By Rod Gipson
MaxPreps.com
The state softball finals may have been held in the Tampa bay area but that didn't mean the event was kind to local participants.
Four area teams advanced to the state finals, held last week just outside Tampa in Plant City. And all but one of them fell in the semifinal round. From the group that included Tampa Chamberlain, Lithia Newsome, Clearwater Countryside, and Dade City Pasco, none earned a state championship.
In Class 6A, Countryside lost 2-1 to Miami Palmetto. Countryside suffered through a mistake-plagued game, making seven errors. Countryside (24-6) still managed a late comeback, scoring a run in the seventh inning before ending the game with the bases loaded.
In Class 5A, any plans for an all-Hillsborough County final ended as both Chamberlain and Newsome fell in their semifinal contests. Chamberlain, which entered the game with 28 wins in 30 games this season, lost 5-0 to Pace. Newsome, meanwhile, also was shutout, falling 6-0 to West Boca Raton.
Chamberlain, which has lost in the state semifinals in each of the last three years, collected just two. Starting pitcher Alex Hartshorn and her relief Brittany Cavalli gave up a combined 11 hits.
Newsome, making its first trip to the state's final four, had one bad inning and never recovered. West Boca Raton loaded the bases in the fourth inning and then pulled off back-to-back bunts, followed by an infield hit. That would be enough to end Newsome's season at 23-6.
The lone area team to have any degree of success at the tournament was Pasco.
The Pirates (27-5) topped Okeechobee in the semifinals to advance to the championship game. Pasco fell 7-0 to powerhouse Lake Wales in the title game.
Region Baseball Finals
The Bay area's baseball teams didn't fare much better in the region finals as only one local squad advanced to the state tournament in Sarasota.
Newsome erased a season worth of frustration against local rival Valrico Bloomingdale, beating them for the first time in five tries this season. Newsome (23-8) topped Bloomingdale 3-2 to advance to the Class 5A final four. Newsome pitcher Matt Greer threw a four-hitter and struck out seven in the win. Newsome will face Port St. Lucie in its semifinal contest.
In another Class 5A region final, Tampa Jefferson lost 5-0 to Venice. Jefferson had entered the region final as winners in 16 of its last 22 games.
In Class 4A, Tampa Jesuit couldn't overcome an early deficit and lost 4-2 to Sebring. A Jesuit win would have sent the Tigers to the state semifinals for a fifth-straight season. And in what was supposed to be an anticipated matchup between Class 4A No. 1 ranked Orlando Bishop Moore and No. 2 ranked Dade City Pasco, Bishop Moore pounded Pasco 16-1.
And Tampa Alonso's outstanding season came to an end in a 3-2 loss to Sarasota. The Sailors scored in their last at-bat to top Alonso (27-4).
Scholarships
A two-time All-State selection in Class 2A, Tampa Catholic quarterback Dickie deLama has signed with College of the Sequoias. A junior college program in Visalia, Calif., the program has a reputation for sending talent to Division I colleges.
deLama passed for 25 touchdowns and ran for 11 more as he helped lead the Crusaders to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the region finals. deLama, 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, said he was offered scholarships a t Division II and III schools but opted for the junior college program instead, mainly for a shot at playing for a Division I team in a few seasons.
In other area signings, Wesley Chapel running back Mario Melvin signed with Wayne State, a Division II program in Nebraska. Melvin led Wesley Chapel with 900-plus yards rushing last season and seven touchdowns.
Also, Tampa Wharton tight end Andreas Shields, who'll be a senior next season, has verbally committed to the University of South Florida in Tampa. A 6-foot-6, 215-pounder who missed most of his junior season with an injury, Shields is a multi-sport athlete at Wharton, playing football and basketball.