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Crosson Crosses Title Threshold

AP TEAM RALLIES TO WIN DIXIE BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Crosson’s Carlton Brock tries to beat the baseball home racing down the third base line during the championship final of the Avon Park Dixie Boys (ages 13-14) Invitational Tournament on Wednesday at Durrah Martin Sports Recreational Complex.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: June 5, 2008

AVON PARK — Raymond Aguilar walked to the mound with a noticeable limp.

The undefeated Travis Crosson Tree Service team of Avon Park was in a jam, but not for long.

The Crosson reliever came in with the bases loaded in the sixth and the visiting team loaded the bases yet again in the seventh, but Aguilar settled down to tally four strike outs on the mound and centerfielder Jaurel Hart made a spectacular diving catch to record the final out in a 7-3 comeback victory over Fort Meade in championship final of the Avon Park Dixie Boys (ages 13-14) Invitational Tournament on Wednesday at Durrah Martin Sports Recreational Complex.

"All I wanted to do was go out throw the fastball," said Aguilar, who nonchalantly flipped the ball in the air between batters. "I couldn't worry about my leg. I just had to do whatever my team needed me to do to win."

Aguilar injured his left leg attempting to beat out a throw to first during Saturday's game against Wells Roofing of Lake Placid.

Crosson catcher Steven Flowers shook his hand and smiled when asked about Aguilar's pitching performance.
"He made my hand hurt," Flowers said. "He has a cannon for an arm."

Crosson, which trailed 3-1 when they finally were able to hit Fort Meade's hurler Hunter Baisden, who allowed just one hit during the first four frames.

"[Hunter] not only threw hard but seemed to know where to throw it," Flowers said. "He did his job and kept us off the bases until we were patient enough to put some pressure on him."

That pressure was bases loaded on a lead-off single by Matt Roberts and back-to-back walks by Flowers and Lane Crosson. After Aguilar grounded into a fielder's choice at home, Carlton Brock ripped a double into center to tied the game at three and Anthony Sorene hit a blooper into right to score the go-ahead run.

"I told you that this was our inning," yelled Crosson coach Brock Crosson after the big inning.
Crosson put three more runs on the board in the sixth to extend their lead to four.

With Roberts on first, Flowers, who had went 0-2 with a walk in his previous three at-bats, sent an 0-2 pitch off the wall in center.

Fort Meade's first major miscue in the field cost them dearly, as the infield missed the throw to first base on Aguilar's grounder that allowed Roberts and Flowers to score and put Aguilar on third. The Crosson reliever scored on a passed ball for the margin of victory.

"It feels really good to go undefeated in the tournament," Aguilar said. "I had trust in my teammates in the field, and we came out on top."
Fort Meade looked to be the team to beat in the early innings.

After setting down Crosson in order in the first, Fort Meade scored two runs on passed balls to take a two-run lead, but the Avon Park team got one of the runs back on Rhoden's RBI single into center that plated Aguilar.

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