By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

Gateway baseball coach Rob Hammond was happy to win a game on Tuesday.

He was just as happy just to finish one.

After having two 6A District 6 games suspended by darkness in extra innings, the Panthers needed just 80 minutes of daylight on Tuesday to down Palm Bay Bayside, 5-2.

Jon Maldonado and Juan Rivera each delivered two-out, two-RBI hits, and pitcher Manny Rivera cruised after surrendering a wind-aided, two-run home run in the top of the first inning.

Maldonado singled home E.J. Devarie and Rivera in the bottom of the first to answer Bayside’s blast. The game remained tied until the fourth inning, when Alian Hernandez singled home Randall Toribio, who led off the inning with a single and slid in under the tag to give Gateway the lead. After Devarie and Randy Batista singled to load the bases, Rivera delivered a two-run double to center field.

After the first inning, only one Bayside baserunner reached second.

“Our offense has been good, we just need more consistent pitching,” Hammond said. “That was the best that Manny’s looked this year as far as locating pitches.”

Gateway is now 1-0 in a tightly packed 6A-6. A game tied in the eighth inning against West Centennial from Feb. 22 will be continued Friday at 3:30 p.m., then its regularly scheduled game will begin. Hammond said he’s working with Osceola County Stadium to use a back field.

“We need to play under lights, because if the continuation game runs long then we could be back in the same situation,” he said. “We don’t have another scheduled meeting, and it’s not like we’re 15 minutes apart.”

The same thing happened against Treasure Coast at home on Feb. 25, as the teams played to a 3-3 tie in nine innings ­— under the shadows of the light poles at Gateway. They were installed in December, but because of a dispute between Kissimmee Utility Authority, a local electric company and the county, they haven’t been energized and Hammond doesn’t know when they will be.

“Looking at these is like having a Corvette in the garage and being told you can’t drive it,” he said.

The Panthers were scheduled to host Liberty Wednesday in another day game.

Also on Tuesday, Osceola moved to 4-2 and 3-1 in 5A-6 with a 9-0 win over Haines City.

“The pitching is keeping us in ball games and our bats are starting to come around,” OHS Coach Scott Birchler said.

Celebration got its first win of the season Tuesday, 9-3, over Orlando Christian Prep, with a new coach. Al Brenner stepped down after just five games for what he called, “personal reasons.”

“It had nothing to do with the kids, or the parents, it was just an unfortunate situation. I’ve chosen to focus on my Little League teams,” said Brenner, who is heavily involved in the Celebration Little League operations.

Assistant Jim Matoska has taken over the Storm.

“I’ve known him for 30 years. He’ll do a good job,” Brenner said.

Celebration athletic director John Bangley confirmed the parting of ways.

“He’s a great guy, just no longer our coach,” he said.