Mediaboss Marketing

By J. Daniel Pearson For the News-Gazette

After last weeks heavy rains caused a two-day postponement of his teams 7A-2 regional quarterfinal game with St. Cloud, Osceola High baseball coach Scott Birchler was worried about his teams focus when the game finally was played Saturday afternoon.

I could not be prouder of our kids," Birchler said. We had to postpone this thing twice and this time of year is tough because kids are thinking about prom, graduation, the end of school and about a million other things. I was hoping they would put that aside and come out focused and thats what happened.

After pitcher Jake Grenus retired St. Cloud in the top of the first on just six pitches, Osceola wasted little time in grabbing a 5-0 lead. Hadrian Cortes and Armen Calilao led off the inning with back-to-back doubles. Edwin Bonilla brought home the first run of the game with a groundout before Bay McIntosh scored Calilao with a double. Omar Colon then hit a massive three-run homer to deep left center.

Big innings in your first at-bat really can build some momentum, Birchler added. After Omars home run, everything seemed to snowball from there.

The Bulldogs, 16-13, did fight back. Chris Caballeros solo home run in the second made it 5-1. In the top of the third, St. Cloud managed to scratch out another run as Chase Ritters two-out, bloop single to center scored Sean Anderson.

But in the bottom of the third, it was some sloppy play by the Bulldogs and a little luck by the Kowboys that quickly squashed any momentum St. Cloud was building. Osceola added two runs without hitting the ball hard. A hit batter, a throwing error on a bunt attempt, a walk and a two-run single by Cortes that barely found the outfield grass made it a 7-2 game.

Osceolas big bats provided the final margin in the bottom of the fourth. Bonilla opened the inning with a double and came around to score on McIntoshs second double of the game. Tony Lima made it 9-2 with a sharp single and after Rod Weismore walked, freshman Frank Toro hammered a home run to dead center field to make it 12-2.

Grenus retired the side in order in the fifth to pick up a complete game win. For the contest, Grenus allowed just two runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out four. Jake really didnt have his best stuff today, Birchler said. But he had a nice rhythm on the mound and worked through it.

For the Kowboys, 19-5, Cortes led the way with three hits and an RBI. St. Cloud ace Abel Del Valle took the loss, giving up nine runs (seven earned), on eight hits, three walks and five strikeouts in three and a third innings of work.

Original post:
OHS rolls into baseball semifinal round