Thursday March 24th 

Thursday, March 24th, 2016

Defending champions PHU are back in the title game on Friday after the Canes defeated CCC Thursday night 8-1. With another game highlighted by superb pitching and defense, PHU’s bats came out as every batter reached base and eight of the nine collected at least one hit on the night.

Freshman lefty Andrew Booth was given the opportunity to start the semi -final game - and with ice-water in his veins - he delivered. Booth consistently worked ahead in the count as he tossed 4 1/3 innings allowing one unearned run to go along with four strikeouts, two walks while scattering five hits. Booth gave way to Junior Dan Nichols in the 5th inning as he hurled two full shutout innings punching out four strikeouts of his own. Junior Joe Mattei, debuting in his first high school pitching appearance, came in to close in the 7th inning. Mattei needed only nine pitches to retire the last two batters as he struck out the first batter he faced on an elevated fastball and induced a fly ball out to close the game.

Offensively, PHU got on the board early in the second inning as Senior Brian Brown (3-4, run scored) leads off the inning with a sharp single. Sophomore Ryan Laheney (1-3, double, RBI, walk, run scored) scolds a line shot down the line for a stand-up double scoring the long striding Brown all the way from first for the early 1-0 lead.

With Booth cruising along on the mound, CCC tied it up on an unearned run but the Hurricanes got that run back - and more - in a hurry in the big sixth inning.

With one out, Laheney is walked. Senior Dan Hollander (1-3, run scored, walk) also is walked. In his first appearance from knee surgery, Senior Mark Coleman steps to the plate and receives a base on ball on eight pitches to load the bases. Junior Carter Wilson proceeds to strike a single in the hole scoring Laheney. Senior AJ Hrica (2-4, double, RBI, run scored, walk, stolen base) collects an easy RBI with a four pitch walk. Senior Evan DiFrancesco (1-3, RBI, run scored, SAC) knocks a sharp single scoring Coleman. Senior Adam Jurco collects a RBI as he connects with a single scoring Wilson. With the bases still loaded full of Canes, Senior John Pichman laces a bullet to the left center fence clearing the bases scoring Hrica, DiFrancesco and Jurco to make it an 8-1 game and the eventual end of score.

Palm Harbor takes on cross-town rival East Lake tonight, Friday March 25th at 8:00 pm to defend their title in the Championship game.