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Pool Paradise Earns Top Seed

RALLIES FROM 3-RUNS DOWN AGAINST TOUGH LIONS CLUB

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Pool Paradise’s Trey Frazier slides into home while the Lions’ Santos Bencomo goes for the ball on Thursday during Dixie Youth Majors (ages 10-12) “O” Zone action at Max Long Complex.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: May 23, 2008

SEBRING — Pool Paradise may have had to come from behind once again in their 11-6 victory over the Lions to end the regular season of Dixie Youth Majors (ages 10-12) "O" Zone play at Max Long Complex on Thursday, but head coach Dean Frazier thinks this may be the best thing for his team.

"This showed us that we can rebound from a loss and keep fighting," Frazier said. "Our kids fought through a bad inning. The walks killed us tonight, but we hung in there.
"I said it before that if we throw strikes, there aren't too many teams that can beat us."

Pool Paradise lost its only game of the season on Tuesday, when they fell 13-1 decision to the Elks.

The win improves Pool Paradise to 13-1 on the season and earns them the No. 1 seed heading into the double-elimination city tournament, which begins on Tuesday.

Frazier believes his team leadership was tested on Thursday more than anytime during the season.

"With the game on the line, the younger kids always look to players like Alex [Forde] and Garrett [DeRoss]," Frazier said. "The young kids feed off how the big kids are acting and playing. This was a total team victory tonight."

Down 6-3 in the fifth, Alex Forde's single down the left field line plated Conner Cook from second and moments later Jimmy Peck's two-run single into left tied the ball game against a Lions team that had played stellar defense.

After holding the Lions scoreless in the fifth, Pool Paradise erupted for a five-run sixth on six hits, including four-straight. Cook, Forde, Trey Frazier and Peck all drove in runs that saw Pool Paradise take sole possession of the momentum in the game.

"These kids played their hearts out," Frazier said. "They didn't want to go into the tournament with a two-game losing streak hanging over their heads."

The Lions pressured Pool Paradise at every turn early in the game.

Down 3-0 in the third, the Lions showed that patience at the plate can pay off, as the team drew four-straight walks off Pool Paradise to drive in Nick Strey and load the bases. A double into left-center by catcher Santos Bencomo plated Mike Coker and Colin Walkup and an infield hit by first baseman Keat Waldron scored another run.

Two more runs would score on hard grounders by J.C. Perez and Tracy Bentley to give the Lions a 6-3 advantage.

The momentum surge of the lead continued in the fourth, when the Lions set Pool Paradise down in order on a beautiful line drive out right into the glove of third baseman Brian Dixon.

But the celebration was short-lived, as the Lions, with runners on second and third in the fourth, failed to put some distance between them and Pool Paradise, who tied the game in the next inning.

The Lions will face Rotary at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the opening day of the city tournament, while Pool Paradise starts on Wednesday when they face Highlands Today.

For full coverage of the city tournament, stick with Highlands Today.

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