WS: Florida dampens Texas' title hopes
attempting to steal second base. Texas lost the game, 5-2. (Photo by
John Krueger
DOTHAN, Alabama -- A rain delay of nearly one and one-half hours changed the tempo of this second-round Junior Dixie Boys World Series game between Texas' representative from Center and Florida. Within one out of closing out Florida in the top of the third, the long delay resulted in Texas coming out flat and Florida going on to capture a 5-2 victory.
The setback was Texas' first of the tournament and dropped the Center team into the losers' side of the bracket heading into action on Monday here at the Miracle Field Complex. Texas will take on Virginia in an elimination game at 10 a.m. at Hardy Field in an elimination contest for both teams. A loss will send Texas home, while a win will advance the team to a 5 p.m. game against the winner of the survivor of Georgia and Dothan, Alabama, who also play at 10 a.m.
In other second-round contests on Sunday, Louisiana rebounded from a shocking first-round setback to eliminate North Carolina, 4-3, Georgia knocked Tennessee out of the tourney, 8-2 and Dothan eliminated Arkansas, 8-0. Mississippi topped Virginia, 13-10, and South Carolina handed Alabama its first setback in winners' bracket games.
After not hitting the baseball solidly in its 3-1 opening victory over North Carolina on Saturday, it appeared early on in Sunday's contest against Florida that Texas was holding its own defensively as its batters began making contact with the baseball.
Early in the third inning the game was scoreless and Texas catcher Josh Burns had just combined with Taylor Tomlin to throw out a Florida baserunner on a steal attempt for the second out in the top of the frame. But an earlier rain shower, which had appeared to pass over the area, began building back and lightning was detected in the area.
Tournament officials ruled that both teams must clear the field of the Texas-Florida game, as well as the Dothan-Arkansas contest being played on the next field, until the threatening weather cleared.
The storm cell appeared to stall near Dothan, cooling temperatures, but not bringing any more rain to the sports complex. However, the delay lasted 1:55. The Texas-Florida game was stopped with Texas needing just one strike of ending the frame.
After the delay, Florida managed to score a pair of unearned runs with two outs to take a 2-0 lead after three innings. Texas players' appeared flat after the delay and an error on defense was turned into the two key runs.
"We were definitely flat after the delay," admitted Texas Assistant Coach Paul Horton. "After that break I saw this things turn around. I told [Head Coach] Bob [Reeves] and [Assistant Coach] Roscoe [McSwain] that [Florida] is not better than us - no way, shape or form; and if we hit the ball against their starter like we did later against their closer it would have been no contest.
"Here's the deal: We needed one strike to get out of that inning. I wish the umpire would have let us get out of that inning. But they scored [one] earned run the whole night and we made some mental mistakes that cost us that game. But that's baseball."
Horton said if his players come out strong on Monday and hit the ball like their capable of, the Texas coaching staff has confidence that they can continue their run toward the national title.
"If our players will come back tomorrow and show what they're made of, we'll be just fine," Horton stated. "The key is pitching and hitting and we're not hitting. I will say this: we hit the ball better [Sunday] than we did yesterday and we have to continue to relax and do the things that got us here.
"Ninety-nine percent of the time our defense is great; we just had a couple of mental mistakes today. If we don't get the hitting up and down the lineup like we're capable of, we're going to be in trouble. But we feel we'll be alright."
Texas dropped the contest despite outhitting Florida 7-5. Six different Center all-stars recorded hits in the game, which was played under surprisingly cool weather. After the rain shower just prior to game time blew through, the skies remained cloudy and temperatures dipped into the low 80s.
Dalton Horton led Texas at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI. He also stole one base. Josh Burns went 1-for-3, scoring a run, while Tanner Murdock also had a 1-for-3 outing, plating once and stealing a base.
Texas shortstop Taylor Tomlin and first baseman Adam Reeves each had identical 1-for-3 efforts at the dish, while Caiden Rainbolt also went 1-for-3, while throwing out two baserunners while playing catcher in relief of Burns.
Other Texas players performing well included Colton McSwain, Alec Lucas, Cam Owens, Eric Vaughn, Gaije Ranes and C.J. Garner.
Devon Diaz led Florida with a 2-for-3 outing, connecting with a double and driving in a run.
Horton started the contest for Texas on the hill and received the loss despite only giving up two unearned runs in three innings. He gave up two hits, while fanning four and walking just one.
Owens pitched one frame, allowing an earned run on one hit with one strikeout. McSwain pitched 2.1 innings, giving up two unearned runs on one hit with a strikeout. Tomlin finished the game on the hill, allowing no runs on one hit with a strikeout.
Casey Sutherland was the winning hurler for Florida, working five scoreless innings on four hits with four strikeouts. Quenton Davis picked up the save in two innings of relief.
After Florida took the 2-0 lead after the break in action, Texas saw its opponent added another run in the top of the fourth to pull out to a 3-0 advantage.
But Texas wasn't finished and continued to battle back. In the top of the sixth Burns reached base on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a single by Murdock. Horton singled through the left side of the infield, scoring Burns. Murdock plated on an error and suddenly Texas had cut the deficit to 3-2.
With an opportunity to tie the score, Horton was standing at third base. But a ground out ended the threat and Florida kept the slim one-run lead.
Florida then scored a pair of unearned runs on a hit and an error in the seventh and that was enough to keep Texas at bay.
Now the character of the Texas squad will be tested as the team attempts to keep its championship bid alive on Monday.
"These kids play well with their backs against the wall," Coach Horton explained. "They proved that tonight when they got down and fought back and cut the deficit to one run. But then a baserunning error cost us.
"We're going to have to put it all together tomorrow if we expect to stay alive."
2010 JUNIOR DIXIE BOYS WORLD SERIES
(At. Dothan, Alabama)
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, July 31
Gm 1: Texas (Center) 3, North Carolina 1
Gm 2: Florida 6, Louisiana 5
Gm 3: Mississippi 14, Tennessee 4
Gm 4: Virginia 8, Georgia 7
Gm 5: South Carolina 8, Arkansas 0
Gm 6: Alabama 7, Dothan, Ala. 6
Sunday, Aug. 1
Gm 7: Louisiana 4, North Carolina 3 (North Carolina eliminated)
Gm 8: Georgia 8, Tennessee 2 (Tennessee eliminated)
Gm 9: Dothan, Ala. 8, Arkanas 0 (Arkansas eliminated)
Gm 10: Florida 5, Texas (Center) 2
Gm 11: Mississippi 13, Virginia 10
Gm 12: South Carolina 4, Alabama 3
Monday, Aug. 2
Gm 13: Virginia vs. Texas (Center) (Hardy Field), 10 a.m. (elimination game)
Gm 14: Georgia vs. Dothan, Ala. (Brewton Field), 10 a.m. (elimination game)
Gm 15: Alabama vs. Louisiana (Hardy Field), 1 p.m. (elimination game)
Gm 16: Florida vs. Mississippi (Brewton Field), 1 p.m.
Gm 17: Georgia/Dothan, Ala. winner vs. Virginia/Texas winner (Hardy Field), 5 p.m. (elimination game)
Gm 18: Florida/Mississippi loser vs. Alabama/Louisiana winner (Brewton Field), 7 p.m. (elimination game)
Gm 19: Florida/Mississippi winner vs. South Carolina (Hardy Field), 8 p.m.