Travel Ball
“There's a risk in every jump.”
I’ll start the write up off with this wise Puerto Rican proverb. This to pay homage to our guests on Tuesday, 1/14. The Kissimmee Puerto Rican team, The Latinos, honored us by coming to the Diamondplex to play the WHSS, AL team, in a doubleheader. The Winter Haven team consisted of Shirer, Netzel, Doerbaum, Hurn, Scheirer, Hamilton, Jacobson, Epperson, Matta, DeBroeck and Witmer.
Win or lose the Kissimmee team has a great group of talented ballplayers who hold their heads up and show joy, no matter what the score. Now for the abbreviated details of the games. Winter Haven took an early lead. To no one’s surprise, power hitter extraordinaire, Doerbaum, lifted a mammoth HR to give us a two-run lead in the first. During the rest of the game the lead switched hands several times. Both teams played good defense and had timely hits. The difference in the game was Doerbaum’s pitching. He was Chavos for the Winter Haven team, which is Puerto Rican slang for money. The Final Score was 10-7 in favor or Winter Haven.
When Kissimmee showed up this past summer, they took both games of the double header against Winter Haven. Could we overcome the risk of playing this talented team and make the jump to sweeping them this time? Yes! Winter Haven won the 2nd game 18-10. This despite the fact that Kissimmee hit two HR’s over the palm trees in the game. One HR was hit by Mike Vaccarro, who was playing for Kissimmee (his tournament team). Again, Doerbaum’s pitching kept the powerful Kissimmee team from piling up the runs. They had more pop ups than Kellogg's has pop tarts. The Winter Haven defense was also very strong. There were good defensive plays turned in by Netzel, Epperson, Doerbaum, Witmer, Matta, Jacobson, Hamilton and Scheirer at different points in the day. There were timely hits by everyone in the Winter Haven lineup. Thanks to the other Winter Haven players and managers who sacrificed a few players and enabled us to play.
In the end both Kissimmee and our Winter Haven squad could say; “Vamos! Salgamos con el corillo!” let’s go, let’s all leave together (as friends).
Write up by Nick Matta
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