a double and it looked like another tie was set up. However the next three batters could not plate him.
Auston Smith (2B) would hit a line drive out to end the game and give the Panthers a ticket to the Championship game. Tyler Levin (CF) scored twice in the loss.
In the second semi-final, Dade County's finest met in a battle of familiar rivals. Although the two had not played each other in nearly 12 months due to tourney pools not linked them together to play on purpose.
Miami Enforcers earned the home team honors and pitched their guest player Jason Heinrich (P) for nearly 6 great innings before bringing relief help. "Jason was great" said Coach Eddy adding, "He showed nerves of steel on the mound". With the score tied 1-1 reliever Joey Gonzales wriggled out of harms way to extend the game to extra innings. Cody Medina(P) went a full 6 innings before handing the ball to Andy Figueroa to close the last 2 innings. The big inning for the Elite did not come until the 8th inning Alberto "TICO" Bello delivered the knockout blow with a double as the 5 runners that scored made the final score 6-1. The final out came with the bases loaded on a ground out to short flipped to the second baseman for the force out.
As it was ... no time was available for rest. The Championship started within 10 minutes of completion of the extra inning game. The Panthers lost the toss for home team but won the advantage
as they were rested and eager to play while the Elite had to regroup. RBI machine Devin Conn(C) picked up 5 RBI in his first two at bats and the Panthers took an early 6-1 lead. After the Panthers added 5 more runs in the top of the 4th - the tired Dynasty squad got just one last run in their only remaining rally. Trailing 11-2 after 4 complete the last three batters battled to stay alive only to end the game with a base hit turned into a force out at first base as a heady rightfielder Michael Grey threw on to first base to get he final Championship out!
Awards for offensive and defensive player of the game were awarded along with GAME STAR awards.
Best Defensive player - Danny Servin ; Best Offensive Player - Devin Conn
Game Stars - Dynasty: Danny Macineira , Alberto "Tico" Bello
Game Stars - Panthers: Brendan Brundage , Andrew Gottfried
POOL PLAY & SEMI FINALS "GAME STARS"
GM1 - CHRIS HERNANDEZ GM2- AUSTON SMITH
GM3- TYLER LEVIN GM4- SPENCER DIAZ
GM5- RYAN OLENEK GM6- AUSTIN BERGNER
GM7- MICHAEL SUAREZ GM8- DYLAN STRICKLAND
GM9- RYNE VALEK GM10 - ALEJANDO CASTILLO
GM11 - BRAD NENNA GM12 - GERMAN MARCOS
ADDITIONAL GAME "STAR AWARDS"
SEMI-FINAL 1 -
ENFORCERS - DANNY CASOL & JASON HEINRICH
ELITE - MICHAEL SUAREZ & CODY MEDINA
SEMI-FINAL 2 -
PANTHERS - ZACH KONE & MITCHELL CARROLL
WARRIORS - PHIL SIELI & BRANDON HERNANDEZ
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FFABC "Howl at the Moon" Baseball Tourney
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