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Clearwater team wins Big League Baseball World Series

 
Published July 31, 2014

Clearwater's District 12 All-Stars won Tampa Bay's first world title of 2014, beating Puerto Rico 2-1 in the Big League Baseball World Series in Easley, S.C., on Wednesday.

Brian Auerbach did not surrender a hit until the fifth and went the distance, striking out nine and walking one.

Clearwater jumped in front in the second inning. With one out, Tyler Hawks singled and was replaced Tyler Simmons as a pinch-runner. Ian Lisle singled and Ethan Olivero walked to load the bases. Derek Gibree's second single of the game drove in Simmons, but Lisle was thrown out at home.

With a 2-0 lead and only three outs away from the championship, Auerbach, a Palm Harbor University graduate, retired the first two batters immediately. However, a walk and three infield singles plated one run for Puerto Rico.

Only five pitches from the mandated 105-pitch limit, Auerbach got a strikeout to end the game.

The Rollins College commit pitched 61/3 innings with 10 strikeouts earlier in the tournament to beat California, and he finished with 131/3 innings and only three earned runs in World Series play.

Gibree (2-for-3, RBI) hit .500 for the tournament. Brenden Overton hit .444 with a team-high two home runs, seven RBIs and seven runs scored. Both played for Clearwater Central Catholic this past year.

DIZZY DEAN: Northwest sent two teams to the World Series in Southaven, Miss., this week. The 8U All-Stars were eliminated in pool play while the 10U All-Stars lost 14-6 to Tallahassee's Levy Park All-Stars in Tuesday's division final. The 10U All-Stars outscored opponents 40-2 in their first three games then beat Alabama's Walker County 13-2 in the semifinals. Pinellas Park also sent an All-Star club, its 12U team, to the World Series. After winning its first game of the tournament 7-1, it lost 3-0 to Mississippi's Grenada Youth All-Stars. Battling back, the Suncoast squad won consecutive games to set up a rematch with Grenada for the Bracket C title, which Pinellas Park won 11-1. In the semifinal on Wednesday morning, Alabama's North Chilton All-Stars eliminated Pinellas Park 12-4. Pinellas Park plays for third place this morning.