Unhappy ending

By Nick Cammuso
Times West Virginian

BRIDGEPORT July 25, 2008 01:49 am

— Not often does a Little League game render someone speechless, shocked, even a little spent over what they just saw.
But there was Steve Mohr, coach of the Fairmont 11-12 all-star team, after Thursday’s state semifinal loss, 5-4, in eight innings against Hurricane.
“I’ve played on or coached a team for 39 years and I’ve never seen a game like this,” Mohr said with a smile. “Anyone that loves baseball (could) appreciate it.”
When you peel the layers of what makes a trip to the ballpark special — the tense moments, the clutch home runs, the chance to witness something special — it was all there last night in Bridgeport.
First, the tense moments.
And there were plenty, starting in the top of the sixth inning.
Fairmont, which trailed 3-1 to begin the frame, got a leadoff single from Johnny Kesling but the next two batters were quickly retired, leaving the team with one out — and perhaps one more batter — from elimination.
But Ronnie Mills, Fairmont’s number seven hitter, wouldn’t have it.
He calmly took Zach Fitzsimmons’ first pitch for a strike and crushed the next offering for a game-tying two-run homer well over the fence in left field.
Amazingly, this was the smallest comeback during the team’s tournament run. It overcame a four-run deficit Sunday afternoon and chipped away after being seven runs down in Monday’s victory over Logan.
“Where else do you see that, not once, but three or four times?” Mohr said. “They have power, they have quick bats and at any given time they can hit it out. Not that we rely on it, but sometimes you need that home run.”
Fairmont’s pitching and defense also came up big in the latter innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Hurricane’s Corey May was gunned out at the plate after an errant throw to third base. Then in the seventh, Fairmont reliever Brandon Plivelich escaped a base-loaded jam when May lined out softly to third.
Fairmont regained the lead in the eighth. Kesling opened the inning with a single and was retired on force out, putting Gage Hannah at first base.
Hannah didn’t stay there for long, going to third on consecutive wild pitches. He gave Fairmont a 4-3 advantage — its first since Austin Norman opened the third with a solo homer — scoring when a groundball trickled through the legs of first baseman Riley Metz.
However, the lead was short-lived.
Ace Estep singled to open the frame and Metz, just minutes after seemingly giving the game away, delivered the crushing blow, blasting a game-winning home run to deep right-center to send Hurricane’s vocal contingent into pandemonium.
“That was phenomenal,” Mohr said. “That’s baseball in its purest form. (Someone) makes an error and how many times do you see them make up for it?”
Metz also started on the mound for Hurricane, walking one and striking out 10 in five innings.
Kesling finished with three hits for Fairmont. Norman added two, while Hannah and Ryder Skarzinski added singles for the District 5 champs.
“I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids,” Mohr said. “They were a joy and a pleasure to coach. Not too many coaches can say it, but I had a blast this year.”
E-mail Nick Cammuso at ncammuso@timeswv.com.

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