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© St. Petersburg Times, published April 10, 2002
SEMINOLE -- It was a beautiful afternoon for baseball, but the perfect weather didn't translate on the field.
Pinellas Park defeated Osceola 10-6 on Tuesday in a sloppy game: The teams combined for seven errors, six hit batters and 19 hits.
Cody Gelwick got the win for Pinellas Park (15-7). Sophomore Kyle McDowell took the loss for Osceola (10-8).
McDowell and relievers Ryan Koch and Andrew Siegler struggled with control and pitch location.
"Our pitching didn't come through," Osceola coach Chris Wisman said. "We just didn't come to play today."
Gelwick, who had three hits, singled in the game's first run in the top of the first and scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Arrojo, nephew of former Devil Rays and current Boston Red Sox pitcher Rolando Arrojo. Pinellas Park added four runs in the top of the fourth and another four in the sixth.
Osceola had an opportunity in to get back into the game in the fourth inning.
Gene Civello was hit by a pitch and scored after Patriots second baseman Steve Mullins dropped a pop-up. Mike Thompson doubled down the rightfield line for an apparent two RBIs, but Pinellas Park appealed that Thompson never touched first base.
The Warriors got within two in the fifth after a three-run homer by senior Matt Gagnon.
"(The play at first) was a big play," Wisman said. "We scored three in the next inning and we'd have the lead. The kids just gave up after that and didn't want to win bad enough."
Pinellas Park got five straight runners on in the sixth. A two-run single by Justin Marlow and an RBI base hit by Ryan Gonzalez capped the scoring for the Patriots.
The Warriors scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh with RBI singles by Scott Beckwith and Thompson.