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Timber Creek's comeback gives Wolves three-peat of 8A-5 baseball crown
Last Updated: Saturday, April 27, 2013, 12:39 AM
WINTER PARK --
When Freddy Torres doubled in two runs, giving the Winter Park Wildcats a 3-2 lead in the Class 8A, District 5 championship game on Friday, Timber Creek Wolves starter Price Brutus didn’t flinch. Neither did any of his teammates.
Despite losing an earlier two run lead, the Timber Creek Wolves (19-8) rallied to beat the host Wildcats, 5-3, and take the program’s third-consecutive district championship.
“We try to play the toughest schedule during the regular season to try and get us prepared for this,” Wolves head coach Scott Grove said. “Playing the type of schedule that we play … I think the tougher schedule prepares us for these types of situations.”
Brutus got the complete-game victory for Timber Creek, going seven innings and striking out five while allowing three runs on three hits. “[Brutus has] been great for us all year,” Grove said. “He didn’t have his best stuff but he was exceptional as far as his competitiveness … he just kept battling and battling and pounding the zone.”
Timber Creek was led at the plate by big performances from Kyle Muth and Eugene Vazquez. Muth doubled in the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth for Wolves, after the score had been tied at three, going 2-for-4 on the day with two RBIs while Vazquez went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Winter Park (14-12) was led at the plate by Torres. Torres finished 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Hunter Lee, who came on in relief of Wildcats’ starter Sam Lanier, received the loss for Winter Park.
Both teams will advance to the regional rounds of the FHSAA Class 8A State Tournament. The Wildcats will travel to take on District 6 champion Centennial on Wednesday while the Wolves, who have made the FHSAA Final Four in two of the past three years, will host Vero Beach.
For Timber Creek, whose players will get a reprieve from baseball on Saturday as the school celebrates its Prom Night, the next few days will be all about preparation for making another run to states.
“We have a lot of information on Vero Beach,” Grove said. “We’re just going to try to prepare – business as normal.”
