Shorecrest vs Out of Door Academy - District Championship Game

Thursday, April 29

Shorecrest 0, Out of Door Academy 1 – District Championship Game

The Chargers lost a heartbreaking 1-0 pitching duel against Out of Door Academy in the District Championship game played at host school Out of Door Academy.

Marc B. and Jordan L. pitched outstanding baseball for the Chargers. Marc B. pitched 4 innings allowing no runs, 4 hits and 4 strikeouts. Jordan L. worked 3 innings allowing 1 run, 2 hits and 4 strikeouts

Both teams played outstanding defense and neither team committed an error in the game. The Chargers turned 2 double plays and Out of Door Academy turned 1.

It was a hard-fought game by both teams. The Chargers were unable to get a base hit when they had runners in scoring positions.

Leading for the Chargers:

Brent R. with 1 double

Spencer H. with 1 double

Jon O. with 1 hit

Jordan L. with 1 hit

The Chargers will play on the road on Tuesday, May 3 at 7:00 pm against Evangelical Christian in the 1^st game of the Regional Tournament. Fan support during the season has been a true ingredient to many of the Chargers’ big wins, both at Hernandez Field and on the road. The 10^th man is always key to a baseball team and the Chargers’ Varsity squad is hopeful that the fans will be out in full force on Tuesday, on the road, to keep the season alive for Shorecrest.

April 26 - Shorecrest vs Northside Christian - 1st District Game

Tuesday, April 26

Shorecrest 10, Northside Christian 0 – First District Game

The Chargers got off to a good start in the district 12 tournament on Tuesday at Out of Door Academy. John R. led off with a base on balls, John S. reached on an error and Brent R. singled to drive in a run. Spencer H. singled to drive in another run to give the Chargers a 2-0 lead after the first inning. Jason K. led off the bottom of the 2^nd inning with a triple. Andrew R. singled to drive in a run. John S. reached on an error. Brent R. doubled to drive in 2 more runs to make the score 5-0 in favor of the Chargers.

In the 4^th inning Spencer H. was hit with a pitch, Will S. walked, Marc B. drove in a run with a base hit, Brian K. singled to drive in a run, Jason K. doubled to drive in 2 more runs and make the score 9-0.

Jordan L. led off the bottom of the 5^th inning with a double and scored on John S’s triple to drive in the 10^th run to end the game because of the 10 run rule.

Jason K. pitched a great game pitching 5 innings allowing no runs, 2 hits and 8 strikeouts.

Leading for the Chargers:

Jason K. with 1 double, 1 triple, 2 RBI’s and 1 run scored

Andrew R. with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI and 1 run scored

Brent R. with 1 single, 1 double and 3 RBI’s

Jordan L. with 1 double and 1 run scored

John S. with 1 triple, 1 RBI and 2 runs scored

Marc B. with 1 base hit, 1 RBI and 1 run scored

Brian K. with 1 base hit, 1 RBI and 1 run scored

Spencer H. with 1 base hit, 1 RBI and 1 run scored

Will S. with 1 run scored

John R. with 1 run scored

The Chargers will play on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 7:00 pm at Out of Door Academy and will play the winner of the St. Stephens/Out of Door Academy game in the Championship game of the District Tournament.

Article Posted in "Old Northeast-Downtown St. Pete Patch" - April 26, 2011

Shorecrest Prep Begins Long-awaited Chance at Redemption - The Crusaders baseball team has waited nearly a year for a chance to get back to the state championship game. That journey begins this afternoon. 

Last year, the Shorecrest Prep baseball team came one step from winning the Class 2A state title, losing in the championship game. This season, the Crusaders have spent the entire year preparing to erase that mishap. The journey finally begins tonight. At the Class 2A-11 district at Sarasota Out-of-Door Academy, Shorecrest will host Northside Christian at 4 p.m.

With a win this afternoon, Shorecrest will secure a berth in the Class 2A region, five wins from a state title. With another win Friday to secure a district title, Shorecrest will begin region play with a home game May 3.
It's at this point of the season that Chargers coach Don Reed doesn't know if he is more excited than his players or not. "Oh, for sure," Reed said. "This is what you look forward to. This is where you have the most fun during the season, that's for sure."

