DIVISION III BASEBALL Warren JFK ousted by Elyria Catholic in regional final

JFK survived a regional semifinal that stretched over two days, only to lose by one in the title contest.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
MASSILLON -- Coach Don Lee of the Warren John F. Kennedy High baseball team relived some fond memories after his Eagles outlasted Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, 3-2, in a Division III regional semifinal early Saturday that stretched over two days at Schroeder Field.
What created Lee's flashback was that the JFK-CVCA two-day scenario was the same that his 1968 Hannibal High baseball team experienced in a regional semifinal in Canton.
Lee was a senior on that Hannibal team that won that semifinal, and then went on to win the regional crown and qualify for the state tournament.
But a repeat of Lee's state dream was not to be later Saturday, because Warren JFK was eliminated by Elyria Catholic, 2-1, in the championship game.
The Eagles (17-8) had carried a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning of the final, but Elyria Catholic (18-7) tied it on Jerry Traster's single that scored Dan Sklenicka, who stole second.
Less gets game-winner
The Panthers got what proved to be the game-winner on Steve's Less' single that scored Jake Bailosky in sixth inning. Bailosky had singled, stole second and went to third on Chris Jackman's fly out.
Mike Clapham (5-2) got the mound win with relief help from Bailosky in the seventh. Clapham had to leave when he was hit by Elliot Musick's line-drive single in the leg.
Clapham and Bailosky combined for a four-hitter.
Musick got that last-hope single with two outs. And then Philip Biviano hit a deep grounder to shortstop Eric Gaines, who made a great play and throw to nail Biviano at first to end the game.
JFK starter Kevin Costello (4-2) took the loss, yielding to Allen Hoover in relief in the sixth. They teamed on a six-hitter.
Costello won the opener in relief of Mike Ellis, who had entered at 6-0. The pair collaborated on a seven-hitter. Ellis registered nine strikeouts.
First state tourney
The Panthers, guided by third-year coach Todd Brubaker, advanced to state play for the first time in school history, and are billed in a state semifinal Thursday at 11 a.m. at Cooper Stadium in Columbus.
The JFK-CVCA semifinal, that began Friday night about two hours late because of a rain delay, was suspended after eight innings because of darkness with the score knotted at 1-1, and resumed at noon Saturday.
JFK held CVCA scoreless in the top of the ninth Saturday, then got the winning run when sophomore Steve Orlosky slashed a line drive single with two outs, went to third on Chris Canann's single and then came home on a wild pitch.
Orlosky also started JFK's comeback Friday in the semifinal, when he rapped a pinch-hit single in the fifth inning, which was the first hit off of starter Harvey Yergin, who entered with an 8-0 record.
Yergin was relieved by Mike Laughlin in the eighth, and Laughlin took the loss. They combined for a six-hitter.
JFK has good start
JFK, after getting the semifinal win on the wild pitch, picked up where it left off minutes later when Chris Williams scored in the top of first inning of the nightcap on a passed ball. Williams had singled, stole second and went to third on Chris Macali's ground-out.
Lee said that Costello got tired against Elyria Catholic, which helped the Panthers rally.
"They were getting to Costello. He was getting tired," said Lee. But, "I don't know if their pitcher [Clapham] was getting stronger."
Lee said JFK should have had more runs than just one run in the first inning.
"We had a rally in the first inning, but we couldn't capitalize," said Lee, whose Eagles stranded two runners.
Went for the steal
Brubaker said he gambled when he had Bailosky steal second base in the sixth after he had singled, and that steal proved to be a key maneuver.
"I gambled because I like to put pressure on the other team to make the plays," said Brubaker. "He's [Bailosky] is a gamer. He has the wheels and he makes it happen."
Then, regarding Jackman's fly out that pushed Bailosky to third, Brubaker said, "I wanted to get him [Bailosky] in scoring position with the hitters we had behind him," referring to Jackman and Less.
"We felt that Jackman would hit to right field like in other games, and Steve Less came through like he did all year. He got the big hit."
kovach@vindy.com