The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 41

THE PALM BEACH POST MONDAY. MAY 25, 1992 Baseball FSU sweeps Western Carolina, advances to CWS lead. Three more errors in the fast start, it was regional Most By CHRIS TALBOTT weren't as talented as teams in the Sciniiiolcs pitcher Davis named second led to an 11-0 FSU lead. Chris Brock and Tony Liebsatk' led FSU in the second game. Brock was 5-for-6 and drove in four Liebsack was 4-for-5 with five "I feel like we did put ourselves on the map," WCU coach LeClair said.

"If we don't get any; his record to 8-4 and picked up his ninth save. The rest of the team includes Stanford first baseman Dusty Allen; second baseman Rodney Hennon of Western Carolina; shortstop Matt Raleigh, Western Carolina; outfielders Jeffrey Hammonds of Stanford and Russ Aquino of Kent; and Western Carolina pitcher Phillip Grundy. CHRIS TALBOTT after this. Special to The Palm Beach Post TALLAHASSEE Five Florida State plavers made the NCAA South II Regional All-Tournament team, including pitcher Tim Davis, who was named Most Valuable Player. Davis pitched 13 innings in the tournament and allowed two runs as he eliminated Stetson and sent FSU into the championship game Sunday.

He improved recognition or respect then we never will." FIRST GAME Valuable Player Tim Davis who saved the Seminoles. After a complete game Friday night, Davis came back to pitch four innings in relief of starter Roger Railey in the first game. In the top of ninth and down 2-1, WCU's second baseman Rodney Hennon and shortstop Matt Raleigh committed two straight errors that helped FSU to a 4-1 lead. The Catamounts scored two runs off Davis in the bottom of the inning before he got the final out on a strikeout with a man on third. "We felt we had the momentum (after that game)," Roberts said.

"We thought we had rattled them because we faced their best pitcher and beat them." In the second game, WCU had two errors and a wild pitch that helped FSU to a first-inning 6-0 Special to The Palm Beach Post TALLAHASSEE Florida State, coming from the loser's bracket, defeated Western Carolina 4-2 and 18-3 Sunday to win the South II Regional and advance to the College World Series. For the Seminoles (48-19), it was their regional record fifth straight win after losing the opening game to Western Carolina (44-21-1) 1-0. Florida State will be making its second straight trip to the World Series thanks to 22 runs and 25 hits in Sunday's two games. "The guys would not quit," FSU coach Mike Martin said. "They're just a bunch of street fighters.

They got out there and scrapped and swung their way to two wins." FSU outfielder Chris Roberts added: "I think a lot of people past. We may not have the same talent level, but we make up for it with heart and desire." This will be the Seminoles' 12th appearance in the College World Series and Martin's sixth trip. Last year, top-ranked FSU lost two straight to Fresno State and Florida. "It (last year's early exit) never entered my mind," Martin said. "What we're trying to do is get there as many times as we can and see what happens." Coming into the day, Western Carolina had won three straight in the regional including a three-hit shutout of FSU and a 5-0 win over top seed Stanford.

Catamount pitchers had an ERA of 0.33, and the team had one error in three games. But the pitching and strong de- 100 100 002-a I' 000 00 1 002 3 1 1' Florida State Western Carolina Bailey, Davii (6) and Weaver, Grundy, Tweealliet (9) Kyslinaer and Hunt, W-Balley ISO. l- Grundy (9-3). HR-FSU, Jarrett (2). WCU, Grundy1 (10) SECOND GAME I 7 II 20 0' Western Carolina Florida State 000 210 000-S0 110 23X- "When Link hit the ball out of the ballpark, that was just such a big hit," Martin said.

"Lord, we didn't get a runner to third that whole game." Though Jarrett got FSU off to a fense that got the Catamounts to Sunday disappeared as Link Jar-rett hit a home run on Phillip Grundy's first pitch in the first game. Grundy had shut out the Seminoles Thursday. Beverlin, Kendrick 12), Manning (71, Mitchell til and Hurst, Hooven (4). Wasdin, Wilson 14) and Weaver. W-Wilson (3 D.

L-Beverlin (4-3) HR-" none. Cal wins twice, advances to CWS By SAM DOLSON Special to The Palm Beach Post GAINESVILLE Two come-from-behind victories Sunday clinched a comeback weekend for California at the NCAA East Regional baseball tournament, as the fourth-seeded Golden Bears used late rallies to eliminate Georgia Trinidad, Colo. 14, Louisburg, N.C. 7 GRAND Colo. Dan Ottman's run and double helped lead )(i the Trojans over the canes in the first round of the National Junior World Series.

