The final spot for Jupiter was clinched today as the Central Florida Gators downed the Scorpions 2017 Gerber by a score of 2-1 in the championship game of the WWBA Florida Qualifier. The Gators dropped the first game of the tournament and then ripped off a five-game winning streak to take the title.
The game was a pitcher’s duel all the way through and the starting matchup featured two highly touted prospects. Joseph Charles, the no. 18 overall player for the class of 2019 and committed to North Carolina, toed the rubber for the Gators against Jonah Scolaro, the no. 10 lefthanded pitcher in the state of Florida for the class of 2017 and a Florida State commit, of the Scorpions. Both pitcher’s dominated opposing hitters early on and the tension continued to increase as the championship game was in a scoreless tie.
Charles had a very efficient day on the mound as his afternoon was over after just five innings and 76 pitches. He finished with a line of five innings pitched allowing only three hits, no runs, and striking out six batters. Scolaro was just as dominant as he finished off three innings of one-hit baseball while allowing no runs and striking out three.
Late in the game both teams turned to their bullpens as Connor Ollio, the no. 1 shortstop in the state of Pennsylvania for the class of 2018 and a North Carolina commit, and Donovan Benoit, the no. 16 first baseman in the state of Florida for the class of 2017 and committed to Tennessee, tried to hold down opposing offenses for the Gators and Scorpions respectively.
The game would remain tied at 0 heading into the seventh when both teams were finally able to breakthrough. In the top of the frame the Gators were able to scratch across two runs for a big lead heading into the bottom of the inning. With one out in the inning, the Gators loaded the bases and Ollio was able to come around to score on a wild pitch for an early 1-0 lead. Following an error by the shortstop, the Gators had another run and headed to the bottom of the inning leading by a score of 2-0.
The Scorpions would not go quietly, however. Their first two batters of the inning reached on a walk and a hit and the Scorpions had two runners on with no outs. Raymond Gil, the no. 3 third baseman in the state of Florida for the class of 2017 and a Miami commit, would come through with a clutch, one-out RBI single to bring the lead down to one. Ollio would buckle down and induce a ground ball double play to end the game and clinch the championship.
The MVP of the tournament was Raymond Gil of the Scorpions. Gil had nine hits (.500 batting average, with eleven RBI, six runs scored, and one home run. The MV-Pitcher for the tournament was Matthew Liberatore, the no. 8 lefthanded pitcher for the class of 2018 and committed to Arizona, of the Gators. Liberatore finished with 8.2 innings pitched (two starts), allowing no runs over the course of the tournament, and striking out sixteen batters.
2016 WWBA Florida Qualifier runner-up: Scorpions 2017 Gerber
2016 WWBA Florida Qualifier MVP: Raymond Gil
2016 WWBA Florida Qualifier MV-Pitcher: Matthew Liberatore
