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Falcons Advance To Regional Finals

DUNEDIN 8, PLANT 2

Eric Horchy/SUNCOAST NEWS

Dunedin start Clay Kollenbaum kept Plant hitters off balance all evening. Through five innings, only 17 Panther hitters stepped in box - two more than the minimum in that time. Kollenbaum finished with 13 strikeouts in six innings.

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: May 3, 2008

The Dunedin Falcons reached the regional state finals for the first time since 2002 by handedly beating Plant High 8-2 Friday night in what proved to be a one-sided match up from the start.

Led by the dominant pitching of starter Clay Kollenbaum and an explosive offensive outburst from shortstop Jake Rogers, Dunedin displayed perhaps their best all-around performance of the year.

In earning the win, Kollenbaum allowed no earned runs while striking out 13 Panther batters – 10 looking. He surrendered only three hits and three walks on the night.

After Dunedin's Max Kreuter started the Falcons' 14-hit night with a leadoff single in the first, Rogers stepped up two batters later and bombed a two-run shot to right-center field. The towering drive gave Dunedin the early 2-0 advantage.

Following a scoreless second inning, the Dunedin victory seemed a formality by the third. The Falcons rang up three more runs in their half of the inning off of six hits, knocking out Plant starting pitcher Jacob Lowe in the process.

Two more Falcon runs crossed the plate in the fourth when Ryan Schneider and Cam Fisher each drove in RBIs.

Rogers ended the night going 4-for-4 with three RBI and Scnheider contributed a 2-for-3, two-RBI effort of his own.

The Falcons now advance to play host to North Port High, who defeated Bradenton Bayshore, 7-1.

DUNEDIN 8 PLANT 2
Plant---0-0-0-0-0-1-1—2-5-3
Dunedin---2-0-3-2-1-0-x—8-14-1
W-Kollenbaum. L-Lowe. HR-Rogers (D). 2B-Rogers (D), Lowe (P). Records – D 22-6; P 25-4.

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