1 wwii i.i pi ii.mai.n., iiaai PwHinM I V' 1 fleX-'. I 'y UM awaits final-game opponent HURRICANESfrom 1C Miami, which entered the day hitting .257 in the tournament, was 27-for-78 on the day In the second game, Frank Mora had a career-high five hits (5-for-6), including three doubles, and Johnson's RBI total equaled a career high. Johnson was 3-for-12 entering the game. He leads Miami with 55 RBI. "Our confidence was a little down," Mora said.

"We were a little tentative at the plate; scared of making a mistake. Our confidence is way up there now." The power surge made a winner of relief pitcher Danny Graves. Graves (6-0) replaced starter Silvio Censale with one out in the third and allowed six hits and no walks in 5 innings. Loser Rich Pratt (8-2) was one of four South Carolina pitchers, including junior second baseman Mike McGuire, who made his first collegiate appearance. Miami is one of three No.

1 seeds alive in the regionals. Top seeds Florida, Arizona, LSU, Clem-son and Stanford have been eliminated. Miami, Texas and Wichita State have advanced to their respective finals. Florida State, California, Cal State Fullerton and Oklahoma have advanced to the world series. Johnson gave Miami a 2-0 lead in the first inning with his 11th home run of the season.

His 12th home run keyed a six-run eighth in which Miami sent 11 batters to the plate. South Carolina kept the game close for five innings. Censale allowed three doubles and two runs in the third inning. Graves came in with one out and ended the rally. Miami led just 3-2.

Censale has pitched a total of 5V3 innings in his last three starts, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Miami outfielder Donald Robinson is greeted by teammates after tripling and scoring the winning run on a ninth-inning single in UM's 5-4 win over N.C. State Sunday. Miami won its second game 17-2 to reach tonight's regional final against the winner of Notre Dame and South Carolina. Tech and Texas and earn their first trip to the College World Series since 1988. All-tournament second baseman Chris Clapinski doubled to score pinch-runner Eddie Comeaux in the bottom of the seventh of the first game, giving the Bears a 3-2 victory to eliminate No.

2 Georgia Tech. Cal routed No. 3 Texas with a nine-run eighth, overcoming a 2-1 deficit on the way to an 11-4 regional championship. After losing their first game of the tournament to Texas Thursday, the Bears (35-26) came back to win four straight games to claim a berth in the eight-team NCAA Championship tournament in Omaha, Neb. Pairings will be announced Tuesday for the Series, which begins with first-round games Friday and Saturday.

The Bears defeated all three higher-seeded teams once. Cal beat host and No. 1 seed Florida Friday, also coming from behind for a 4-3 10-inning victory, in addition to Sunday's wins. "This was my last chance to get to Omaha, and its like a dream come true for all of us," said first baseman Jon Zuber, who was named the tournament MVP. "We deserve to be where we are because we worked so hard and everybody was going toward the same goal." In the championship game, defensive replacement Matt Hansen singled off Texas Jeff Granger, driving in two and breaking a 2-2 tie.

The Bears sent 12 men to the plate, with five getting hits and four reaching on walks. Troy Penix's 21st home run of the season, a three-run homer that Fla. Tech falls 84 in Di v. II tourney traveled an estimated 425 ended the scoring. The homer allowed Penix, already the school's all-time home run leader, to tie' former teammate Mike Harrison for the Cal single-season record.

The Bears had slight success" against Granger until that i but left six runners on base through the first seven innings. The Aggies' sophomore left-hander, who is one of 16 pitchers invited to the U.S. Olympic Trials starting June 8, had beaten the Bears on the first day of the tournament, knocking them into the loser's bracket. "We kept battling and battling, because we knew he was going on-: two days' rest and eventually we'd get to him," Zuber said. The rally made a winner of Matt Toomey (3-3), who threw atV complete game when the team's1, best pitchers weren't available.

"The best thing that happened all day was the two great pitching performances by Mike Cather and Matt Toomey," said Cal coach Bob -r Milano. "There weren't too many" more places we could turn." Cal reached the final with a win over No. 2 seed Georgia tech. The Yellow Jackets scored MZ the first and third innings, when All-American catcher Jason Vari- tek doubled, scoring Carlton Flem-'" ing in the first, and hit his home run of the season two innings, later. But Penix's inning-opening tn pie and subsequent run highlighted'1' a two-run sixth, and the Bears won, it for Cather (6-6) when Comeaux scored in their next at-bat.

Gino DiMare scored on Pratt's second wild pitch and Johnson, who reached on an error, drove in the second run. The sixth run scored on a balk and Miami sealed the game with 10 runs in the seventh and eighth innings. DiGiacomo hit his ninth home run and Rupp his sixth in the seventh inning. Reserves Robinson and Tippett combined to extend Miami's season in the first game. The Hurricanes have 11 wins in their final at bat.