Of course, with such a lofty goal so seared in high school players' subconscious for so long, it's easy to think of buckling under pressure. Fellow classmates, friends and perhaps family matters can add to the weight but Reed dismisses that. "I feel this way: The only people that can put pressure on you is yourself," Reed said. "You just have to play every game hard as you can and if you do that, these games will have no more pressure than any regular season game. That way, in my opinion, you just have to focus."

It's not like the Chargers aren't entering the post season with limited talents. Junior Marc Brakeman, heading to Stanford when he graduates, the ace of the Chargers staff. Spencer Heath, the gritty catcher and leader of the team, Jordan Lindsay, who on many other high school teams would be the ace of the staff, Brent Rasmussen, a talented shortstop who recovered from a nasty concussion where he missed nearly a month of the season to provide solid defense and clutch hitting.

Despite the talented roster, accidents can happen. Like a loss in the district tournament. Reed knows this all too well. "I think Out-of-Door Academy and [Bradenton] St. Stephens, those are two teams that can cause trouble," Reed said. Reed also spoke about how Northside Christian advanced to today's game by winning in a 10-run rule. "They are young but you cannot take anyone lightly that's for sure."

 

 

 

 

Article Posted in "Old Northeast-Downtown St. Pete Patch" - April 21, 2011

Shorecrest Prep's Rasmussen Overcomes Severe Concussion to Deliver Big Hit - Brent Rasmussen had missed 24 days of games and practices due to complications from a concussion. In his first game back, he delivers a decisive blow in a Chargers win. 

When Brent Rasmussen's three-run home run gave Shorecrest Prep a 5-3 lead in what turned out to be a 7-3 Chargers win, it capped a month that included a swing of emotions for the Shorecrest shortstop in which at one time he wasn't sure he would play again this season.

On March 19 playing at Kissimmee Osceola, after the Chargers had batted, the team took the field for the bottom of a frame when a ball thrown by catch Spencer Heath to second after a few warm-up pitches hit the lip of the infield, bounced straight up and caught Rasmussen square in the face.The ball, despite ricocheting off the infield for a weird bounce, caught Rasmussen all too perfectly, half hitting him in the base of the nose, half hitting him in the forehead.

The force of the ball knocked Rasmussen out cold for at least two minutes Rasmussen said. He was sent to an Orlando-area hospital where after five hours of examination was sent home, diagnosed with a concussion.
Doctors advised Rasmussen to sit out the rest of the month of March. But the time away from the field grew longer. "I was supposed to be off the field for two weeks at first," Rasmussen said. "Then I had some symptoms. "Rasmussen tried light practicing but began having headaches and nausea. Doctors advised him to sit out two more weeks.

His medical sentence expired, Rasmussen again began practicing to start last week. No setbacks, so he was cleared by doctors to begin playing and none too soon. With the Chargers trailing 3-2 in the fourth inning, Rasmussen belted a three-run home run that turned out to be the game-winning hit in a 7-3 Shorecrest win.

Rehabilitation complete.

No one was happier than Rasmussen.

"I thought that maybe [the injury and time off] would set me back since I was not practicing," Rasmussen said. "But once I came out to my first practice, I felt pretty good. "I knew I wasn't 100 percent but I knew I could play."

Shorecrest coach Don Reed couldn't have been prouder if it was his own son who overcame the time off to hit such a clutch shot. Rasmussen "just had two days of practice and he played phenomenally."

 

Shorecrest vs Cambridge Christian - Bay Conference Championship

Thursday, April 21

Shorecrest 4, Cambridge Christian 7 – Bay Conference Championship Game

Cambridge scored a run in the top of the 1^st inning to take a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the 1^st inning John R. led off with a base hit, Brent R. reached on an error, Spencer H. walked and Marc B. drove in a run with a base hit. A runner was picked off on the bases for the first out of the inning. Jon O. walked to load the bases. John S. singled to drive in a run. Jason K. walked to drive in another run to give the Chargers a 3-0 lead.

Cambridge scored a run in the 2^nd and 3^rd innings to tie the game at 3-3. John S. singled to start the bottom of the 4^th inning for the Chargers. Jason K. walked and Andrew R. reached on an error to load the bases.  A run scored on a ground ball double play to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Chargers.

Cambridge scored another in the 5^th inning to tie the score at 4-4. The Chargers had runners on 1^st and 2^nd bases with 1 out in the 6^th inning but were unable to score. In the 7^th inning the Chargers had the bases loaded with 1 out and again they were unable to score.

Cambridge scored 3 runs in the 8^th inning to win the Bay Conference Championship game 7-4.

