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ALLIANCE — Perfect season … state championship.
The Sheffield Venom capped an unbeaten season with a 9-5 win over Louisville Beatty’s Sports to capture the Class F (ages 13-14) state Hot Stove championship Sunday at Butler Rodman Park.
Venom’s state championship is the first for a boys team in the Sheffield community. Several longtime baseball and softball fans from the community said that a girls team claimed a state title in 1976.
“We’re obviously excited to win a state championship,” said Venom manager Mark Racz. “Our boys came through when they had to. If we hit, we win. We had a lot of hits today.”
Dudley Taw, who had several clutch hits for the Venom (25-0) and also made his share of game-saving catches, was chosen as the Class F tournament MVP.
Cameron Drew and Mickey O’Neil also stood out as top hitters for the Venom. Jake Lacek threw five strong innings to earn the win before Brad Hughes shut Beatty’s down in the sixth and seventh innings.
“We had seven returnees on this team,” said Racz. “We will have some of our players move up to another division next year, but we want to keep this team together as much as possible.
“Our parents have put up with a lot. Our boys know that it’s all business at practices and games. What happens outside of those practices and games isn’t too big of a concern for me. I know that the boys will be OK and come back to practices and games and give it their all.”
The Venom advanced to the championship game with a 5-3 win over the Coventry Longhorns earlier Sunday in one of 12 semifinal games that were made up after being postponed Saturday.
Hughes struck out nine batters, and second baseman James Rickard had seven putouts in the semifinal win.
Two settle for 2nd
The Vermilion DRD Wildcats (Class GG, age 11) and the North Ridgeville Rangers (Class EE, ages 15-16) had to settle for runner-up finishes in their state championship games Sunday.
The Wildcats (26-1) lost a 14-4 mercy-rule game to the Canal Fulton Northwest Indians, while the Rangers (14-8) dropped a 10-4 decision to Southeast Edinburg.
“We didn’t have a lot going for us,” said Wildcats manager Ken Clark, whose team defeated the Ravenna Ghosts 8-6 in their semifinal Saturday. “We couldn’t string things together. We also left the bases loaded a couple of times.
“We gave up too many walks. Canal Fulton took advantage of that and beat us with a lot of small ball and their clutch hits.”
Despite the loss, Rangers manager Gorden Goodman was pleased with his team’s performance in what was a first trip to the Final Four for most of his players.
“We just put this team together three weeks before the start of the season,” said Goodman. “We hope to have at least half of the boys back in 2013.
“We won seven of our last eight games this season, most at tournament time when we needed to. Everybody contributed to that late-season success.”
Catcher Keith Chrosniak’s three-run homer in the second inning propelled the Rangers to their 10-7 win over the Akron Ellet Aztecs in their semifinal earlier Sunday. Chrosniak, Chad Kisel, Dennis Milgard and Ben Armendarez each had a double in the win, and closer Aaron Hudak got the win that saw the Rangers advance to the final with their three-run sixth inning.
Midview pair still alive
Midview North Cavanaugh Electric and the Grafton Midview Mayhem kept their state championship hopes alive with semifinal victories Sunday.
Cavanaugh Electric scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to come away with a 5-4 win over Minerva Lions Den in its Class FF (age 13) semifinal. The Mayhem (25-1) go for a second straight Hot Stove state championship after its 14-4 win over the North Akron Orioles in Class H (ages 9-10) action.
Jacob Nelson singled to lead off Cavanaugh’s winning rally and promptly stole second base.
Teammate Sam Butler singled Nelson home to tie the score at 4.
Jordan Cavanaugh walked and stole second before Dustin Crum was intentionally walked to load the bases and bring Travis Miller to the batter’s box.
Miller came through with the game-winning RBI as his slow roller down the third-base line brought Butler home.
“We’re very excited to be in a championship game,” said Cavanaugh Electric (25-2) manager Scott Crum. “We played very well in our semifinal. We’re on Cloud 9 and want to win it all.”
