Streaks Rally Into Bracket Final

Sebring AAU coach George Townsend says his team is the type of group that doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit."

Down two runs and down their final three outs, the Streaks proved that point in dramatic fashion on Friday morning, as they scored three runs in the top of the seventh and made a back-breaking defensive play in the bottom of the frame to remain undefeated and advance to the championship finals of the Classic bracket at the AAU 14-and-under Division 2 National Tournament at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

After finishing off a rain-delayed third-round game on Thursday night, the Streaks took to the Atlanta Braves' spring training home and mounted a Major League comeback on Friday, getting RBI singles from Kyle Yarborough, Seth Abeln and Mark Weir to pull off a 5-4 victory over fellow a Florida team, Panther Baseball.

The victory put Sebring into the Classic bracket championship final, which will begin at 1 p.m. today. Four other teams are battling for the right to play the Streaks, who have to be beaten twice to be eliminated.

"It was a real good emotional win for us," Townsend said. "They battled hard and just didn't quit. This team doesn't know the meaning of that word."

Abeln and Weir each had two singles and a double, while Johnathan Knight and Dylan Callahan added two singles each. Timmy Farrell, meanwhile, fanned three batters over six solid innings to keep Sebring within reach after the Streaks scored two in the first inning on RBI by Weir and Callahan.

Down to their last three outs in the seventh, Farrell singled and took second on a passed ball and third on a stolen base. Yarborough then singled to score Farrell and Abeln followed with a single to plate Yarborough. Weir then followed suit, breaking the tie with an RBI single of his own to score Abeln and give Sebring a 5-4 lead.

But their work wasn't done: After the Panthers got their leadoff runner aboard, a hot shot down the first base line was turned into a crucial double play for Sebring when Nathan Greene went to the bag at first for one and threw to Abeln at second for the tag out. Callahan then struck out the final batter and the Streaks exploded in celebration.

"We were ecstatic," Townsend said. "It felt like we'd just won the World Series."

Riding a three-game winning streak, Townsend said he feels confident about his team's chances to bring the traveling team's first title home to Highlands County.

"We're in the catbird's seat now," he quipped.

See Monday's Highlands Today for results of Saturday's final.