Rizer Insurance Group wins NABF World Series

Staff report

KNOXVILLE, TENN.

Rizer Insurance Group won the NABF Shompre Division World Series on Sunday, holding off the Lake Erie (Ohio) Warhawks, 4-2, in the tournament’s title game.

Rizer came out of pool play as a No. 4 seed. Quarterfinal wins of 15-3 over the Brooklyn Cougars and 14-5 over the DB Hawks set up Rizer’s dramatic championship victory over the Warhawks.

Lake Erie had beaten Rizer 7-6 earlier in pool play after rallying from a 6-0 deficit.

On the strength of solid pitching by Mark Torsello (New Castle), Rizer took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth innning before Lake Erie scored twice runs to cut it to 4-2. After Rizer went scoreless in the top of the seventh, the Warhawks put the tying runs on base with one out before relief pitcher Malik Caige (Youngstown) closed out the game with a strikeout and a pop out to shortstop Braden O’Shaugnessy (Poland) to give Rizer the title.

Jaxon Anderson (South Range) won the tournament batting title, while Caige was named MVP. Dom Pilolli (Canfield) and William Shaffer (Laurel) were named to the all-tournament team.

Rizer qualified for the NABF World Series by winning a regional qualifier held at Cene Park earlier in July.

Rizer finished the season with a 38-14 record, which also included tournament wins at the Team Ohio state qualifier, Muddy Diamonds Classic and the NABF regional qualifier.