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Subscribe to our NewsletterThursday, April 27th, 2016 WIN vs Vero Beach (Regional Quarterfinals)
Thursday April 21st
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WP - Degnan
The Palm Harbor Hurricanes traveled nearly 250 miles to face a tough 21-2 Vero Beach squad on Thursday night in the Regional Quarterfinals. The Canes found themselves in the newly designed District 9A facing top tier teams all year and were hoping those past experiences would pay off. The Vero Beach Indians packed their home stadium with a huge crowd. PHU was not intimidated by neither the crowd or the Indians record as they received sensational pitching from Riley Degnan, solid defense and timely hitting in route to a big 5-1 upset victory for the Canes.
Senior Ace Riley Degnan took the mound and was spot on from pitch #1. Continually getting ahead in the count, the lefty Degnan perplexed the Indian hitters all game allowing only two hits, no earned runs, one walk while punching out eight in his outstanding complete game win.
Offensively, the Canes were able to get on the board early and did not look back knocking out the starting Indians pitcher while facing two more in the game. Senior leadoff hitter AJ Hrica, who was a perfect 4 for 4 on the day (RBI, 2 runs scored), reaches base on an infield single to lead off the game. Degnan (2 sac, walk) executes a sacrifice bunt to perfection moving Hrica into scoring position. Senior Adam Jurco is awarded first on catcher’s interference. With two out, Senior Dan Hollander laces a RBI single scoring Hrica for the early 1-0 lead.
The Canes plated three more runs in their top half of the third inning. Senior John Pichman (2-4, RBI, run scored) leads off the inning with a double and advances to third on a wild pitch. With two out, Senior Kyle Bailey walks. Senior Evan DiFrancesco drops in a RBI single to right center scoring Pichman. Junior Carter Wilson (1-3, RBI, stolen base, run scored, reach on error) follows up by muscling a RBI single to right scoring Bailey. DiFrancesco and Wilson advance to third and second respectively on a passed ball. Hrica sharply singles past the diving third baseman scoring DiFrancesco for the 4-0 Canes lead.
Palm Harbor put one more on the board in the top half of the 6th when Hrica leads off the inning with another single. Degnan once again lays down a sac bunt putting Hrica into scoring position. Jurco grounds out up the middle as Hrica alertly takes third on the play. Pichman knocks a single to right center easily scoring Hrica for the 5-0 lead.
Degnan, tossing a no hitter through the first three innings finally allows a single in the 4th but does not allow a runner past first base until the 7th inning. Degnan strikes out the first Vero Beach batter in the bottom of the 7th. The second Indian hitter doubles down the left field line and advances to third on a ground out to DiFrancesco at second for out number two. Pitching to contact, Degnan induces a two hop grounder to Hollander at short for the final out and the victory.
With the win, Palm Harbor advances Tuesday, May 3rd to the Regional Semi-Finals away vs Alonso.
