Blue Devils' Power Not Enough

The teams combined for nine home runs in the first game - five for the Eagles, four for the Blue Devils - and 13 for the doubleheader.

After falling behind, 6-0 through four innings of Game 1, Winter Haven (21-8) rallied for eight runs in two innings to take an 8-7 lead.

The Blue Devils plated three runs in the fifth with a two-run homer from L.B. Dantzler, then a solo shot on the next pitch by Trey Mancini.

After Brandon (25-6) scored a run in the bottom of the fifth, Winter Haven responded with a five-run sixth inning to take the lead.

Jeff Glenn and Markus Brisker each hit two-run homers and Dantzler scored on a single by Jake Lang.

"We fought back in the first game," Winter Haven coach David Saliba said. "That could have been pivotal, to come back from a six-run deficit."

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and a runner on second base, a grounder to shortstop could have sent the game to extra innings, but Austin Johnston's throw to first went over Mancini's head and the runner scored to end the first game.

"That took a lot out of us," Saliba said.

Brisker took the loss in the game after pitching two innings. He gave up two runs, one earned, on two hits. Ben Brown started the game for the Blue Devils. He went five innings and gave up seven runs on 11 hits.

The Eagles started the second game the same way the first game went, with a couple of home runs.

James Ramsay hit a two-run homer and Roderick Shoulders hit the first of his two homers for the game to put Brandon ahead by three.

"I haven't been in a game where they flew out like that," Saliba said. "I wasn't expecting it and I don't think they were either."

The Blue Devils manufactured two runs in the bottom of the first on RBI-singles by Mancini and Lang.

Shoulders added to the Eagles' lead in the third inning with a three-run homer and Dantzler got two of those runs back with a two-run shot.

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, that would be as close as they got the rest of the night.

Colin Richardson was handed the loss in the second game. He pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up six runs.

Joe Rogers came in to relieve Richardson and threw 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs.

Dantzler finished the doubleheader 3-for-8 with two home runs, four RBIs and four runs scored. Brisker was 4-for-9 with three runs, a homer and two RBIs, and Mancini was 4-for-6 with a home run.