Sebring Sneaks Past Okeechobee

OKEECHOBEE - Cody Cook could hear his coach yelling for him to run home, but with the game on the line, Cook didn't immediately respond to the order being given.

"I just stood there a moment and then finally got what was happening," Cook said. "And I took off."

What could've been a blunder wound up being the game-winner for Cook, who crossed home plate on a fluke play involving Justin Acevedo and a miscue by Okeechobee in the Sebring All-Stars' 1-0, eight-inning victory in the opening round of the Dixie Junior Boys (age 13) District 8 tournament at Okeechobee Recreational Complex on Friday.

"It's sometimes not pretty, but that's baseball," said Sebring head coach Cesar Martinez. "I'm proud of this team and the way they hung in there and never gave up. Okeechobee is a really strong team, and we played our hearts out."

Sebring will play Avon Park today at 4 p.m.

The key play of the game came when Cook hit a one-out base hit into center in the eighth and reached third on Acevedo's single and a bobbled ball by Okeechobee.

While Bubba Boston was up to bat with two outs, Acevedo was caught in a rundown between first and second, which distracted the host team just enough for Cook to take off for home, where he scored safely for the game winner.

Sebring's Mark Greenauer pitched a complete-game shut-out to get the win, but the hurler deferred gratitude to his teammates in the field.

"My defense really backed me up tonight," Greenauer said. "I got into some trouble during the game, but I settled myself down and kept control of the game.

"My high fastball was really working for me, and I could tell it gave Okeechobee some problems."

Greenauer gave up just two hits and one walk in eight full innings for Sebring.

"He did an excellent job keeping his poise for us," Martinez said. "He battled when they put runners on base and kept throwing strikes and our boys made some defensive plays .

"We never got rattled once in the game and I think that's a sign of a good team."

Okeechobee had just four base runners for the game and only once did they advance to third base.

When asked about the game-winning play, Greenauer's eyes got wide.

"I was holding my breath and crossing my fingers," said the Sebring hurler. "We blew several chances earlier in the game to score, and I didn't want to see us come up short this time."

Sebring had a pair of chances to end the game in regulation.

The visitors loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth and forced Okeechobee starter Tyler Barber to the bench after he'd given up just two hits but six walks in 5 2/3 innings on the mound.

But Sebring struck out for the final out of the inning and gave a confidence boost to Okeechobee, who failed to capitalize on the sudden momentum shift, as they went down in order in the seventh.

Yet again, Sebring had a golden opportunity to end the game after Tori Pringle drew a walk and advanced to second on Alfredo Negrin's sacrifice bunt and then to third on a wild pitch. But third was as far as Pringle would make it, as a strikeout and an out on a rundown sent the game into extra innings.

"We made some mistakes in key areas tonight, especially base-running," said Martinez to his team after the game. "It didn't come back to hurt us tonight, but trust me if we keep making the same mistakes, they will."