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Devils Down Tigers In Extras

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Avon Park’s Shevas Hicks pitched a gem on Wednesday: He gave up no runs, one hit and struck out four against Auburndale during the Early Bird Tournament at Head Field.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: February 15, 2008

AVON PARK –– Heath Barnes made enough noise with his bat on Wednesday to give all the teams in the district a moment of pause.

The Avon Park catcher blasted a 385-plus-foot two-run homer in the first inning and sparked the eighth inning rally with a base hit into center to lead the Red Devils to a 4-2 victory over Auburndale on a wet and cold night during the Bill Jarrett Early Bird Tournament at Head Field.

The soft-spoken Barnes applauded patience at the plate for his home run off the Tiger's Mitch Blockburn –– his second of the tournament.

"He threw me two pitches outside, and I just choked up and scooted up in the box," Barnes said. "I knew he was going to come inside on me and I got a hold of one."

The rocket shot, which scored first baseman Kyle Jackson, gave the Red Devils an early 2-0 lead in what turned out to be a pitchers duel between Avon Park's Shevas Hicks and Blockburn.

Hicks used his fastball to set up his curve in holding Auburndale to just one hit and three walks, while striking out four in five innings on the mound.

"I was pretty confident tonight," Hicks said. "I knew my defense was playing great and they had my back. I just wanted to throw strikes and hope my curve ball was breaking."

Hicks worked through jams in the first and fourth innings to hold on to the Red Devils' slim lead.

With runners on first and second and two outs in the first, Hicks struck out Kyle Chastain to end the inning. In the fourth with two on and one out, the AP hurler sat down Andreiez Quilies and J.C. Bracken to the delight of his teammates and coach.

"I'm really pleased the way Shevas was throwing tonight," AP head coach Mort Jackson said. "He came out determined and deserved to get the win, but the one that deserves it isn't always the one that gets the win."

The Tigers mounted a comeback in the sixth when Brando Patterson's triple into right-center field scored Kyle Ryan from second and Kyle Chastain plated a run with a single into right to tie the game off of Red Devil reliever Dillon Runner.

"Dillon didn't throw strikes, plain and simple," Coach Jackson said when asked about the breakdown in the sixth. "He came out a one-pitch pitcher and they knew it. They waited on his fastball and found the holes in our defense."

Avon Park had a chance to end it in the seventh when Terrill Conner's single into the gap coupled with Hicks' walk had runners in scoring position with one out, but Tiger reliever Ryan Ramberg — a side-arm hurler — forced AP into poor hits that led to easy ground outs.

After Auburndale went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Barnes and Corey Topa's back-to-back singles to open the extra frame regained the lead for the Red Devils and Conner's single into center added an insurance run, while Runner settled down to sit the Tigers down in order to preserve the win.

"We didn't hit the ball that well tonight, but we got the job done," Coach Jackson said. "I was really glad to see Dillon settle down and throw strikes, which enabled him to keep [Auburndale's] hitters off balance."

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