Perfect pickoff play saves Florida

MUSCLE SHOALS - A play Florida practices every Wednesday turned out to be the game-winner Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the Junior Dixie Boys World Series at the Muscle Shoals Sportsplex.

With the tying run on third base and the winning run on first, Florida (Okeechobee) executed a pickoff play to perfection to get the final out and preserve a back-and-forth 6-5 victory over Mississippi.

Florida's Tyler Finney tagged out Chase Chancellor to end the game just before Christian Chauvin could cross the plate with the tying run on a play in which Mississippi was trying to send the game to extra innings.

"We knew that if he didn't take off on the first pitch, he'd at least get a good secondary lead," Florida coach Brian Morgan said. "With the game on the line, it was worth a shot. The big thing is to be sure we tag him out before that runner on third crosses the plate. We did that by about five feet."

In most youth league games, teams concede the stolen base in first-and-third situations with two outs, preferring for the pitcher to concentrate on the batter. Florida went away from that strategy.

"We practice that a lot because it's an import part of the game,' Morgan said.

Florida, which trailed 3-0 after two innings, was down to its final out before rallying to take the lead in the seventh. Trailing 5-4, Florida used a hit batter, an error and a fielder's choice grounder to tie the game. Mark Weir scored the tying run from second base on Will Jackson's ground ball to shortstop.

Brad Coleman followed with a run-scoring double that put Florida in front.

Two errors and a stolen base gave Mississippi (Oak Grove) a chance to tie in the bottom of the seventh before Florida closed it out.

Tyler Finney got the win in relief, with Mark Weir earning the save. Bradley Moore took the loss.

Noah Wilcox had two of Florida's four hits. Demetrise Fairley had two of Mississippi's four hits.

Mississippi took an early lead and didn't need to pound the ball to get it, scoring twice in the first inning on just one hit and then tacking on another run in the second on two singles.

Fairley singled to open the first for Mississippi and after stealing second and third, scored on a two-out infield error. Mississippi added another run on two more stolen bases and a throwing error for a 2-0 lead.

Mississippi went ahead 3-0 in the second when Andy Beets led off with a single and eventually scored on Fairley's infield hit.

Florida, held without a hit through three innings, took advantage of a pitching change by Mississippi to score four times on two hits, four walks, four wild pitches and a balk in the fourth. Wilcox knocked in the first run with a stand-up triple into the gap in right-center field and Dean Radebaugh's soft-serve base hit to right.

Chancellor's two-run double put Mississippi back on top in the fifth.

Gregg Dewalt can be reached at 740-5748 or gregg.dewalt@timesdaily.com.