SANDLOT BASEBALL Rondinelli, Astros out of Connie Mack
Both teams dropped decisions Friday in regional action.
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. -- Two Youngstown Class B League teams were eliminated Friday in the AABC Connie Mack Regional Baseball Tournament.
Rondinelli led 3-0 early and held a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but Flint A Green scored twice to get the 5-4 victory.
Phil Williamson had two hits and drove in three runs and Matt Katich had a pair of hits to lead Rondinelli.
Astro Falcons had the tying run thrown out at home in the top of the seventh inning in their 4-3 loss to Saginaw Means.
Jared Bartholomew had a single to drive home two runs and Kyle Smith had the other RBI with a single. Drew Turocy added a double for the Falcons while Alex Oles allowed three earned runs and struck out eight in the complete-game defeat.
Yo. Metros 7, Springfield 0
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mark Tanner scattered four hits with nine strikeouts to pick up the win in the NABF Collegiate Division Regional at Pemberton-Donnell Park.
Dan Bertolini, Jonathan Habuda, Brent Parks and Mike Deniro each had two hits for the winners.
In another contest, Pittsburgh Pandas blanked Akron Knights 10-0.
Youngstown Class AA
YOUNGSTOWN -- After beating Tri-County 3-2 at Pemberton-Donnell Park, the Youngstown Metros need only one more victory in the best-of-five series to capture the Youngstown Class AA League baseball championship.
The Metros jumped out to a 3-0 lead, then held off Tri-County, which had rallied for a run in each of the sixth and seventh innings, for a 3-2 victory.
John Morris worked five innings, scattered four hits and struck out nine to pick up the win.
Pat Oman hit two doubles and drove in three runs for the Metros. Mike Deniro added a pair of singles.
Ray Butler led the losers with two singles.
AABC Stan Musial
WARREN -- MTC Knights were the first Warren AA Baseball League team to pick up a win in the AABC Stan Musial Tournament at Packard Park MacGregor Field.
The Knights topped Ohio Legend, 5-1. In other games, Tri-County Diamonds blanked Akron Storm, 5-0, and Canton Stallions upended Lake County Knights, 15-1.
Jeremy Hartman worked nine innings, as he pitched a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts to pick up the win. Ryan Monti led the winners with three hits and he drove in two runs.
Little League Baseball
MAUMEE -- The Boardman Little League 11-12 All-Stars posted a 6-3 victory in eight innings over North Canton Stars for the Little League state championship at the Maumee Sports Complex.
Boardman will compete in the Indianapolis regional that begins Aug. 5.
Danny Popio worked two innings, allowed only one hit and struck out three to pick up the win.
With the game tied 3-3, Boardman scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning on a walk, a single by Dave DiBernardi, a wild pitch and Anthony Pacella's single. Ryan Gallagher singled home Pacella.
Gallagher paced the winners with four singles and scored two runs. Pacella added three singles and drove in two runs. Mark Leone hit two singles and drove in two runs while Joey Markovich hit a single and double.
North Canton had beaten the Boardman Stars 3-2 in the first game of the championships.
Leone hit a two-run double in the fifth inning for the losers. Popio hit a double and single.
Little League Softball
ENGLEWOOD -- The Poland Little League 10-younger softball team posted a 8-1 victory over Elyria in a first-round game Saturday in the state tournament at the Englewood Park.
Emily Chandler pitched a complete game one-hitter to pick up the win.
Meredith Testa, Sami Semach and Leah Howard were the key hitters for Poland.
Poland will play a second-round game today at 2 p.m.
Babe Ruth teams win
The Youngstown Babe Ruth 13-year-old team defeated West Virginia 14-3 in the Midwest Regional on Friday.
The team advanced to today's quarterfinal round.
The Youngstown Babe Ruth 14-year-olds posted a 9-1 victory over Appleton Wisconsin All-Stars Saturday in Indianapolis.
Nick Crum tossed a three-hitter with seven strikeouts to pick up the win. Shaun Roman had two hits and Danny Bako doubled.
Youngstown (2-0) plays Indians today at 4 p.m.