Pinellas Park and CCC Marathon Baseball Game Postponed Yet Again

Add this up: 15 innings, 37 strikeouts, 6 different pitchers and 117 plate appearances.

And what you get is the action so far in one game of the Dunedin Spring Classic.

The Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders and the Pinellas Park Patriots are locked in combat for more than 24 hours. Their 8 p.m. game Tuesday night went well past midnight. It wasn't until the 14th inning before the game was postponed.

Well, the rain was back Wednesday and the teams will have to wait another day to play. Depending on how long the game goes tomorrow or if weather postpones it yet again, the contest will have officially been open for 45 hours. 

The Dunedin Spring Classic is a tournament, there is no way to call it a draw. Were it a regular season game, they could call it a draw and stick a tie on each teams' record. In an elimination tournament, that option does not exist. The opponents must duke it out until there is a victor.

There were numerous nail-biting opportunities on both sides.

CCC scored a run in the first inning on a Seth Paitsel double, then went on a 12-inning scoring drought; thanks greatly to the pitching of Pinellas Park's Donny Norris. 

Pinellas Park came back in the fifth with a run of their own with a Brandon Grigsby single to center field.

Neither team scored for eight more innings.

But they were not without chances. 

In the eighth inning, CCC had two men on when Jeff Campbell was blown away for strike three by a pitch from Donny Morris. 

In the bottom of the 12th inning, Pinellas Park had CCC on the ropes. Ryan Reinoso was up with bases loaded and one out. He swung hard but only caught a piece of the ball, knocked it down and right to the pitcher who got the force out at home plate. Allen Mead came up with two down and bases loaded and a full count. A ball walks the winning run in, a strike ends the inning and continues the game.

Mead is caught looking at strike three as it crosses the plate. He nearly had a meltdown walking back to the dugout.

"That's game! That should have been game!" Mead said.

The pressure started to get to Pinellas Park. After Mead's near ejection, David Chapman was called out on strikes and completely melted down. He was ejected.

In the top of the 14th inning, CCC's Steven Arango laced one to center that looked gone. It was not but Arango landed on third base. After a line out from Johnny Karaphillis, Eric Simone smashed a triple, driving in Arango. A double play ended the top of the inning and it looked in hand for the Marauders.

However, Pinellas Park came back with a single from Grigsby, a sacrifice bunt from Norris and an RBI double from Reinoso.

Tie game, again.

Next, Jeff DeTrano got a walk and Tyree Graves came up with one out and runners on first and second. He hit a grounder to the pitcher and reached on an error loading the bases with one out.

The pressure was about to explode as Bill Ruttencutter, Pinellas Park coach, put the squeeze play on for Reinoso on third base. Reinoso was caught in a rundown and the next batter struck out, ending the 14th in a tie.

On deck:

CCC and Pinellas Park finish (weather permitting) their epic 14 inning game of the Dunedin Spring Classic at 5 p.m. Thursday (March 31) at 1700 Solon Ave, Dunedin.