An incredible comeback spurred Dunedin to a one-run win in its own spring break tournament. More high school baseball takes center stage this week at the prestigious Saladino Tournament in Tampa.
In what can only be described as saving the best for last, Dunedin (Fla.) pulled out a miraculous comeback to win the Dunedin Spring Invitational baseball tournament.
Down 7-0 in the seventh inning, Dunedin rallied to score eight runs and post an 8-7 win against East Lake (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) in the tournament’s championship game.
In winning their own tournament for the first time since 2005, the Falcons sent nine batters to the plate in the final inning, collecting five hits and using two errors to help in their comeback effort. Tournament MVP Chase Smith and Ben Emery each had run-scoring doubles and Casey Turgeon added a two-run single.
Meanwhile, in the championship final of the Georgiadis Memorial Tournament, Seminole fell 3-1 to Orlando Dr. Phillips. After pitching well as a staff throughout the event, Dr. Phillips’ Josh Strong and Ben Overman continued the trend in the finale, combining to hold Seminole to one hit. Meanwhile, the Warhawks shot themselves in the foot with miscues. Seminole had batters reach base on walks, hit batters and made two errors as Dr. Phillips built a lead.
Best of the Bay
Osceola (Seminole, Fla.) left-handed pitcher Taylor Layner struck out 17 batters in a 2-0 win against St. Petersburg Northeast in the championship game of the Osceola Spring Invitational baseball tournament. It was a repeat of a similar performance he made just weeks ago.
Earlier this season, Laynor struck out 17 in an 8-1 win against Northeast. Osceola has won 15 of 17 games this season.
Rose Yanger picked up tournament MVP honors after helping pitch Tampa Plant to the championship in the Spring Fling softball tournament. Plant captured the championship with a 4-3 win against Bloomingdale (Valrico, Fla.), escaping with the win with two Bloomingdale runners in scoring position. Yanger earned two wins during the event, with one complete game performance and throwing six innings in another victory.
Standout Tampa Chamberlain runners Mark Parrish and Max del Monte had outstanding performances at recent events.
Del Monte, a sophomore, posted a 4:16.42 time in the 1,600-meter race at the Florida Relays, which event organizers said was the nation’s fastest time in the event by a 10th-grader this season.
Parrish, meanwhile, posted a school record in the 3,200-meter event (9:09.26) at a meet in Tallahassee last week.
Recruiting news
Plant City junior tight end Jordan Prestwood has verbally committed to Notre Dame.
Prestwood, a 6-foot-6, 272-pounder, caught 26 passes for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns last year while helping the Raiders to a 7-4 mark and a playoff appearance. Expected to play offensive tackle in college, Prestwood also was being recruited by Central Florida, Florida, South Carolina and Florida State.
New Port Richey Mitchell boys soccer player Robert Wallace has committed to Florida Gulf Coast University. Wallace, a defender and goalkeeper, was a key defender for the Mustangs, which won the Class 4A state championship this past season.
And Hudson girls basketball player Shannon Zasloff will play collegiately at Division II University of Charleston in West Virginia. The Cobars leading scorer for the past two season, Zasloff averaged 15 points a game last season.
Other Bay area happenings
Former Clearwater Countryside player Jared Davis will take over his alma mater’s football program. Davis, 26, has been named football coach at Countryside. Selected from a process that had more than 80 applicants, Davis is a 2002 graduate of the school. He spent three seasons as an assistant at the school before being a graduate assistant at the University of South Florida for four seasons.
Davis spent last year as the defensive coordinator at Gibbs (St. Petersburg, Fla.), which won its first-ever district crown in 2009.
Also, former Tampa Wharton basketball player Shawn Vanzant played 15 minutes for Butler in the NCAA men’s national championship basketball game. A junior, Vanzant scored two points and grabbed a rebound in Butler’s 61-59 loss to Duke in the title game.
Vanzant, a key reserve guard for the Bulldogs, played in 37 games this season, including all of the NCAA tournament contests. A 6-foot-1 former All-State performer and 2007 graduate of Wharton, VanZant averaged three points and two rebounds for the Bulldogs this season.
