TC Prep fights through a few nail biters to claim the 2013 CFBL Fall Championship

Despite struggling with injuries throughout the entire fall season, the team came together when it counted most – the playoffs.  The Wolves started pool play with a convincing 6-3 win against Deland behind 6 1/3 strong innings and 12 strikeouts from Preston Schumacher.  Parker Smith, Michael Shanahan and Drake Chartrand added 2 hits apiece.  Next up was a tough matchup with Hagerty, decided by a 3-2, come from behind victory when Michael Shanahan delivered a walk-off, two-run double. 

In the first elimination game, TC was matched up against a solid Lake Brantley team.  This game went to extra innings due to the defensive play of the weekend by Raymond Fields, who threw out the go-ahead run at home to end the top of 7^th and which kept the score tied at 5.  That play led to John Bivona’s heroics, where he came up with the big hit to give TC a 7-6 Texas tie-breaker win in the bottom of the 8^th.   Preston Schumacher and Bret Neilan pitched four solid innings each, and AJ Capece and Bret Neilan added two hits each to go along with John Bivona’s three hits and two RBIs.

This win brought the Wolves into a tough matchup against a determined West Orange team, who were coming off a decisive upset of tournament favorite, University-Orange City.  The game was a pitcher’s duel from the outset – West Orange’s Tanner Wood pitched five scoreless innings but was outdone by John Bivona and his 6 1/3 scoreless innings and 12 strikeouts with Tyler Lyewski as his catcher before giving up a run.  Junior Loria started the rally with a single, followed by a walk to Bret Neilan and a passed ball, which led to John Bivona coming through again with another game-winning hit in the bottom of the 7^th when the Wolves were down1-0 and delivered the 2-1 victory.   Bret Neilan and Michael Shanahan each contributed two hits in this win.  This victory propelled the Wolves into the championship game against Winter Springs.

Jordan McNamara was given the ball for the championship game and he delivered, pitching six solid innings and capitalizing on the eight runs scored by the Wolves in the 4^th inning.  Michael Stegman came in the 7^th inning and capped off the 10-3 victory.  The offensive outburst was led by Drake Chartrand’s three hits, with Michael Shanahan, Bret Neilan and Raymond Fields adding two hits apiece.  A convincing championship win for the Wolves where every player on the team contributed in one way or another!