12-Year-Old Team Wins In First Round

The Marblehead 12-year-old Cal Ripken Tournament team found itself playing a nail-biter against the Arlington American League team Friday night at Gatchell Park.

The host squad held off a late rally from the visitors to secure themselves an 11-10 victory and advancement to the next round.

After keeping Arlington scoreless in the first inning, in which Garret Keough walked two and struck out one, Marblehead got on the scoreboard with a two-run homerun by Payton Jancsy (2-3, HR, 4 RBI) that found its way over the right field fence. Next, Keough (1-3, 2 walks, 2 runs) drew a walk and stole second base before being knocked in by an Owen Feehley double, putting the home team on top 3-0.

The top of the second inning was tough on Marblehead pitching, seeing Keough (5 walks, strikeout, 5 earned runs) walk three batters before being relived by Beau Dana, who walked the first two batters he faced. Dana also struck out two in the inning. When the side was retired, Arlington had taken a 7-3.

The boys from Marblehead were persistent though and gained all four runs back in the bottom of the second inning. After Gabe Rowe, Danny Gienieczko and Pete Morrison all walked, Dana (1-3, 2 RBI, HBP, 3 runs) and Jancsy belted back-to-back two-RBI doubles tying the game at 7-7.

Dana found his rhythm on the mound in the third, striking out two more Arlington batters in a 1-2-3 inning. Marblehead put themselves back in the lead during the bottom of the third after Feehley made it to second on an error by the Arlington center fielder. He was advanced around the bases with sacrifice infield hits by both Gabe Rowe and Jeffrey Stern, putting the team up 8-7.

After another quick inning in the top of the fourth, in which Dana gathered an additional strikeout, Marblehead had another scoring outburst in the bottom of the inning. Arlington pitcher Ryan Hood hit both Morrison and Dana with pitches and then walked Keough and Feehley, and Rowe smacked a line drive into the rightfield corner. The two-RBI double put Marblehead on top 11-7.

The score would stay 11-7 through the fifth, with the help of a diving catch in right field by substitute Teddy York, before Arlington mounted a comeback in the top of the sixth inning. A single by Arlington's Jimmy Baruick, an infield error on Dan Slebodnick's ground to shortstop and a walk to Mike Lynch, loaded the bases for the visitors. Marblehead's Sam Cohen (walk, strikeout, 3 earned runs), who took over pitching duties to start the sixth, struck out Arlington's Hood before allowing a two-RBI double to Mike Lojacano.

Coach Jeff Morrison brought Dana (2 walks, 5 strikeouts, 2 earned runs) back in to pitch, and he got Colin Keyes to ground out to first, which scored Arlington's Lynch and brought the game within one run with only one out left. But Danagot Alex Gera to ground out to Marblehead shortstop James Allan, which ended the game 11-10.

"It was a great team effort in which everybody contributed," said Coach Morrison after the win. "There were kids that sat on the bench for four innings that came in and made some huge plays, which is very gratifying to see as a coach."

Marblehead will face the winner of Burlington/Warrandale Saturday at Gatchell Park at 11 a.m.

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