More Youth Sports

• Sports News for Kids: Gymnastics World takes top three in AAU state qualifier
• Sports News for Kids: Hawks baseball team finishes third in Tampa tournament
• Sports News for Kids: Velocity Sports Performance hosting combine Saturday

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Share and Enjoy [?]

FORT MYERS — When it comes to district titles for South Fort Myers Little League, it’s usually not a question of if, but rather how many.

Their home — Rutenberg Park — is plastered with dozens of championship signs from years past.

But even league president Howard Gold, who has presided over most of the titles, sported an extra bounce in his step Thursday.

That’s because South was vying for three District 9 championships on the same night.

Two were successful.

“That’s pretty neat,” said Gold. “I don’t know if that’s ever been done on the same night.”

South’s Senior All-Stars crushed Cape Coral 13-0 in five innings at Rutenberg.

Meanwhile, a few miles away at Sam Fleishman Regional Sports Complex, South churned out another lopsided win as the 10-11 All-Stars ousted Fort Myers American 22-2 in four innings.

South’s hopes for a Thursday night trifecta were squashed by Port Charlotte, which forced a deciding game in the 9-10 tournament with a 4-1 win. A winner-take-all game will be held at Jason Verdow Memorial Park in Cape Coral at 11 a.m. Saturday.

South’s Seniors, which played as one team during the regular season, kept its perfect season alive. Wesley Fiorillo crushed a three-run homer as the team rolled to its 24th straight win.

“That’s the way this team has been playing all along,” said South manager Felix Menendez.

Winning pitcher Luke Smith, who hit a grand slam in a win against Cape earlier in the week, helped his own cause with a solo home run. Smith, who fanned 10, fired a complete game one-hitter.

While Smith was shutting down Cape, his younger brother, Keith, was doing the same to Fort Myers American. Keith Smith also fired a complete game. He allowed two hits and struck out four.

Just like his big brother, Keith enjoyed plenty of offensive support. South, which went 7-0 in the district tournament, rang up 19 hits. They were led by their spark plug leadoff hitter, Thomas Rizzo, who went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a triple. Christian Hammond smacked a two-run homer. Six players had multiple hits.

“Our bats were electric. All 12 kids were hitting the ball,” said South manager Brian Smith, who is the father of Luke and Keith.

After the games, South’s players, coaches and parents celebrated the two championship wins at the league’s unofficial headquarters: Buckett’s restaurant.

They hope to celebrate another title on Saturday.