St. Johns Saints Baseball

SCORES AND NOTES:

 SAINTS DEFEATED STEVE SPORTS......4-1

AFTER FALLING BEHIND 1-0, AND FACING A PERFECT GAME, THE SAINTS SCORED A PAIR OF RUNS IN THE 5TH AND 6TH INNINGS.  DERRIK ZEROSKI REPLACED AN INJURED DAVID LEE IN THE 5TH WITH THE BASES LOADED AND 1 OUT.  HE INDUCED A RARE 3 TO 2 DOUBLE PLAY AND THEN STRUCK OUT THE TYING RUN WITH 2 ON IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 7TH TO SAVE THE VICTORY. 

SAINTS DEFEATED YOUNGSTOWN ROTH BROTHERS....8-0

WITH STEVE LONG ON THE BUMP, THE SAINTS BROKE OPEN A 2-0 GAME WITH 6 RUNS IN THE 6TH TO DEFEAT THE HOST TEAM.  GREG STOKES AND DERRIK ZEROSKI EACH HAD 2 HITS; WHILE MIKE HERMANN ADDED A 4TH INNING HOME RUN.  THE VICTORY ENABLED THE BOYS FROM LEFTY'S TO SECURE A 3RD ROUND BYE.

ROUND 4....BATTLE OF UNBEATENS....SAINTS SCORE 2 IN BOTTOM OF 9TH. TO DEFEAT BRUNSWICK 5 TO 4.

BRUNSWICK FINISHED THIRD AT LOUISVILLE LAST YEAR AND CAME TO YOUNGSTOWN BEEMING WITH CONFIDENCE AND THEIR BRAL CHAMPIONSHIP, LIKE THE SAINTS THEY HAD RECEIVED A BYE AND WON THEIR INITIAL GAMES.  WITH THEIR ACE ON THE HILL, THE SAINTS STRUCK FOR 3 RUNS IN THE FIRST.  BEHIND THE LIGHTS OUT PITCHING OF RICK AUSTIN, THE LEAD HELD UNTIL THE 7TH, WHEN THE BIRDS SCORED A PAIR, WHICH WERE FOLLOWED WITH 2 MORE UNEARNED RUNS OFF JOHN BACHMAN IN THE 8TH.  HOWEVER, THE NEVER SAY DIE SAINTS, DIDN'T DIE.  IN THE 9TH, ANDY BLACKWELL WALKED, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY JON ZILLES PERFECTLY PLACED BUNT SINGLE. AFTER AN AB STEAL OF THIRD AND A FLY OUT, A SWINGING BUNT BY RICK KRIST LOADED THE SACKS FOR JIM JASKOWSKI.  TRUE TO FORM JAZ RIFLED A SHOT OVER THE LEFTFIELDER'S HEAD AND THE SAINTS PLATED 2 FOR THE VICTORY.  ST. JOHNS HEADED INTO SATURDAY IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AS THE ONLY UNBEATEN TEAM.  

ROUND 5....CHANCE TO WRAP IT UP GOES BY THE WAYSIDE...CANTON SMACKS THE SAINTS 8 TO 1.

TWO WINS AWAY AND LUKE KATICH ON THE HILL, THINGS LOOKED GOOD FOR THE SAINTS AS THEY TRIED TO ELIMINATE CANTON.  2 YEARS AGO IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, THE SAINTS SENT WALTHERS HOME BY WAY OF A 14 INNING GEM.  LAST SEASON, WALTHERS SENT THE SAINTS INTO THE LOSERS BRACKET, SO THERE IS HISTORY HERE.  WALTHERS SCORED 2 IN THE FIRST, AFTER 2 OUTS, AIDED BY A WIDE PITCH.  THE LEAD WAS WIDENED WITH 3 UNEARNED, 2 OUT RUNS IN THE 4TH.  ANOTHER PAIR OF UNEARNED RUNS WERE TACKED ON, AFTER 2 OUTS, IN THE 8TH, AS THE SAINTS DID NOTHING WITH THE CANTON RIGHTHANDER.  AFTER ANOTHER RUN SCORED ON A FIELDER'S CHOICE, THE SAINTS SCORED THEIR ONLY RUN WHEN ERIC McGOUGH, RUNNING FOR PINCH HITTER RICH SATCHO, WHO HAD WALKED, SCORED FROM 1ST ON A MIKE HERMANN DOUBLE.  THOUGH THE SAINTS HAD 8 HITS, THEY COULD NEVER PUT TWO HITS TOGETHER IN A SINGLE INNING.  DESPITE THE LOSS, THE SAINTS STILL STOOD 2 VICTORIES AWAY FROM LOUISVILLE.

