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Youth baseball: Greater Naples 9-10s split in first day at state tourney
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FREEPORT — Before Saturday’s opening day of the 9- and 10-year-old state baseball tournament, Greater Naples coach Chad Ott wondered where his team’s power had gone.
He found it and lost it in one day.
Greater Naples used the long ball to come back from a three-run deficit to win 11-3 over North Springs in its first game Saturday, then struggled defensively in a 10-8 loss to Martin County National in the second game.
“We got off to kind of an unusual start,” Ott said after the early win. “That’s really been the trademark of this ball club. Then before you know it, good things start to happen.”
Greater Naples plays Land O’ Lakes at 8 p.m. Sunday in the last game of pool play. A victory should advance Naples to Monday’s semifinals. The finals are Tuesday night.
Down 3-0 after two innings in the first game, shortstop Billy Zeliff hit a two-run double in the third and later scored along with Casey Santos-Ocampo to give Greater Naples a 4-3 lead.
An inning later, Greater Naples found its power.
Center fielder Matt Vetter scored on Zeliff’s sacrifice fly to put Naples ahead by two, then Santos-Ocampo hit a grand slam to give Greater Naples a 9-3 advantage.
“That was a huge momentum-changer,” Ott said.
Greater Naples didn’t have much time to celebrate the victory. Within 30 minutes, they were at it again against Martin County.
Greater Naples took a 2-0 lead in the first inning only to see Martin County go ahead 3-2 in the top of the second. GNLL countered with two more runs in the bottom of the second on a two-run double by Santos-Ocampo. In the third, Greater Naples took a 7-3 lead thanks in part to RBI singles by Bryce Morrow and John D’Amelio.
That would be the end of Greater Naples’ offensive prowess Saturday.
Martin County scored two runs in the fourth and four in the fifth to take a 9-7 lead. MCN’s comeback was sparked by two passed balls that led to two MCN runs.
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