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AP Walks Off With Thrilling Win

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By BRIAN GJURGEVICH

Highlands Today

Published: July 16, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Garret Zeegers went from down to his last strike to the top of his teammates shoulders on Monday night.
Zeegers delivered a two-run, walk-off double with two outs and an 0-2 count to hand the Avon Park All-Stars a thrilling 4-3 victory over Wahneta at the Dixie Youth Majors (11-12) state tournament, AP's second comeback win in as many days.

"We had about 60 fans from Avon Park here," said AP assistant coach Pete Zeegers, who said his son's teammates carried him off the field. "Everyone just went berserk."

Avon Park, now one of six teams left in the tournament, faced Liberty County on Tuesday night in a re-match of an opening-round 1-0 Liberty win that was decided on a controversial call. Results were not available as of press time.

See highlandstoday.com/sports for result and Thursday's Highlands Today for complete coverage.

Tyrone Perry had 11 strikeouts and two hits to lead AP, while Mark Devlin added two hits to send the boys in red one step closer to a state title shot.
Avon Park jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Ryan Dick led off with a double and Devlin singled him home. Tyrone Perry then singled to move Dick to third, and Trey Perry followed with a single of his own to give AP a two-run lead.

But that's when Wahneta brought in ace Christian Duran, who shut down the AP bats until the fateful sixth.

"We didn't threaten the rest of the game," Pete Zeegers said. "Tyrone was pitching a gem, and Duran was throwing smoke."

Duran got his team on the board in the top of the fifth when he smacked a two-run home run to tie the game at two. After a walk, a controversial play unfolded that could've cost Avon Park the game.

With a runner on first, a Wahneta batter hit a "dinker" to an AP infielder, who threw it past the first baseman and into a rolled-up tarp along the baseline. After a 20-minute delay to deliberate, the umpire ruled the runner at first was at third base when the play was called dead and awarded Wahneta a run, making the score 3-2.

"It should've been second and third," coach Zeegers said. "But Tyrone struck out the next two batters and we each went three-up and three-down until the bottom of the sixth."

Devlin led off the final frame with a double and Tyrone Perry followed with an infield single to make it first and third with no outs. After Tyrone Perry stole a base to make it second and third, Trey Perry fouled off three balls with the count full and coaxed a walk, loading the bases with no outs.

But Duran bore down, getting two clutch outs on a ground ball to short that was thrown home and a strikeout.

Then Garret Zeegers stepped into the box, took two strikes and delivered the fatal blow, lining a double down the right-field line to score Devlin and Tyrone Perry and give AP a 4-3 victory.

"It was quite a sight for the Avon Park fans," Pete Zeegers said. "We were all so jacked up, and coach (Willie) Perry gave us a big speech after the game to get us even more fired up for Tuesday's game."

NOTES: Hardee stayed alive in the tournament by defeating South Walton 5-3 in eight innings. They faced South Lake on Tuesday ... The winner of the Avon Park/Liberty County game will face the winner of the Okeechobee/Spring Hill American contest at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Brian Gjurgevich can be reached at 863-386-5841 or bgjurgevich@highlandstoday.com

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