Published: Sunday, May. 17, 2009

Updated: Sunday, May. 17, 2009

Thunder bats silenced in regional final defeat

ODA’s best season in school history ends with 4-0 loss

LAKEWOOD RANCH — His prep baseball career had just ended, but Taylor Emmons was able to crack a smile.

Who could blame him?

Out-of-Door Academy may have been stopped short of its ultimate goal Saturday when Tampa Cambridge clinched the Class 1A-Region 3 championship series — as well as a trip to next week’s state finals — with a 4-0 win.

But in the eyes of Emmons, the ride was too much fun to be tarnished by a couple losses.

“I’m so proud of all the guys,” said Emmons, a senior co-captain who pitched all seven innings Saturday.

He wasn’t alone. Parents and fans standing near the Thunder’s dugout applauded the players following the game’s final out and cheered even louder when Emmons and co-captain and battery mate Tony Gurry accepted the region’s runner-up trophy at home plate.

“No one expected us to get this far,” said Emmons, who batted .500 with a home run during the two-game series. “This is the best team we’ve had at the school.”

The Lancers, off to their second straight final four, were a bit better. They committed one error over the two games, and whenever Out-of-Door Academy (17-14) made a miscue, Cambridge pounced.

A throwing error by Gurry allowed Andrew Widell to score and Trent Tagliarini to reach third in the first inning. Tagliarini, the Lancers shortstop who added an RBI double in the third, scored on Peter Miller’s groundout.

The Lancers manufactured runs, as well — Matt Fishman walked in the fourth, went to third on a single by Logan McDougall and scored on Hayden Kelly’s sacrifice fly in the third.

And pitcher Derek Self, a finesse pitcher who pounded the strike zone, walked one and limited the Thunder to five hits.

It was the first time this year ODA had been blanked.

“They’re a really good team, and they deserve to move on,” ODA coach Mike Verrill said. “We hope they win the tournament.”

ODA didn’t go quietly. The Thunder put two on in the sixth, but Self retired A.J. Strong and Emmons on flyouts to left.

And Gurry opened the seventh with a single but was thrown out trying to score on Brody Wiseman’s double. Two batters later, Tagliarini’s diving stab of Jon Onufrak’s soft line drive ended the game — and ODA’s best season ever on the diamond.

The Thunder rallied to win the District 12 title and reached the regional finals for the first time.

“This has been one of the top teams I’ve ever coached,” Verrill said. “How can you not be proud with what they accomplished?”

Emmons and Gurry are the only ones graduating, giving ODA plenty of hope for next season.

“I won’t be surprised if they do the same thing next year,” Emmons said.