Hamilton Westside tops Canfield 10-11 team
By ryan buck
north canton
Canfield and Hamilton are separated by 273 miles of Ohio countryside and four-and-a-half hours of driving time, but the communities are beginning to build quite a rivalry.
Another edition unfolded Saturday night at the 10-11 year-old Little League state tournament at the North Canton Little League complex.
One year after Canfield eliminated Hamilton Westside from the 9-10 year-old tournament, the team from southwestern Ohio gained a measure of revenge with a 3-1 win in its last at-bat. Hamilton scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to knock Canfield from the unbeatens in double-elimination play.
Hamilton starter Trey Robinson controlled a Canfield offense that scored 18 runs on 11 hits in a rout of New Albany on Friday night.
“I know he was trying to throw a breaking pitch which maybe threw our guys off-balance a little bit,” said Canfield manager George Beck. “It’s nothing we haven’t seen before. We just didn’t hit the ball and that’s a testament to their pitcher.”
Through four-plus innings, Robinson scattered four hits as Canfield managed only an unearned run in the second inning.
Richie Hofus reached base with a walk before giving way to pinch runner Evan Skripac. Walt Sweeney followed suit.
With one out, the Hamilton infield’s double play attempt sailed over the head of first baseman Matthew Bowling. Skripnac had no trouble scoring on the error for a 1-0 Canfield lead.
Canfield starter Dominic Pilolli, meanwhile, matched Robinson pitch for pitch. It wasn’t until the fourth that Hamilton left fielder Colton Andrews led off with a triple. He scored one pitch later when Bowling drove him in with a single to tie the game.
Canfield nearly took the lead in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, Pilolli sent a bloop shot over the head of Hamilton shortstop Curtis Reed. Fully extended, he twisted to his left and robbed Pilolli of a hit and Canfield of a potential go-ahead run.
“Defenses played a big part of it,” said Hamilton manager Ken Baker. “We made defensive plays and they did the same thing. “There was a lot of good fielding, good pitching and locating by both teams.”
Pilolli allowed just four hits in five-plus innings of work.
He left the mound in the sixth as required by Little League pitch count rules and the heart of the Hamilton order went to work.
Bowling and Tyler Mays singled to begin the inning. With one out, Jared Green ripped a single to center to score Bowling. A failed pick-off attempt allowed Mays to score from third moments later.
Mays set Canfield down in order to close the game.
“I think we beat ourselves on some calls and some plays that we could have made,” Beck said.
Canfield will need to work its way back to Tuesday’s state final from the losers’ bracket, perhaps having to win three games to do it.
“We’ve won three games in a row before and there’s no reason we can’t do it again,” he said.
The boys from Hamilton will have a watchful eye on their neighbors to the northeast.
“I look to see them again here on Tuesday,” Baker said.