Tippett's hit made a winner of Gus Gandarillas (7-1). Gandarillas pitched a perfect lVb innings in relief of starter Jose Prado. The Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. David Fisher scored twice and drove in a run as Missouri Southern beat Florida Tech 8-4 in the first round of the NCAA Division II baseball championship Sunday. The Lions (44-11) took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the Panthers (28-22) came back to tie the game at 4 with home runs from Jeff Driskell and Mike Hannon.

Missouri Southern scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth, with Jason Halvorson driving in the winning run with a sacrifice fly. Missouri Southern will play Tuesday against Tampa (39-19), a 6-2 winner over Lewis Florida Tech plays Lewis tonight in an elimination game. Lewis Clark 4, Mary Hardin-Baylor 3 DES MOINES, Iowa -Larry Ephan's single scored Jake Taylor in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the top-seeded Warriors a victory over the Crusaders in the NAIA baseball World Series. Mary Hardin-Baylor's Mike Meggers tied an NAIA record with a home run in the fifth inning, his 34th. South Carolina Miami 002 000 000-210 021 41- 2 11 3 17 It 0 allowing 12 runs.

Miami made it 5-2 in the fifth with two unearned runs on one hit, two errors and two wild pitches. Pratt, Pace (5), McGuire (8), Biernal (9) and Willman, Tarter (8). Censale, Graves (3), Crow (9) and Johnson, Hoelker (8). Graves, 6-0. Pratt, 8-2.

HRs Miami, Johnson 2 (12), DiGiacomo (9), Rupp (6). The Heart's Intact Jason Burgess is smaller than his teammates, and he can't walk. But he can play baseball with the best of them. fJ) mm' The Associated Press WEARE, N.H. Statistics don't tell Jason Burgess' story.

He failed to get a hit in 14 at-bats this Mr5 season. He has little range in the FSL Standings I EAST Pet. G3 West Palm Beach 28 16 636 St. Lucie 23 21 .523 in Vero Beach 21 23 .477 7 Fort Lauderdale 20 24 .455 I' CENTRAL Osceota 26 18 .59) Lakeland 22 22 .500 4 Baseball City 21 24 .467 S'-a Winter Haven 12 31 .279 13v WEST Sarasota 31 12 .721 Dunedin 24 18 .571 Clearwater 24 19 .558 7 x-Charlotte 22 21 .512 9 x-St. Petersburg 15 26 366 14'? Fort Myers 15 29 .341 16 x-Late game not included Sunday's results Sarasota 9, West Palm Beach 0 Dunedin 4, St.

Lucie 3 (16) Vero Beach 5, Clearwater 1 Osceota 7, Baseball City 4 Lakeland 9, Winter Haven 0 Fort Lauderdale 1, Fort Myers 0 Charlotte at St. Petersburg, late 1 Today's games Sarasota at West Palm Beach, 7 p.m. 1 Dunedin at St. Lucie, 7:05 p.m. St.

Petersburg at Charlotte Baseball City at Lakeland Winter Haven at Osceola Miracle at Fort Lauderdale Clearwater at Vero Beach Saturday's results ir 1 Sarasota 7, West Palm Beach 5 (10) mmm, Dunedin 4, St. Lucie 1 Clearwater 8, Vero Beach 3 .7 Baseball City 5, Osceola 2 i Charlotte 8, St. Petersburg 4 Winter Haven 5, Lakeland 4 Fort Lauderdale 7, Fort Myeres 3 field and will never steal a base. But the 15-year-old freshman from Weare was the most talked about player on John Stark High School's junior varsity baseball team. ton t- x- Jason has cerebral palsy.

The disease has ravaged his legs, leav- Dunedin tops St. Lucie 4-3 in 16 innings Special to The Palm Beach Post PORT ST. LUCIE Rob Butler scored on an infield single in the top of the 16th inning, and the Dunedin Blue Jays held on for a 4-3 victory over the St. Lucie Mets in a Florida State League game Sunday. The loss was St.

Lucie's seventh straight. Butler singled, went to third on Brent Bowers' single and scored on Howard Battle's infield hit. Left-fielder Vince Coleman, on a rehab assignment from New York, was ejected in the third inning by umpire Matt Hughes for disputing a called third strike. Coleman also was called out on strikes in the first inning. Tom Hotchkiss, the last of five Dunedin pitchers, was the winner.

Joe McCann took the loss for St. Lucie. Dunedin (24-18) and St. Lucie (23-21) will play tonight at 7 at Thomas J. White Stadium.

