- May 4, 2024
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Nick Winkelmeyer and the Sailors stretch prior to the game.
Brooks Larson (22) gets his team amped before the game.
Brooks Larson throws a pitch in the first inning.
Cole Madden hits a grounder. The hit scored Alex Arauz from third base on a Steinbrenner throwing error.
Alex Arauz jogs back to the dugout after scoring the Sailors' first run.
Nick Winkelmeyer watches a Steinbrenner defender make a play on his hit.
Brooks Larson leaps after hitting the go-ahead, three-run home run in the fifth inning.
Brooks Larson screams after hitting the go-ahead, three-run home run in the fifth inning.
Cole Madden hops off the mound after striking out a Steinbrenner batter to end the game.
The Sailors form a dog pile on the infield grass.
Josh Paige and Joey Arnold celebrate the victory.
Cole Madden and Brooks Larson talk after the win.
When Brooks Larson stepped to the plate in the fifth inning of Sarasota High's Class 8A regional final against Steinbrenner, two runners on base and his team down 3-2, has was told one thing by coach Clyde Metcalf.
"Just have fun out there."
Larson listened. He took a swing and connected, sending the ball to left-center, over the Ronald K. Drews Field fence. Larson came through in the biggest spot of his high school career.
"Off the bat, I knew it was going to be a 5-3 game," Larson said of his home run. "It was pretty special for me."
Now, the Sailors had the lead and the momentum. They didn't let it go. Cole Madden, fresh off catching the first five innings, finished the game on the mound with two shoutout innnings. Sarasota won 5-3 and sent themselves to Fort Myers and the final four in the process.
The Sailors took advantage of Steinbrenner's mistakes, scoring their first run following a balk and a throwing error. They also are sound strategically, thanks to Metcalf. A sacrifice fly from Madden scored Sarasota's second run.
Metcalf said he's proud of his team for fighting through adversity and improving throughout the season.
