Pool Paradise Makes A Splash At City Tournament

SEBRING - The game was on the line, and a season's worth of wins were in the balance, but Pool Paradise coach Dean Frazier wasn't worried with the game tied and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth.

As Garrett DeRoss stepped to the plate, Frazier called his top hitter over to the coach's box for one last word as the sun set on Max Long Recreational Complex.

"I told him, 'Son, you're the one I want at the plate right now,' " Frazier said. "You're my leader, and you're going to win the game for us."

DeRoss followed his coach's directions and promptly smacked a single up the middle, scoring the winning run and handing Pool Paradise a 4-3 victory over Rotary in the Sebring Dixie Majors (10-12) city tournament.

The win put Pool Paradise within one victory of playing for the city championship. They battled the winner of Highlands Today and Lions on Friday night (results were not available before press time), while Rotary set themselves up for an elimination game against Elks.

"We knew we were in for a fight, and they came out and played championship ball," Frazier said. "We kept our heads in it."

Rotary got on the board first when Ty Little crossed home plate on a wild pitch and Brandon Ferretti knocked an RBI single to right field to score Alex Gomez for a 2-0 lead.

But Pool Paradise boiled over for three runs in the third inning, the first run coming when Andrew Starkey scored on an error and the next two coming when Alex Forde knocked a shot that scored Connor Cook and DeRoss on a fielder's choice and error.

After Pool Paradise missed an opportunity in the bottom of the fifth when DeRoss was picked off third base with one out, Frazier's club made the most of their chances in the bottom of the sixth: They loaded the bases for DeRoss, and with no base open to put him, Rotary was forced to press its luck.

"I couldn't ask for anybody else in a situation where they had to pitch to my best hitter," he said. "If first base was open, they probably would've walked him.
"He got a chance to win the game, and we won it for us."

DeRoss finished 3 for 4 - adding to his .727 season batting average - while Little had two hits and Gomez scored twice for Rotary.

Lions 12, Firemen 2
SEBRING - Keat Waldron threw four solid innings and the Lions took advantage of a string of Firemen walks on Thursday to take a 12-2, four-inning victory and stay alive in the Sebring Dixie Majors (10-12) city tournament at Max Long Recreational Complex.

The Lions advanced to play Highlands Today on Friday, the winner of which played Pool Paradise in the late game Friday (see Sunday's Highlands Today for complete results).

Despite the tough road ahead, Lions coach Keatley Waldron was all smiles after his club's offensive outburst.

"The whole team hit the ball for us tonight," coach Waldron said. "I don't think there was a guy on the team, out of nine players in the lineup, who wasn't hitting the ball."

For complete coverage of Friday's Sebring city championship games, see Sunday's Highlands Today. For Saturday's championship finals, see Monday's Highlands Today.