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Region baseball: Steinbrenner 3, East Lake 0

 
Steinbrenner players celebrate after defeating East Lake 3-0 to win the Class 8A region final baseball game at Steinbrenner High School in Lutz, Fla., on Tuesday, May 10, 2016.
Steinbrenner players celebrate after defeating East Lake 3-0 to win the Class 8A region final baseball game at Steinbrenner High School in Lutz, Fla., on Tuesday, May 10, 2016.
Published May 11, 2016

LUTZ — Ever since the district semifinals Steinbrenner has used the same playoff strategy: Score a few runs and let junior pitcher CJ Van Eyk do his thing. It worked like a charm Tuesday night in a Class 8A final against East Lake.

The Warriors scored a run each in the first, fourth and fifth innings, and Van Eyk scattered four hits and struck out 13 in a 3-0 win. It was his fourth straight complete-game playoff win, including three straight in regionals.

Steinbrenner, which will play in its first state semifinal in the school's seven year history, faces Westland Hialeah next week in Fort Myers.

"Early run support really helps," Van Eyk said. "One run is usually enough, but three definitely helps."

Steinbrenner (25-5) got to East Lake starter Christian James in the first inning. Nicholas Alessi got a one-out hit and Patrick Morris was hit by a pitch to put two on. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third. Then Ryan Russell hit a ball to shortstop that allowed pinch runner Justin Turk to score.

In the fourth, Drew Burkhart led off with a double. Cam Coakley bunted, but James' throw to first went off Coakley and into rightfield. Burkhart scored from second to make it 2-0. It became 3-0 in the fifth when Bradley Hession got a two-out RBI single.

"That was a big run and a big hit by Hession," Steinbrenner coach John Crumbley said. "To get that third run is huge. CJ is used to pitching in tight games and when he has a three-run lead he's awfully tough."

East Lake (22-8) had two prime chances to score.

In the fourth inning, trailing only 1-0, the Eagles put their first two runners on base when Reid Zitzelberg and Jakob Sessa both singled. James then hit a high grounder over the pitcher's mound, but Warriors shortstop Daniel Bautista was able to tag out Sessa and throw out James for a double play. A grounder to second base ended the threat.

In the seventh, East Lake also put the first two runners on, but fittingly, Van Eyk got the next three batters looking at strike three to end the game.

East Lake had to play with a shuffled lineup. Normal leadoff hitter JJ Yergey was scratched due to a stiff back. That moved freshman outfielder Nolan Hudi into the lineup. The Eagles were unable to get a runner past second base.

"We ran into a tough pitcher and that's the hard part about high school baseball," East Lake coach Zack Roper said. "It's one game, all or nothing and you have to make it happen. We just weren't on tonight and (Van Eyk) was. He did an outstanding job of getting ahead, and actually our strategy was to be aggressive. But in the end we just couldn't pull the trigger. Not meant to be."