Not Worth The Wait

OKEECHOBEE - They played for three days, but it was still just one bad loss.

Avon Park battled the elements and Okeechobee in the Dixie Boys (age 14) District 8 baseball tournament before losing by an 18-6 score in a game that began on Sunday and finally wrapped up on Tuesday because of torrential rain that has drenched the Heartland.

Okeechobee broke open the first-round game with a 10-run third inning, highlighted by a Drew Selvey grand slam.

The Avon Park All-Stars couldn't overcome the huge hole and the storms just filled it with water.

With only half an inning completed on Sunday, things started off pretty promising for Avon Park in its first at bat. Starting pitcher, Arierre Conner, picked up a fielder's choice RBI to bring home Tray Marley.

Matt Roberts scored via an Okeechobee error to give AP the early 2-0 lead.

For Avon Park, it was downhill from there.

Okeechobee tallied a run in the top of the second inning and Mikey McCoin started off the top of the third with an RBI single that plated Ryan Meigs and tied the game at 2.

Brandon Farless broke the tie with an RBI sacrifice fly and Joey Conroy continued the success with a run-scoring double that brought in Ethan McWhertor.

After an AP error scored Conroy, William Ellis drove in Brant Harden and Brent Durrance with a two-run double that gave Okeechobee a 7-2 lead.

Having scored their last two runs with two outs on the board, Okeechobee continued its amazing two-out rally with a pair of walks by Meigs and McCoin that loaded the bases. Selvey brought down the thunder before the storm with a booming grand slam home run that sailed with ease over the center field fence.

Relief pitcher Drew Reeves Struck out Farless to get Avon Park out of the back-breaking inning.

Okeechobee tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to go up 13-2, putting the pressure on the Avon Park offense to prevent a mercy-rule loss.

Charles Brown kicked off the bottom of the fourth for Avon Park with a double down the left-field line.

Brown stole third base and got the best of a close play at the plate after a Fernando Perez sacrifice fly.

Matt Rivera brought in Perez with an RBI single and Avon Park lived to play another inning.

Fortunately for Avon Park, the bags were empty when Selvey went yard again in the top of the fifth inning.

But Ellis poured on some more in the top of the sixth with another two-run double that plated Conroy and Durrance to give Okeechobee a 17-6 lead.

Okeechobee tacked on an insurance run in the sixth to sew up the win in the double-elimination tournament.

Avon Park is just one loss from elimination and they faced off against once-beaten Lake Placid on Tuesday afternoon.

Lake Placid knocked off Clewiston in an elimination game on Tuesday morning.

Results from the Avon Park and Lake Placid contest were not available at press time.