Jupiter, Fla. , October 26-30, 2006
TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27
COMPILED BY ALLAN SIMPSON
The top 10 highlights from the first full day of play Friday at the World Wood Bat fall championship:
1. Gast gasses California . Orlando Braves lefthander John Gast saved the best for last, pitching a one-hitter with 17 strikeouts as he beat Team California 1-0 in the final session of the day. Gast, who has verbally committed to Florida State , fanned the first nine hitters of the game. His fastball, a steady 91 mph, was dominant throughout and he mixed in two breaking balls.
2. Roberts slam sparks Richmond . With the Richmond Braves trailing 1-0 in the fifth inning against the Southeast Texas Sun Devils, outfielder Sam Roberts (Prince George, Va.) launched a wind-aided grand slam to spark the Braves to a 7-1 win. Roberts?€™ blast, in the 39th scheduled game of the tournament, was only the second home run hit to that point. Roberts went 2-for-3 with a walk and five RBIs.
3. DiRicco no-hits Tidewater. Perfect Game Navy lefthander Joe DiRicco (Hanover Park, N.J. ) spun a seven-inning no-hitter against the Tidewater (Va. ) White Sox, walking two and striking out 11. He handcuffed the White Sox on a fastball that sat between 84-88 mph.
4. Kilcrease good for 15. Austin Baseball Club lefthander Robbie Kilcrease (Round Rock, Texas ) established the day?€™s high with 15 strikeouts?€?until his mark was broken by Gast--as his team edged past Perfect Game Royal 2-0. Kilcrease allowed three hits and three walks while topping out at 87 mph.
5. Astros on another planet. The East Cobb Astros, 2003 champions and 2005 co-champions, registered another dominant pitching performance as lefthander Will Casey (Kennesaw, Ga.) and righthander Brian Dupra (Rochester, N.Y.) combined on the team?€™s second straight one-hitter in an 11-0, five-inning win over Perfect Game Maroon. Casey worked the first four innings at 87-89 mph, while Dupra, one of the top prospects for the 2007 draft, was 91-93 in his one inning of work.
6. Reid silences PG squad. Righthander Rico Reid (Kennesaw, Ga.) dominated Perfect Game?€™s Columbia Blue squad on a one-hitter with no walks and 10 strikeouts as the Atlanta Blue Jays won 9-0. His fastball topped at 91 and he showed a vastly improved curve and changeup than what he had shown in the past.
7. Dirtbags have clean slate. The North Carolina-based Dirtbags won both their games Friday by shutouts. Righthanders Patrick John son and Brad Mincey combined on a one-hitter in a 5-0 win over Georgia?€™s OTC Bears in the team?€™s opener, while Ryan Leach, Trent Rothlin, Vance Williams and Justin Poovey limited Baseball Northwest to three hits in a convincing 6-0 win in their second contest.
8. Complete game for Cody. Righthander Cody Scarpetta (Rockford, Ill. ) touched 92 mph and was still humming at 88-90 in the seventh inning of a two-hit, complete game victory as Wisconsin ?€™s Midwest Blazers Scout Team stopped Team British Columbia 6-1. Scarpetta walked none and struck out eight. The only run Scarpetta allowed was unearned.
9. Offense on hold. Bellaire (Texas) High School?€™s Off-season team and Team Connecticut battled to a scoreless tie with the two teams combining for one hit?€?a first-inning single by Team Connecticut ?€™s Tommy Winegardner (St. Leonard, Md.). Three Team Connecticut pitchers?€?lefthander Nathaniel Bayuk (3 innings), righthander Matt Barnes (3 innings) and righthander A.J. Clark (1 inning)?€?combined on the no-hitter, while sophomore righthander Tyler Duffey went the distance for Bellaire, allowing just the one hit, walking one and striking out seven.
10. Buckley golden in win. Central Florida Renegades lefthander Tye Buckley (Tallahassee, Fla.) no-hit Perfect Game Gold, winning 4-1. He walked one and struck out eight with a fastball that hovered between 84-86 mph. The lone run scored on his only walk, a stolen base, sacrifice and an infield grounder.