Canfield rolls on in 10-U state tournament

Locals start fast in victory over Lebanon

By BOB ETTINGER

sports@vindy.com

JEFFERSON

Tyce Bair reached on an error to open the game for Canfield and it was exactly the start the team needed in dropping Lebanon, 8-1, in a 10-under Little League State Tournament game at Lehotsky Field in Jefferson on Tuesday night.

Canfield plated seven runs in that first inning to take control of the game.

“That happened against New Albany the other day, too,” Canfield manager Pete Patellis said. “We scored five in the first [on Sunday]. It puts teams back on their heels. We have a lot of energy right when the game starts. We play as a team. It’s a wonderful thing to be a coach. They’re working together for a state championship. They come out and play well right away and show how good they can be. I can’t be more proud.”

Canfield will play Tuscarawas in the winners bracket championship at 6 p.m. Thursday on Lehotsky Field. The championship will be Saturday at 10 a.m.

“They’re a good ball club,” Patellis said. “They swing the bats well. I don’t know a whole lot about their pitching. It will be a good challenge for us. It’s the winner’s bracket final. There’s just the two of us and one team coming from the loser’s bracket left. Every team is a good team at this point. It will be a challenge going forward. If we’re going to see a state championship, we’re definitely going to earn it.”

Bair, Ryan Weibling, Joey Pannunzio, Will Murphy, Logan Patellis — the first five hitters for Canfield — all reached and scored. Danny Chaplow and Jake Dovich later plated runs of their own. Pannunzio, Murphy, Logan Patellis, Chaplow, Dovich and Louie Zorella all singled in the inning.

“We harp on being aggressive at practice,” Pete Patellis said. “We throw hard to them. We preach getting a lead early in a game and how big that can be for us. It’s tough to come back from behind five or six or seven runs in the first.”

Logan Patellis doubled, moved to third on a single from Gio Altomare and scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to add an insurance run.

Logan Patellis started on the mound and worked the first two innings. He struck out three and allowed one hit. Weibling relieved and worked two innings, fanning three and not allowing a hit. Murphy closed, striking out two and allowing a single. All three used the defense to their advantage.

“We tell them if the pitchers throw strikes, we play defense and we hit the ball, we’ll win games,” Pete Patellis said. “We’ve only given up two runs the whole tournament. That speaks to the pitchers throwing strikes. They keep the defense in the ball game. Nobody falls asleep. Gio does a superb job behind the plate. Nothing gets by him and he keeps the pitchers calm out there.”