Jesse Rohal’s three-run, inside-the-park home run helped stake the Mayhem to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Not to be denied, the Aztecs struck four runs of their own in the bottom of the first as Mayhem starting pitcher Andrew Shaver struggled.
Jacob Landers relieved Shaver with one out in the bottom of the first and didn’t allow another North Akron run, going the next 3⅔ innings. Rohal came in to pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning and completed a string of 15 batters faced, 15 batters out that he and Landers strung together from the third through the seventh innings.
“Jacob (Landers) comes in and shuts them down,” said Mayhem manager Bob Sanders, whose team won the Class HH (age 9) state title in 2011. “Then, Jesse (Rohal) comes in and has to face the top of the Orioles batting order.
“Jesse hadn’t pitched since the middle of the season. He paints the corners and gets some solid defense behind him.”
Jacob DiFranco had a single and a double for the Mayhem, while Connor Bansek and Bryce Sanders each had three singles. In addition to his home run, Rohal had a single and drew two walks.
Six teams out
Six other Lorain County teams saw their seasons come to a close, losing semifinal games Sunday.
The South Amherst/Firelands Raptors (22-4) lost 8-1 to Carrollton Fusion Ceramics in a Class FF semifinal. Fusion Ceramics won the Class G (ages 11-12) state championship in 2011.
“We appeared to be too uptight for this game” said Raptors manager Tom Myers. “It was frustrating as a manager to see us struggle with our bats. We normally are a much better hitting team.”
Other Lorain County teams who lost semifinals Sunday were Vermilion Impact (Class HH, age 9); Medina Sharks (Class GG, age 11); North Ridgeville Family Dentistry (Class G, ages 11-12) and the Lorain Titans and Vermilion Pat O’Brien Chevrolet (Class E, ages 15-18). O’Brien Chevrolet was the defending Class E state champion.
Contact Jerry Henson at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.
Results
SUNDAY’S SEMIFINAL SCORES
CLASS HH (AGE 9)
Ravenna Siciliano’s Pizza Mudcats 14, Vermilion Impact 5
CLASS H (AGES 9-10)
Grafton Midview Mayhem 14, North Akron Orioles 4
Alliance Trap’s 26, Hartford Hitters 3
CLASS GG (AGE 11)
Canal Fulton Northwest Indians 6, Medina Sharks 5
CLASS G (AGES 11-12)
Firestone Park Misfits 12, North Ridgeville Family Dentistry 1
Alliance Kiwanis 13, Champion Red Hawks 6
CLASS FF (AGE 13)
Midview North Cavanaugh Electric 5, Minerva Lions Den 4
Carrollton Fusion Ceramics 8, South Amherst/Firelands Raptors 1
CLASS F (AGES 13-14)
Sheffield Venom 5, Coventry Longhorns 3
CLASS EE (AGES 15-16)
North Ridgeville Rangers 10, Akron Ellet Aztecs 7
CLASS E (AGES 15-18)
Crestwood Marlins 14, Lorain Titans 2
Alliance Stanley Steemer 13, Vermilion Pat O’Brien Chevrolet 8
SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES
CLASS HH (AGE 9)
Ravenna Siciliano’s Pizza Mudcats vs. Ellet Mogadore Indians
CLASS GG (AGE 11)
Canal Fulton Northwest Indians 14, Vermilion DRD Wildcats 4
CLASS F (AGES 13-14)
Sheffield Venom 9, Louisville Beatty’s Sports 5
CLASS EE (AGES 15-16)
Southeast Edinburg 10, North Ridgeville Rangers 4
TODAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRINGS
CLASS H (AGES 9-10)
Grafton Midview Mayhem vs. Alliance Trap’s (Diamond #4, 6:30)
CLASS G (AGES 11-12)
Firestone Park Misfits vs. Alliance Kiwanis (Diamond #3, 6:30)
CLASS FF (AGE 13)
Midview North Cavanaugh Electric vs. Carrollton Fusion Ceramics (Diamond #2, 6:30)
CLASS E (AGES 15-18)
Crestwood Marlins vs. Alliance Stanley Steemer (Diamond #1, 6)