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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/20/2018

Fury runs table to earn spot

Bryan Cooney     
Photo: Gulf Coast Fury (Perfect Game)



FORT MYERS, Fla. – Twelve days after rolling all its competitors to win the 14u Southeast Championship, Gulf Coast Fury 14u continued their torrid play to start off the summer. They again went unbeaten in pool play and used two strong pitching performances, with Zachary Root (2022, Fort Myers, Fla.) striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings on Wednesday, to earn their spot in the 14u PG Super25 National Championship as they defeated Team Orlando Bolts 5-2 in the final at JetBlue Park.

After outscoring their opponents 53-4 in their four pool play games, the Fury offense gave Austin Black (2022, Bonita Springs, Fla.) plenty of cushion in the semifinals. The righthander tossed six strong innings as the Fury defeated SWFL STARZ in that game 9-1 in six innings to advance to the final.

The matchup with the Bolts was a rematch of a pool play game from Tuesday that saw the Fury win 9-1, but the Bolts were coming in off of a sparkling 2-0 victory over Kangaroo Court Roos National that saw Bradley O’Kane (2022, Clermont, Fla.) and Issac Sewell (2022, Clermont, Fla.) combine for a five-hit shutout. O’Kane struck out five in five innings and Sewell wrapped the game up with two innings and four strikeouts to set up another matchup against the Fury.

There was action from the start as in the first inning, the Bolts got a leadoff single from Greg Pettay (2022, Clermont, Fla.) but it was wiped off the boards as Root induced a double play ball to get his team to bat.

His teammates worked a quick threat as Michael McAloose (2022, Fort Myers, Fla.) singled to left and Michael Perazza (2023, Lake Orion, Mich.) reached on an error. Root dropped down a perfect bunt single down the third base line to load the bases up. Austin Douglas (2021, Fort Myers, Fla.) sent a fly ball to left to bring in McAloose and Scott Edwards (2022, Fort Myers, Fla.) followed up with an RBI single to center to give the Fury a 2-0 lead.

In the second, the Bolts had the first two men reach as Jake Salvati (2022, Windermere, Fla.) and Reid Williams (2022, Montverde, Fla.) singled but again Root induced a double play to mitigate the opportunity. However, with a Salvati at third, a wild pitch allowed the Bolts to get on the scoreboard and close to within a run at 2-1.

In the third, the Bolts took advantage of a defensive mistake as Michael Rivera (2022, Orlando, Fla.) came all the way home from first after Pettay’s single to right was misplayed with two outs to tie the game.

The tie was broken in the home half as McAloose came in to score on Edwards’ double into the left field corner with two outs to put the Fury back on top 3-2.

The Fury tacked on another run in the fifth as with two outs and the bases loaded, Edwards drew a walk to give Root a 4-2 lead, and in the sixth, Root’s defense made sure the Bolts didn’t get any closer.

After a walk and another single from Pettay set up first and third with one out, a ground ball was hit to McAloose at shortstop and he threw home to cut down the runner at the plate. On the next pitch, Fury catcher Kevin RisCassi (2022, Fort Myers, Fla.) threw out a runner attempting to swipe second to get Root out of the inning.

The Fury tacked on an insurance run in the sixth as Black scored on a fielder’s choice from RisCassi after leading off the inning with a double, sending the game to the seventh with the Fury leading 5-2.

Root picked up a pair of strikeouts to start the seventh but hit his pitch limit and Douglas came on to finish off the game by retiring the final batter on a pop out.

Root earned MV-Pitcher honors for his efforts in the final as he finished the tournament with 10 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings while giving up just a lone earned run. Douglas picked up MV-Player as he was a terror at the plate in the tournament with 12 RBI and finished with a .643 average (9-for-14) with four doubles and a triple.

Root and Perazza also finished with nine hits in the tournament and McAloose was right behind with eight for the Fury.

Pettay finished with a .500 average as he went 8-for-16 for the tournament for the runner-up Bolts.


2018 PG Super25 14u Florida Super Qualifier runner-up: Team Orlando Bolts



2018 PG Super25 14u Florida Super Qualifier MVP: Austin Douglas



2018 PG Super25 15u Florida Super Qualifier MV-Pitcher: Zachary Root
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