By Chris Girandola, Times Correspondent
Saturday, May 7, 2011
ST. PETERSBURG — After Shorecrest lost last year's Class 2A state baseball final, the Chargers made it a mission to do everything possible to reach the title game again and change the result.
Having been through a brutal preseason training session before the 2010 campaign, the Chargers amped it up even more with strength and conditioning coach Brian Cooper this season.
Shorecrest also added area powerhouses to its schedule, including Seminole, Pinellas Park, Dunedin, East Lake and Tarpon Springs. So far, the plan has worked, as the Chargers beat Community School of Naples 11-1 in a region semifinal Saturday.
Shorecrest (20-9) advances to the region finals and hosts Brooks-DeBartolo on Friday.
"We've worked really hard over the past two seasons, and it's translated into a better performance on the field," said first baseman Spencer Heath, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI. "We're more confident about our ability, and we've been able to produce different type of hits like deep gappers and home runs."
The Chargers, who had two inside-the-park homers last season, have hit 10 that cleared fences this year, including Heath's solo shot that was a part of a four-run sixth inning. The Chargers also bunched five runs in the third, highlighted by centerfielder Jason Kiracofe's three-run triple.
The Chargers ended the game early via the 10-run rule after Heath's homer and second baseman Andrew Roy's two-run double.
"We scheduled the teams we did to prepare the guys for another state title run," Shorecrest coach Don Reed said. "There's no nervousness when the guys go out on the field this year. Just extreme preparedness because they've faced talented competition."
Kiracofe finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs.
Shorecrest starter Jordan Lindsay (5-2) allowed three hits over 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts.
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