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Canfield’s 10-11 Little League team still alive and well
By charles grove
boardman
Canfield’s 10-11 Little League baseball team took another step towards a state title with a 12-2 win over Mount Vernon in Friday’s elimination game at Fields of Dreams.
Canfield’s pitching of Connor Miller, Jameson Beck and Jake Schneider limited Mount Vernon to only two hits in the five-inning game.
“Our pitchers did a great job,” Canfield manager George Beck said. “You can win a lot of ballgames when you give up two hits and you score 12 runs.”
Canfield advanced in the loser’s bracket and will play Maumee in an elimination game today at noon. If victorious, Canfield will play Dover for the state championship on Sunday, where Canfield would have to win twice.
Canfield struck in the bottom of the first when A.J. Havrilla singled home Luca Ricchivti and Schneider doubled the lead with an RBI single of his own. He came home on a double by Miller and Canfield was three runs to the good after one frame.
More damage came in the second inning when Ricchivti tripled home Ty Stricko. A batter later, Ben Slanker singled home Ricchivti to make it 5-0.
The big blow came when Broc Lowry homered to right-center field to make it 7-0 before rains came and the game was delayed until the skies lightened up.
Mount Vernon came back with two runs in the top of the third. Caden Rowland drove in Rylan Firebaugh. Before the next pitch was thrown, Cash Finnell stole home and it appeared Mount Vernon was swinging the momentum back their way after the rain delay.
“The most worrisome thing to me [about the delay] is pitching,” Beck said. “You have your guy who has to sit and then he’s got to re-warm up again.”
Canfield managed to answer back with one run in their half of the third when Ricchivti drove in another run on an infield single to make it 8-2. Canfield looked to add on more but a hidden-ball trick by Mount Vernon which had players diving around second base as if the ball had been thrown into center field ended the threat and was one of five baserunning errors for Canfield by Beck’s estimation.
“We made a few mistakes on the bases,” Beck said. “We have to clean that up if we expect to beat a team like Maumee and if we’re fortunate to get through them then a team like Dover.
“We run the bases a lot in practice and there’s just no excuse for that many miscues on the basepaths.”
Mount Vernon wasn’t able to mount any sort of a comeback afterwards though. Jameson Beck and Schneider each set down Mount Vernon in order in the fourth and fifth innings. All three pitchers were efficient enough to be available for today’s game.
Canfield played long ball in the fourth inning when Havrilla led off the inning with a home run to left field. Lowry douled the next at-bat and Schneider followed that up with a two-run home run to right-center field that removed what little doubts remained regarding the outcome.
Walks by Slanker, Havrilla and Schneider in the fifth loaded the bases as Canfield smelled blood, needing just one run to run-rule Mount Vernon. That run came with Connor Daggett at the plate when a wild pitch from Zach Mullins went to the backstop and Slanker slid into home to score the final run.
Moving on to today’s game, Beck said he’ll be a little happier if his team can limit the baserunning mistakes and play a little more sound in the field.
“We’re swinging the bats well and we’re pitching better too,” Beck said.