Creekside Fitness claims NABF junior division title

July 24, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

STRUTHERS

Creekside Fitness won its second NABF World Series title in four years under manager Bob “Bubba” Boughner last weekend, capturing the junior division (16-and-under) title in Knoxville, Tenn.

Creekside won in 2012 and has appeared in three of the last four World Series.

This year’s crown was also the organization’s third overall, having won last year’s sophomore division crown under manager Dave Stauffer.

“We have a tremendous sponsor in Ed Reese and his wife, Diane. They’re so caring about the players, passionate about the game and two of the very best sponsors in our league,” Boughner said. “They are in it for all the right reasons as they promote the youth of our community, then sit back and watch as the players move on to bigger and better things, not just in athletics but in society as well.”

The Class B League will try for a triple-crown sweep of the NABF World Series titles this weekend at Cene Park, as Astro Falcons and Roth Brothers compete in senior division play and Astro Falcons and Rizer Group Insurance vie in the sophomore division.

Creekside needed nine innings in order to defeat the Toronto Mets, 4-3 for last week’s title, an auspicious end to what started out as a seemingly inauspicious season.

“We were sitting at 8-8 after our first 16 games and if I had to pinpoint a time when the pendulum started to swing, it was when our Poland High School contingent returned from the state playoffs,” he said. “We reeled off 10 straight wins and it was at that point that I think everyone realized that we might have something special.”

The Bulldogs players included Don Drummond, Dan Klase, Pad O’Shaughnessy, Tony Chiaro and Dom Drummond.

Despite finishing fourth in the regular season, Creekside eliminated Roth Brothers in the first round of the league tournament, took two of three games from the Astro Falcons and won the final two games of their best-of-three championship series over regular season champion, Baird Brothers.

The title earned Creekside the automatic bid to this year’s World Series — but more importantly, a week off in order to rest their arms and heal any nagging injuries.

“We used the week to regroup and just get ready for the World Series, which worked out really well,” Boughner added.

They opened pool play with a 6-1 win over the defending World Series champion, Sayo Grays of Brooklyn, N.Y., following that up with 5-4 win over Michigan’s Lincoln Park Rails to move to 2-0.

Creekside dropped the next two contests: 11-2 to Tennessee’s Music City Dodgers and 3-2 to the Mets.

Standing at 2-2 in pool play, Creekside finished as the eighth and final team in the championship bracket, where it met second-seeded Baird Brothers.

“It’s ironic that you go all that way just to play a team from your league,” Boughner chuckled.

Creekside stopped Baird Brothers, 9-1, on Noah Suarez’s two-hitter and in the semifinals took out the Brooklyn Bonnies, 4-0, behind Dylan McAvoy’s six-hitter.

Fittingly, it took nine innings to decide a champion as Creekside battled back to win its final three games, outscoring opponents 17-4.

“Everything just came together for us once we got to the championship bracket,” Boughner said. “This team remained focused, we got timely pitching, played solid defense and, offensively, produced over the final three games when we needed it most.”

Creekside landed five players on the all-tournament team with Bryce Richey (.420, 10 hits, five RBIs) earning the batting title and pitcher Noah Suarez (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 11 strikeouts, .380 average, four RBIs) taking overall MVP honors.

Also named were pitchers Dylan McAvoy (1-1, 1.00 ER, nine strikeouts) and Jacob Harsany (1-0, 1.00 ERA, six strikeouts), and designated hitter Jake Wick (.380, five RBIs).

Other members of the team include Jaydon Johnson, Anthony Laird, Kevin Pollock, Nat Ross, Aidan Thomson, Dom Pecchia and Eric Sapp.

Boughner was assisted by Lonnie Laird and Brian Richey.