Jordan L. pitched 7 innings allowing 1 earned run, 6 hits, 6 strikeouts. Jason K. pitched 1 inning and picked up the loss.

Leading for the Chargers:

John S. with 3 hits, 1 RBI and 1 run scored

Jason K. with 2 hits, 1 RBI

John R. with 1 hit and 1 run scored

Marc B. with 1 hit and 1 RBI

Spencer H. with 1 hit and 1 run scored

Jon O. with 1 double

Brian K. with 1 hit

Brent R. with 1 run scored

The Chargers will play on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 4:00 pm at Out of Door Academy and will play the winner of the Admiral Farragut/Northside Christian game to start the District Tournament.

Shorecrest vs Lake Highland Prep

Tuesday, April 19

Shorecrest 3, Lake Highland Prep 2

The Chargers scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 6^th inning to come from behind to beat a very good Lake Highland Prep baseball team. It was a good pitching duel between Marc B. and Chris G. and also 2 very good defensive teams with only 1 error in the entire game.

The game was scoreless going into the top of the 4^th inning. Lake Highland scored 2 runs on 3 hits, a wild pitch and a passed ball to take a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the 6^th inning John S. led off with a base hit for the Chargers. Brent R. singled and Marc B. walked to load the bases.  Jon O. grounded out to 2^nd base to drive in a run. With 2 outs Jason K. hit a ground ball to 3^rd and 2 runs scored on the only error of the game, a wild throw to first to give the Chargers a 3-2 lead. With 2 outs in the 7^th inning Lake Highland Prep had a runner on 3^rd base and Marc B. struck out the lasting hitter to end a very thrilling baseball game.

Marc B. pitched an outstanding game for the Chargers. He pitched the entire game, striking out 8, allowing only 3 hits and no earned runs.

Andrew R. made 2 great defensive plays at 2^nd base and he also had 6 assists in the game. Jason K. made the game saving play at 1^st base in the 7^th inning for the Chargers.

Leading for the Chargers:

John S. 1 hit and 1 run

Brent R. 1 hit and 1 run

Jason K. 1 hit

Marc B. 1 run

The Chargers will host the Bay Conference Championship game on Thursday, April 21 at 4:15. They will face Cambridge Christian School.

Shorecrest vs Lakeland Christian

Friday, April 15

Shorecrest 7, Lakeland Christian 5

The Chargers traveled to play Lakeland Christian Friday night in Lakeland. Lakeland Christian scored an unearned run in the top of the 1^st inning to take 1-0 lead. The Chargers answered with 4 runs in the top of the 2^nd inning. Jon O. led off with a walk. Brian K. singled. John S. walked. Jason K. drove in a run with a base hit.  A run scored on a wild pitch. Andrew R. hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run. John R. was hit by a pitch. Brent R. drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to give the Chargers a 4-1 lead.

John S. led off the 3^rd inning for the Chargers with a base hit. Jason K. walked. John R. walked and Jason K. scored on a wild pitch to give the Chargers a 5-1 lead. In the top of the 7^th inning John R. led off with a single. Brent R. also singled. John R. scored on a passed ball. Spencer H. walked and Marc B. drove in a run with a single to give the Chargers a 7-1 lead going in to the last inning.

Lakeland Christian was not going to go away quietly. They scored 4 runs and had a runner on 3^rd base with the tying run at the plate. Andrew R. made a quality pitch to get the 3^rd out in the inning on a ground ball to shortstop Brent R.

Jason K. pitched an outstanding game to pick up the win. He only allowed 3 hits, 11 strikeouts, 2 walks and gave up an unearned run. He had dominating stuff in the 6 innings that he pitched. Andrew R. did a good job in the pressure situation in the 7^th inning to pick up the save.

Leading for the Chargers:

Brent R. with 1 hit, 1 RBI and 1 run scored

Marc B. with 1 hit, 1 RBI

Jason K. with 1 hit, 1 RBI and 1 run scored

John R. with 1 hit and 1 run scored

Brian K. with 1 hit and 1 run scored

John S. with 1 hit and 2 runs scored

Andrew R. with 1 sacrifice fly and 1 RBI

Jon O. with 1 run scored

The Chargers will play at home against a very good Lake Highland Prep baseball team on Tuesday, April 19 at 4:15. This will be the last regular season home game for the Chargers’ Varsity team. It will also be senior night.