World Series Hi-Lites: Euclid Squad Eliminated Early; Illinois Team Repeats as Champs
This colorful group was getting ready to cheer on the local team during the C.A.B.A. High School World Series. The lady in the wheelchair is Dorothy Belavich, grandmother of Euclid player Joe Belavich. She was scheduled for surgery in the near future for nerve damage to her leg. Behind her, from left: Karen Belavich, Joe Belavich (young Joe's grandpa), Maria Klun (mother of team member Vinnie Klun), Carrie Belavich (young Joe's mom), and Lois Ivanc (Joe's aunt).
After starting off with a bang in the C.A.B.A. High School World Series, the Euclid squad representing American Legion Post 343 failed to survive the six-game round-robin stage and, thus, did not qualify for the double-elimination championship playoffs.
In its opening game, Euclid defeated the Dayton Classics, 10-1, as Rey Guerrini smacked a three-run home run. Unfortunately, the team subsequently suffered a couple of heart-breaking losses and finished with a 1-5 mark in the qualifying round.
Meanwhile, the Top Tier Americans from Lake Forest, Ill. went undefeated from beginning to end and repeated as World Series Champions, halting a valiant comeback bid by the Midwest Stallions in the title game, 9-1. After dropping their first game in the double-elimination playoffs, the Stallions proceeded to win six straight in the losers bracket to reach the championship finals.
JUMP: To read more highlights from this year's C.A.B.A. High School World Series, visit the Euclid Observer web site.
Perhaps the toughest loss the Euclid team endured was the 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Shaker Heights-based Ohio Warriors—a game that ended with a hotly disputed call. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Warriors scored the deciding run when Euclid pitcher Jake Turner hit a Warrior batter with the bases loaded, thus forcing in the winning run.
At least, that’s how the umpires saw it. The Euclid coaches heatedly argued that the pitch hit the bat and not the batter and the run should not have scored. Storming off the field afterward, one very upset Euclid coach shouted: “Can we get some real umpires in here?”
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The award for “best instant prediction” during the World Series goes to scorekeeper Tom McNamara. During Euclid’s game against the Connecticut Bombers, Johnny Law scored on a double by Rob Razzante to give the locals a 7-1 lead in the top of the sixth. That brought Larry Pinto to the plate with one runner on base.
“Pinto is going to hit it out of the park,” McNamara said. And sure enough, Pinto smacked the very next pitch over the fence for a two-run home run.
That gave Euclid a 9-1 lead and what appeared to be clear sailing to a victory. However, the Connecticut team took advantage of throwing errors and wild pitches to score nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and move ahead by a 10-9 score. And that’s how the game ended.
♦♦♦
Thanks to the fire that destroyed the tournament headquarters building, there were no trophies to present to the top teams and players after the championship finals. However, World Series officials said new trophies would be ordered and shipped to the winners after the tournament. In a new wrinkle this year, players on the winning team will receive World Series rings. They will be ordered once ring sizes are obtained and then mailed to the players’ homes.
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In its third round-robin game, Euclid American Legion Post 343 squared off with the always-fearsome Brooklyn Bergen Beach squad. Euclid mustered up some offense as Larry Pinto homered and Vinnie Klun slapped an RBI double, but Brooklyn pulled away for a 10-4 victory. One high note for the locals was the pitching of Norbie Hongosh, who tossed three shutout innings late in the contest.
♦♦♦
Thirteen-year-old Matthew Carpenter, grandson of tournament director Ed Carpenter, played a key role in resolving a dispute during a playoff game in which Brooklyn was losing to the South Bergen Mets. The Brooklyn coach tried to file a protest, claiming that the South Bergen pitcher was ineligible since the high school listed for him—Queens Teaching-- “does not exist.”
Asked to check into it, Matthew whipped out his I-Phone and Googled the name of the school. Within a few minutes, he had the answer: “It’s a high school in Queens, N.Y.,” he announced. The game went on and Brooklyn lost 9-l.
After starting off with a bang in the C.A.B.A. High School World Series, the Euclid squad representing American Legion Post 343 failed to survive the six-game round-robin stage and, thus, did not qualify for the double-elimination championship playoffs.
In its opening game, Euclid defeated the Dayton Classics, 10-1, as Rey Guerrini smacked a three-run home run. Unfortunately, the team subsequently suffered a couple of heart-breaking losses and finished with a 1-5 mark in the qualifying round.
Meanwhile, the Top Tier Americans from Lake Forest, Ill. went undefeated from beginning to end and repeated as World Series Champions, halting a valiant comeback bid by the Midwest Stallions in the title game, 9-1. After dropping their first game in the double-elimination playoffs, the Stallions proceeded to win six straight in the losers bracket to reach the championship finals.
♦♦♦
Perhaps the toughest loss the Euclid team endured was the 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Shaker Heights-based Ohio Warriors—a game that ended with a hotly disputed call. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Warriors scored the deciding run when Euclid pitcher Jake Turner hit a Warrior batter with the bases loaded, thus forcing in the winning run.
At least, that’s how the umpires saw it. The Euclid coaches heatedly argued that the pitch hit the bat and not the batter and the run should not have scored. Storming off the field afterward, one very upset Euclid coach shouted: “Can we get some real umpires in here?”
♦♦♦
The award for “best instant prediction” during the World Series goes to scorekeeper Tom McNamara. During Euclid’s game against the Connecticut Bombers, Johnny Law scored on a double by Rob Razzante to give the locals a 7-1 lead in the top of the sixth. That brought Larry Pinto to the plate with one runner on base.
“Pinto is going to hit it out of the park,” McNamara said. And sure enough, Pinto smacked the very next pitch over the fence for a two-run home run.
That gave Euclid a 9-1 lead and what appeared to be clear sailing to a victory. However, the Connecticut team took advantage of throwing errors and wild pitches to score nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and move ahead by a 10-9 score. And that’s how the game ended.
♦♦♦
Thanks to the fire that destroyed the tournament headquarters building, there were no trophies to present to the top teams and players after the championship finals. However, World Series officials said new trophies would be ordered and shipped to the winners after the tournament. In a new wrinkle this year, players on the winning team will receive World Series rings. They will be ordered once ring sizes are obtained and then mailed to the players’ homes.
♦♦♦
In its third round-robin game, Euclid American Legion Post 343 squared off with the always-fearsome Brooklyn Bergen Beach squad. Euclid mustered up some offense as Larry Pinto homered and Vinnie Klun slapped an RBI double, but Brooklyn pulled away for a 10-4 victory. One high note for the locals was the pitching of Norbie Hongosh, who tossed three shutout innings late in the contest.
♦♦♦
Thirteen-year-old Matthew Carpenter, grandson of tournament director Ed Carpenter, played a key role in resolving a dispute during a playoff game in which Brooklyn was losing to the South Bergen Mets. The Brooklyn coach tried to file a protest, claiming that the South Bergen pitcher was ineligible since the high school listed for him—Queens Teaching-- “does not exist.”
Asked to check into it, Matthew whipped out his I-Phone and Googled the name of the school. Within a few minutes, he had the answer: “It’s a high school in Queens, N.Y.,” he announced. The game went on and Brooklyn lost 9-l.