False Start Halts Miners

The last thing Fort Meade coach Jeff Tofanelli wanted was for his Miners to get off to a rough start. That's the first thing that happened. The Miners committed two errors in the first inning when Jacksonville Providence jumped out to a five-run lead, and the Stallions went on to defeat the Miners, 7-0, Wednesday afternoon in the semifinals of the 2008 FHSAA Class 2A Baseball Finals at Ed Smith Stadium.

The Miners, playing in their second state tournament, finished the season 19-15.

"It's a tough one to swallow," Fort Meade coach Jeff Tofanelli. "We feel like we swung the bats better than they did. The first inning was a total debacle. We had problems finding the strike zone."

The control problems by starting pitcher Freddie Cortez plus two errors made for a long first inning when Providence had just two hits.

The first two Providence base runners reached base by a walk and hit-by-pitch. The only big hit in the inning was Josh Whitchurch' one-out double that drove in two runs.

Kyle Wilfong reached base on a ground ball to third baseman Dakota Chestnut, who dropped the ball as he was trying to tag out Whitchurch at third. Whitchurch scored on an infield single by Drew Rosenberger, then he and Wilfong scored on an errant pick-off throw by Cortez.

"They took advantage," Tofanelli said. "Good teams take advantage. We knew coming in they were a good team, and we knew we had to throw strikes and take care of the ball. In the first, we didn't do it."

Providence (28-5) added a run in the second, again with the help of an error. Jonathan Murphy singled and was picked off first, but the throw down to second base went into the outfield and Murphy was reached third safely. That allowed him to score on Bradley Goodson's fly ball to center.

After Cortez allowed another single and a walk following Goodson's sacrifice fly, Tofanelli brought in Chestnut to pitch. The junior right-hander settled things down for the Miners.

He retired the first six batters he faced and allowed just one run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.

"I just knew we were down by five or six," Chestnut said. "I just tried not to give up any runs and keep my team in the game."

Chestnut kept the Miners in the game but their offense couldn't capitalize. Fort Meade finished with six hits, the same as Providence. Its best chance to score came in the top of the seventh. Dustin Selph led off theinning with a single, and George Senterfitt walked. After Jalen Brown popped out, Wade Roberts walked to load the bases.

Goodsen, however, came on in relief and struck out both batters he faced to end the game.

The only other inning that the Miners had two runners on base came in the first when Bryan Langston doubled and Jonathan Camp walked with two outs.

"Young or old you don't want to be in that situation," Tofanelli said of the slow start. "We showed who we are and what we're about. We kept stringing a hit here and a hit there. They never got behind and threw strikes. They made us earn every at-bat."

Fort Meade 000 000 0 - 0 6 3

Providence 510 010 x - 7 6 0

Cortez (L, 6-7), Chestnut (2) and Senterfitt. Rosenberger (W, 7-2), Martin (6), Russell (7), Goodson (7) and Whitchurch.

Leading hitters: Fort Meade: Langston 1-3 2B, Camp 1-2, Selph 1-3, Brown 1-3, Daughtry 1-2. Providence: 1-3, Murphy 1-4 R, Whitchurch 2-3 2RBI 2B, Rosenberger 1-3 RBI R, Webb 1-2, Flakus RBI.

Records: Providence 28-5, Fort Meade 19-15.