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Baseball: Steinbrenner rallies past Strawberry Crest

 
Published March 21, 2014

LUTZ — Steinbrenner rode a bumpy roller-coaster Thursday but slithered past Strawberry Crest for a 5-4 victory on Mijon Cummings' two-run single in the bottom of the seventh.

"It shows the true character of our team," Steinbrenner senior Gideon Dunn said.

Strawberry Crest (10-6) controlled things for three solid innings. But Steinbrenner (10-2) rallied and Dunn took over on the mound for struggling junior, Brandon Johnson.

The Warriors started to get runners in scoring position and tied the score at 2 in the fifth inning.

"I was able to control my slider and use it to the best of my ability. But more importantly was the great job by Will (Darnell) behind the plate and my defense backing me up from behind," Dunn said.

Strawberry Crest then took a 4-2 lead before the Warriors scored one in the bottom of the sixth.

In the seventh, Steinbrenner put runners on first and second on a single by Kevin Merrell and an intentional walk to Cole Gordon. Then Cummings stepped up, swung at the second pitch thrown right down the middle, and drove the ball into the gap between first and second, hard on the ground. Merrell quickly scored, tying the score, but pinch-runner Jake Carroll decided to go for the win.

Running directly behind Merrell, the rightfielder, having no time to position himself, threw the ball above the catcher's head, letting Carroll cross the plate as the winning run.

"It's a great feeling. But now all I want is to do is win some more," Cummings said.