SANDLOTS Wharmby advances to finale
The local team won two NABF games at Cene Park.
By PAUL TRGOVAC
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
STRUTHERS -- Wharmby Sports worked its way through the losers bracket Saturday in the National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF) to earn a berth for the championship today at 2 p.m. at Cene Park.
Wharmby eliminated the Ohio Yankees, 6-0, and the Huntington Hounds, 5-2, and will meet the undefeated Diamond Dog Bulldogs for the title.
If Wharmby wins the first game, a second game will take place at 5 p.m. for the crown.
In the game against the Hounds, a pitchers' duel between Kevin Sikora of Wharmby and Alex Wilson of the Hounds was finally won by Wharmby.
J.C. McCoy singled with one out in the second and advanced to second on a throwing error on the play. Matt Madrid plated the game's first run with a single.
Sikora didn't allow a hit until the fifth when a leadoff single by Steve Blevins broke up his no-hit bid.
A one-out walk put two men on and a single by Charlie Robinson tied the score and the Hounds had runners on second and third with one out.
Relief
Jeremy Hartman relieved Sikora and the Hounds attempted a suicide squeeze but the batter missed and the runner at third was out at the plate. Hartman then got the next batter to ground out leaving the score tied at 1-1.
Pat Oman walked leading off in the sixth inning. After a passed ball advanced Oman to second base Jessie Alfreno struck out but when the catcher missed the ball, he reach first, with Oman going to third. Alfreno then stole second base, and McCoy singled home both for a 3-1 lead.
The Hounds scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth on a error and a triple by Wilson.
Phillip Williamson led off seventh inning with a single. Jake Gross bunted him to second base. With two out, Oman tripled home Williamson and he scored on a single by Jessie Alfreno.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Hounds loaded the bases with two outs, but Hartman got the last batter looking at strike three to end the game. Sikora went 41/3 innings, allowing just the two hits and one run with six strikeouts. Hartman got the win as he tossed 22/3 innings of three-hit ball with four strikeouts.
McCoy had two hits for Wharmby. Wilson went the distance, allowing just two earned runs. He walked four and had eleven strikeouts.
Wharmby 6, Ohio Yankees 0
Andrew Chropak scattered five hits to pick up the win. He threw 58 pitches in the performance and got 13 ground ball outs and had one strikeout. Jessie Alfreno had three hits to lead the offense. JC McCoy and Billy Herman had two hits apiece. Phillip Williamson hit a two-run home run in the second inning and Herman had a double. Ben Malecki had a double for the Yankees.
The Diamond Dog Bulldogs topped the Huntington Hounds 10-2 earlier in the day.
Canfield 15, Elyria East 3
CINCINNATI -- Bobby Herberger had four hits as Canfield upended Elyria East advanced to the championship game in the Junior League (13-14) state tournament.
Dominic Rich hit a home run and Andrew Zunic and Nate Wilson each had two hits.