CABA World Series

By Jon Moffett

Rondinelli Tuxedo posts second straight win

Phil Double’s big day led the locals past Ohio Hurricanes, 8-5.

STRUTHERS — Day two of the Continental Amateur Baseball Association World Series began the same way day one ended for Rondinelli Tuxedo.

Rondinelli managed to pull out an 8-5 victory against the Ohio Hurricanes out of Akron.

Rondinelli right fielder Phil Double said the team didn’t panic, despite having only a one-run lead going in to the seventh inning.

“It got dicey out there, but everyone kept their cool and we didn’t panic,” Double said. “The pitchers threw strikes and we were able to hold on.”

Double did everything he could to help the team effort. He finished 3-for-4 with a triple, double and two runs scored. In his fourth at-bat, Double needed only a home run for the cycle. He roped a shot down the third baseline and past Hurricane third baseman Grant McCoury, who moved from the mound to third in the fourth inning. The ball was originally ruled a hit, but changed to an error on McCoury later in the game.

Double admitted he was trying to hit a home run.

“I knew [I was close], guys in the dugout were telling me about it,” Double said. “I was swinging for the fences.”

Double added that he saw the ball well. “I felt pretty good,” he said. “The ball looked like a beach ball coming at me today, I don’t know why.”

McCoury gave the Hurricanes a quality start, going three innings and allowing three hits. He struck out two batters and walked one. McCoury’s only black mark came on a passed ball, which scored Rondinelli first baseman Cory Nesbitt.

Rondinelli sent Robert Switka to the mound and he looked sharp early, allowing one run on five hits through four innings. In the bottom of the fifth, though, he got into some trouble.

Hurricane relief pitcher David Krusinski started the inning with a triple and later came around to score. The Hurricanes scored three more runs in the inning, but Switka was able to get out of it.

Switka was relived by Zack Cuffman, who allowed two hits in two innings.

Rondinelli manager Ken Quinn said he was confident in his team because of the depth of his pitching.

“I think we have a good shot [at winning the tournament],” Quinn said. “We have a lot of arms; we have up to 12 or 13 kids that can pitch, which you need in this tournament because you play so many games. I think we’ll be OK.”

moffett@vindy.com