Sarasota 9, West Palm Beach 0 WEST PALM BEACH Brandon Wilson drove in three runs to lead Sarasota (31-12) over West Palm Beach (28-16) at Municipal Stadium. The Expos, who left 11 men on base, have lost 7-of-8 at home, and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Jason Burgess, who has cerebral palsy, takes a cut during a junior varsity game for John Stark High School. said, 'Oh my God, I don't know if I can do But he did. When Jason's family moved to Weare, Jason accompanied a cousin to a town baseball team registration and signed up. "By the second game, I got the hint I wasn't going to play," Jason says.

"All I did was keep score, but I stuck with the team. I don't quit." After the season, Jason focused on John Stark's junior varsity. The environment was perfect. Principal Mark Roth and Athletic Director Larry Restuccia saw no reason why a 4-foot-10, 97-pound boy with cerebral palsy shouldn't play ball. "The kid wanted to play baseball," Restuccia says.

"I talked to the coach. We said, 'Let give him a Coach Chic Hamel. a short, round, fiery man, was impressed when he saw Jason's determination. "The first time I saw him, I knew he was going to make my team." Hamel says. "He was all guts." Jason wasn't worried about what the kids might think or say at the tryouts He had kppt the scorebook for the basketball team the previous winter, and a lot of the basketball players also played on the baseball team.

They knew and liked him "I was just out there to play baseball and do my job." Jason savs Dunedin 4, St. Lucie 3 (16) ing them stunted and unable to support him. Jason must crawl to the plate, I bat on his knees and be transport-; ed to his fielding position, second base, by wheelchair. But he re- mains undaunted. His persever-'.

ance has earned him the respect of his teammates and much of the community. "He's just shorter and slower," teammate Steve Dennis says. "That's the only difference. He's a teammate." There is no trace of self-pity in Jason, even after 11 operations, including open heart surgery that almost killed him when he was 5. "I cry when they give me the shots," he says.

"But after the doctor explains what will happen, I prepare myself and I'm ready." As a seventh grader at Merrimack Middle School. Jason got his first taste of team sports when his social studies teacher, who also coached the baseball team, asked him to keep the scorebook. showed me how to do it during free periods," Jason says. "I took one look at the book and DUNEDIN ST. LUCIE abrhbl Butter 7 2 3 0 Coleman If 2 0 4 9., Bowars If 7 0 2 1 McClinton If 5 0 0 0 Ballla 3b 7 0 0 1 Vina 2b 7 0-1 0 Dt igado dh 6 110 LtOfsma 7 0 10 Weri lb 7 12 0 Hume 3b 7 I I Green rt 5 0 10 Jacobs dh 1 I 0 Tavarei 5 0 10 Fully rf 5 17 0 Dotels lOOODaviscf 5 01 Miller 2b 0t OHarritlb 100 0 Brooks iOOOMillanlb Tiierma 3 0 1 0 A Castillo 0 loot Totals 57 til 2 Totals 53 lie OuoMia til 4 SI Lo OH HI OM He went through all the drills.

One day, he missed three ground balls. Hamel's rule says 10 pushups for each error. Jason gave him 30. Two weeks later, after several cuts, Jason was on the team. "I was like, 'Oh my God.

I can't believe I did Jason said. A backup. Jason was a late-inning replacement who batted about once a game. His limited mobility hampered his play. Still, no one had a problem with Jason playing until two umpires wouldn't let him bat two weeks ago They feared he wasn't mobile enough to avoid an inside pitch Stark, leading 19-5 in the last inning, walked off the field and forfeited in protest.

Last week, the state's governing body of high school sports ruled that Jason could bat. To celebrate, Hamel inserted Jason into the starting lineup and let him play the whole game. The players ribbed him just like any other player. "Will you bring me out?" Jason asked teammate Bruce Miller when it was time to return to second base. "Oh.

he getting lazy," Miller responded. After the game, several players patted Jason on the bark arid lifted him into the air. E-Taverei 2. Vartmej. Battle.

Green, w.ilan ledesma Oo'ei. Davis Hotchkiss DP Dunedin 3, St Lucie 2 LOB-Duedm 7 St Lucie 12 Green 3B-6overs SB -Vina 1 131, Butler 1 131. Full. (l S-Green Fully. Urilian SF-Oavis IP EN BB SO DUNEDIN 9-of-12 overall.

Kevin Coughlin added two hits, scored two runs and drove in one for Sarasota, which has the best record in the FSL. Steve Olsen (7-1) pitched seven innings for the White Sox. He allowed five hits and struck out six. Corey Powell (2-3) took the loss for West Palm Beach. S'eed 5 F'ener Timlin Jordan 4 HotcMnnW, 2 2 4 ST LUCIE Vartne, a Dorn I F'etas a McCann 2 1 2 HBP-fcr lra iMarris).

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