McCulloh leads Rondinelli Tuxedo into today’s title round

By GREG GULAS

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

STRUTHERS — When Kevin McCulloh arrived at Cene Park on Saturday, he had a gut feeling that he might just be the pitcher to decide whether his Rondinelli Tuxedo teammates would advance to championship round action today of the Continental Amateur Baseball Association 18-and-under World Series.

He sure was right.

All McCulloh did was throw 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief, scattering five hits while his run-scoring single in the fifth inning proved to be the game-winner as Rondinelli defeated the Astro Falcons, 10-7.

Three teams remain in the tournament, with Rondinelli Tuxedo (6-4) set to play the Ohio Warhawks (6-3) at 11 a.m. The winner of that game advances to the championship tilt against Diamond Premier (8-1) at 1:30 p.m.

If Diamond Premier loses, a third game will follow.

Earlier in the day, the Astro Falcons (6-4) defeated Team San Diego, 4-2 while Rondinelli Tuxedo toppled the Indiana Mustangs, 4-3 to set up the all-Youngstown pre-championship showdown.

“We wanted to start [Kevin] McCulloh in the first game against Indiana, but felt that we could go to him if we got into any trouble.,” Rondinelli coach Ken Quinn said. “After winning that first game, we decided to go with Cory Nesbitt against the Astro Falcons because of the success that he has had against them during his career. They had never beaten him in his three years in the league.

“Kevin did an excellent job both on the hill and at the plate today. He was simply stellar in relief and while he might feel like he was in a bit of a slump at the plate, he proved that he was more than ready offensively with the game on the line,” Quinn added.

A run-scoring triple by Phil Double keyed a three-run opening fray as Rondinelli took a 3-0 lead after their first at-bat.

RBIs by Mark Lapikas, T.J. Rosenberg and Jared Turocy in their half of the first knotted the score at 3-all after one inning.

Corey Hitt’s two-run single in the second staked Rondinelli to the 5-3 advantage and Matt Durkin led off the third inning with a home run to make it 6-3.

An infield single by Turocy followed by a two-run single by Bob Herberger in their half of the third helped the Falcons pull even.

When McCulloh relieved Nesbitt in the third, he allowed just one hit (to the first batter, Trent Vallinger) while setting down the next 10 batters.

“I knew that I was probably going to pitch in one of the two games so I was more than ready if called upon,” he said. “My fastball was working and so was my changeup. Keeping the batters off balance was a big key for me today.”

McCulloh’s single in the fifth, a line shot to center field, scored Todd Kibby with the go-ahead run.

“I got a fastball right down the middle of the plate and was able to drive it up the middle,” he said. “We’ve been struggling lately at the plate so it sure was a great feeling to be able to contribute offensively as well.”

Rondinelli added two insurance markers in the sixth for a 10-6 lead while the Astro Falcons added a run in their final at bat on Rosenberg’s single, but it was too little, too late as Rondinelli continued its mastery of the Astro Falcons this season, winning for the fifth time in as many tries.

It had already defeated its Class B counterparts three times in the regular season and once in the postseason, that coming in the recent NABF Tournament

Astro Falcons 4, San Diego 2

Turocy scattered five hits while Ryan Rovnak added three safeties, including a double to pace the Astro Falcons.

A three-run fourth, keyed off of run-scoring singles by both Vallinger and Rovnak proved to be the difference.

Turocy struck out five and walked just one with both runs he allowed unearned.

Team San Diego finished the tournament 5-4.