BRUNSWICK ROUND II.  SECOND VERSE, SAME AS THE FIRST.

THE BRASH ORIOLES WERE STILL CONFIDENT THAT THEIR TRIP TO OHIO WOULD BEAR NABF FRUIT, THEY WERE WRONG.  DESPITE AN OUTSTANDING PITCHING PERFORMANCE, BRUNSWICK FOUND THEMSELVES OUT HIT AND IN A 1 TO 1 TIE IN THE TOP OF THE 9TH.  WITH 1 OUT, WES WHITE SINGLED AND STOLE 2ND.  FOLLOWING A FLY OUT, UP STEPPED FRIDAY'S HERO, JIM JASKOWSKI.  EVEN WITH 1ST BASE OPEN, THE BIRDS MISTAKENLY CHOSE TO PITCH TO JAZ, WHO RIPPED A SINGLE UP THE MIDDLE SCORING WES WITH THE GAME WINNER.  JIM PASQUINE SHUT THE DOOR IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH, AIDED BY OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYS BY 2ND BASEMAN WHITE AND 3RD BASEMAN MIKE HERMANN.  THE BOYS FROM LEFTY'S MOVED ON TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

CANTON ROUND II; UNFORTUNATELY, DIFFERENT VERSE SAME AS THE FIRST.

THE SAINTS LOADED THE BASES IN THE 1ST INNING WITH ONLY 1 OUT, BUT A STRIKEOUT AND GROUNDOUT OPENED THE DOOR FOR CANTON.  WALTHERS CAFE SCORED 3 UNEARNED RUNS, 2 AFTER 2 WERE OUT; ENROUTE TO THEIR 6-1 VICTORY IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP.  OF THE 14 RUNS SCORED BY CANTON AGAINST THE SAINTS, ONLY 6 WERE EARNED.  DESPITE 9 HITS, THE SAINTS COULD PLATE ONLY 1 OF 11 RUNNERS; WHILE CANTON SCORED 6 OF THEIR 9 RUNNERS.  JIM JASKOWSKI CONTINUED HIS RESURGENCE WITH 3 HITS.

IT'S A WRAP...........

I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO PLAYED FOR THE SAINTS THIS SEASON.  THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WITH REGARD TO RICKY, LUKE, STEVO, WES, AND JIMMY WHO HELPED US IN Y-TOWN AS WE TRIED TO MAKE THAT ELUSIVE TRIP BACK TO LOUISVILLE.  WE'D LIKE TO THANK OUR ENTOURAGE....AB'S "GAWNA TIE UP" CLAN, THE SATCHO'S, THIMONS FAMILY AND THE LITTLE ONE ON THE WAY, THE STOKES FAMILY, THE ZILLES', HERM, JEFF'S DAD, RICKY'S "SETTLE-DOWN" FATHER, CHIZ, SCHWARTZ, AND MATTY FOR ALL THEIR HELP AND ANNUAL SUPPORT.  SPECIAL THANKS TO THE WIVES, KIDS, COMING KIDS, AND GIRLFRIENDS...WHO SURELY REALIZE THAT BASEBALL WAS THERE BEFORE THEM AND IN SOME CASES, WILL BE THERE AFTER THEM.  SARA'S SCOREKEEPING. 

TO THE GUYS, A SPECIAL THANKS AND SOME HOPES............A WATCH, A WORKING CELL PHONE, AND A BETTER CAR FOR DZ; RESTED FEET FOR JEFF, BETTER HAIR DYE FOR HERM, RUBBER HELMETS FOR STOKES & AB, AN EARLIER VACATION FOR SATCH, A JOB IN PGH FOR PAS, HEALTH FOR JOHNNY AND FED, INNINGS FOR EMAC, BACH'S GAMES TO START IN THE 2ND INNING, AND THE BP JOB FOR JAZ & SHALER FOR SCHIFF.

SPECIAL THANKS TO NATE AND JIMMY FOR MAKING THE TRIP UP FOR THE SEEDING MEETING.  TO SCHIFF FOR THE ENDLESS CALLS AND SUPPORT.  FINALLY TO RICKY, WITHOUT YOU IT COULDN'T ALL BE DONE.  YOU ARE ALL INVALUABLE TO ME.  THANKS FOR AWARD, IT AS DO YOU, WILL ALWAYS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART.