By STEVE JACKSON
The East Bay Indians of coach Rowland Ruiz were the lone boys baseball team of the South Shore 5 to win in the opening round of the Saladino Baseball Tournament last Saturday. The 5-1 Indians mauled Chamberlain High 19-0. The Indians continued action in the Saladino earlier this week against 1-5 Brandon High and then against Cambridge Christian, a private 2A with a current record of 3-3.
East Bay is playing in one of the three divisions of the Saladino Baseball Tourney—the Bronze Division, which is playing the opening rounds at Tampa Bay Tech. Spoto is also in the Bronze Division. Similar to the other two divisions, the Gold Division, with Lennard High as a host and one of the participants, and the Silver Division, with the Riverview Sharks and the Sumner Stingrays both host sites, opening rounds were last Saturday. Games continued at the host sites early this week, Monday and Tuesday.
The Gold Division, which features some of the top high school diamond squads in Florida from Hillsborough County, features semi-finals and consolation games Wednesday, March 13. Lennard had Saladino games scheduled for March 11 and 12. The Saladino championship Gold is set for Thursday, March 14, at the University of Tampa baseball field at 7 p.m.
All five South Shore baseball teams play at least four games in the three divisions in the famed Saladino Baseball Tourney. See Saladino Tourney schedules and details for all three divisions in ObserverNews.net print and digital March 7 issue.
Lennard, under coach Victor Martinez, fell to 3-4 on the season, losing March 9 to Plant City 4-2 in the opening round of the Saladino at Ruskin. Making it to the championship round is difficult for the Longhorns, who played Sickles March 11 and Gaither March 12, prior to the consolation game on March 13 at a site to be determined. The Gold championship game is March 14 at University of Tampa at 7 p.m.
The Riverview Sharks, of coach Garrett Thompson, lost their opening round of the Saladino Silver Division 7-1 to Robinson High on March 9 in Riverview. Earlier this week, on Monday, the Sharks battled the 4-3 Hillsborough Terriers and then the 1-5 Freedom Patriots on Tuesday. Riverview is also mired in a 0-7 record this season.
Also playing and hosting in the Silver Division of the Saladino are the 3-3 Sumner Stingrays. Coach Kennedy Duran’s Stingrays dropped an opening round 8-0 to Seffner Chrisitian on March 9. Earlier this week, Sumner hoped to bounce back against Armwood on March 11 and King on March 12. The consolation game is at 4 p.m., and the championship game is at 7 p.m. at sites-to-be-determined for the Silver division of the Saladino on Wednesday, March 13.
Spoto dropped its fourth straight game in its opening round of the Saladino last Saturday. Coach Stephen Knight’s Spartans never got any offense generated in a disastrous 12-0 decision for Carrollwood Day High at host Tampa Bay Tech’s diamond. Spoto was hoping for better results March 11 versus TBT, which is 1-5 this year. Brook DeBartolo High is 2-6 Spoto’s next game in the Saladino on March 12. The Bronze consolation game is at 4 p.m. March 13, and the Bronze champion will be determined the same date at 7 p.m. at TBT.
Regular season play continues in the South Shore next week when Spring Break week is over.
Lennard travels to Palmetto March 18 and then hosts Brandon at Ruskin on March 21 and Sickles on March 23. Riverview is hosting Robinson March 19 and then Bloomingdale March 22. Spoto picks up with road trips to Plant City March 21 and to Robinson March 23, prior to hosting Riverview March 26. East Bay has two visitors after the break. Blake High comes March 19, then Durant High visits March 31. Sumner travels to play Newsome in Lithia March 21. On Saturday, March 30, Steinbrenner comes to play the Stingrays for a Saturday noon game.