Youngstown holds on for win over Kelso

By Brady Farkas

CLIFTON PARK – The Ohio Valley regional champion Youngstown, Ohio, weren’t scheduled for a doubleheader Sunday during the 13-15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series in Clifton Park, but rain on Saturday forced them to play one and a half games at the Clifton Common World Series field.

On Saturday, Youngstown, Ohio’s game against South Colonie was halted after four innings, tied at two apiece. The two squads came back and got underway in the morning with South Colonie coming away with a 3-2 victory.

Due to the pushed back schedule, Franceschelli’s group needed to rebound quickly to face Kelso, Washington.

The Ohio manager said he could take losing a single contest, but no more.

“You can’t expect to go undefeated (in pool play),” Franceschelli said. “We had a bad game, but they can’t be back-to back.”

Youngstown dodged a bullet in the second contest, holding on to defeat Kelso, 8-7.
The Ohio Valley champions exploded for a six-run second inning.

Youngstown led off the second with three consecutive singles by Corey Hill, Anthony Franceschelli and Kevin McCulloh. A fielding error by the left fielder scored Hill and a fielder’s choice by Nick Crum, scored Franceschelli. Brad Byers’s single drove in McCulloh and Crum. Drew Fitzpatrick reached on a single and would come around on Todd Kibby’s RBI drive to left field. Dan Eich hit a single and scored on Hill’s fielder’s choice.

Despite the sizeable lead, Todd Kibby, allowed four runs on four hits in the top of the third. 

A walk to Kelso’s Brandon Walker turned into a run, driven in by Robby Sanders’ single up the middle. Spencer Downs reached on a fielder’s choice and came around to score on Robby Sanders’ RBI single. Jordan Strain drove in Downs on his single to center, Sanders came around on Chris Whitmire’s single to right and Strain would be plated by Nolan Enriquez’s double, cutting the lead, 6-4.

Dan Eich came in relief of Kibby to get the final out of the third. Eich worked 3 1/3 innings, allowing three additional runs.

Youngstown tacked on one more run in the bottom half of the inning when Drew Fitzpatrick singled home Kevin McCulloh for what would become the game-winner in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Kelso’s Chris Pierce led off with a triple, scoring on Robby Sanders’ single. After two straight singles by Sanders and Strain, Hull’s grounder to the shortstop was misplayed, allowing the two to score, cutting the lead, 8-7, but a fly out and strikeout ended the Pacific Northwest champions chance at another upset.

Game MVP Anthony Franceschelli singled home Corey Hill. Franceschelli went 3-4 on the day. 

Game one winner, Shawn Roman, entered the contest and ended the game. The Ohio manager had no reservations about bringing in Roman.

“He’s our ace,” Franceschelli said. “He’s our best pitcher.” 

Roman threw more than 90 pitches just two days ago. 

Franceschelli said he felt the game should have ended in the “ten run rule” and that his team became too aggressive and as a result had two runners thrown out at home plate.

Centerfielder and team catalyst, Jaymee Shephard left the game in the bottom of the first inning with a jammed shoulder. He did return to the game later but the manager was extremely concerned. 

“We’re not going to win without him…I thought we were done.”

The prognosis is good: Shephard will start tomorrow against Jefferson Parrish, Louisiana 11:30 a.m. today.

Brad Byers entered for Shephard and drove in two runs with an RBI single. Byers had not had an at bat the entire tournament.

“I had lots of confidence to go to him,” Franceschelli said.