BUFFALO REGIONAL:

GAMES BEGIN AUGUST 4TH.

WE WILL STAY AT:

HYATT REGENCY

2 FOUNTAIN PLAZA

(716) 856-1234

GAME 1-----ST. JOHNS-LEFTY'S VS ORCHARD PARK @ NORTHTOWN CENTER----1 PM

YOUNGSTOWN REGIONAL GAME SUMMARIES

GAME 1. AKRON LASIKS V. ST. JOHNS-LEFTY'S

GAME CENTERED FULLY ON PITCHING AS WAGLER FOR LASIKS AND RAFALSKI FOR THE SAINTS DUELED IN A 7 INNING CONTEST THAT LASTED AN HOUR AND A HALF.  IN THE END LASIKS SCORED ON A WALK AND TWO 2-OUT SINGLES TO SCORE THE LONE RUN OF THE GAME; AS BOTH TEAMS SCATTERED 5 HITS.

GAME 2--SAINTS V. CLEVELAND BLACK WOLVES

THE WOLVES HAD BEATEN THE SAINTS IN AN EXHIBITION GAME LAST YEAR, BUT THAT WAS NOT ON THE MINDS, AS THIS SEASON'S MATCH-UP WAS FOR REGIONAL SURVIVAL.  THE SAINTS WERE CONFIDENT WITH CLAYTON HAMILTON ON THE BUMP.  THEY WOULD NOT BE DISAPPOINTED, AS CLAYTON HELD THE CLEVELANDERS TO 4 HITS, WHILE FANNING 11.  ANDREW HECK HAD 2 HITS AND SCORED BOTH SAINT RUNS.  JIM JASKOWSKI AND JIM PASQUINE ALSO HAD TWO SAFETIES AS THE SAINTS SURVIVED, 2-1.

GAME 3--SAINTS V. LAKE ERIE BUCKEYES

LUKE KATICH TOOK THE MOUND IN THE FINAL OF THE 7 INNING GAMES AND ALLOWED ONLY 3 HITS IN 5 INNINGS OF WORK.  THE SAINTS RALLIED AFTER BEING DOWN 2-0, WITH 5 IN THE SECOND KEYED BY A NATE THIMONS HOME RUN AND A DOUBLES BY WES WHITE AND ANDREW HECK.  THIMONS, ERIC MORRISON, AND WES WHITE EACH HAD 2 HITS.  WHITE HAD 2 RBI.

GAME 4--SAINTS V. BEREA BLUE SOX

THE SOX HAD KNOCKED LASIKS OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT THE DAY BEFORE, SO THE SAINTS HAD SOMETHING TO PROVE IN THIS 9 INNING CONTEST.  JOHN BACHMAN WAS OUTSTANDING SCATTERING 7 HITS, YIELDING NO MULTIPLE HIT INNINGS.  OFFENSIVELY, THE KEY BLOW WAS A BASES CLEARING 3 RUN DOUBLE BY ANDREW HECK IN THE 3RD.  WHITE AND HECK HAD MULTIPLE HIT GAMES.

GAME 5--SEMI-FINAL--SAINTS V. OHIO TITANS

THE RIVALRY IS ON PAPER AND GOES A COUPLE YEARS BACK, NOT MUCH RESPECT ON EITHER SIDE.  THIS WOULD BE THE WILDEST GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT AS THE SAINTS USED A TWO-RUN JIM PASQUINE INSIDE THE PARK HOME RUN TO HELP CRAFT AN 8-2 LEAD.  HOWEVER, THE TITANS POUNDED THEIR WAY BACK INTO THE GAME TO TIE THE SCORE 8-8 AFTER 7 INNINGS.  HOWEVER, PASQUINE ENTERED THE GAME AND STRUCK OUT 5 IN INNINGS 8 AND 9.  IN THE TOP OF THE 9TH, WHITE LEAD OFF WITH A WALK, WAS SACRIFICED TO SECOND BY MORRISON; A HECK GROUNDOUT MOVED HIM TO 3RD AND WES SCORED THE WINNING RUN ON A WILD PITCH.  THE GAME INTENSIFIED WHEN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH BEGAN WITH A 2 BASE THROWING ERROR; HOWEVER, PASQUINE FANNED 3 STRAIGHT TO SECURE THE WIN.

GAME 6--CHAMPIONSHIP--SAINTS V. ROTH

WE HAD A FEELING LONG AGO IT MIGHT COME DOWN TO THIS, AS ROTH LOADED UP WITH CANTON STALLIONS FOR THE TOURNAMENT.  DUE TO THE EARLIER LOSS, THE SAINTS HAD TO BEAT ROTH TWICE.  IT WOULD NOT BE IN THE CARDS.  STRIKE ZONES WERE DIFFERENT FOR EACH CLUB AND DESPITE HAVING THE SAME UMPIRE BEHIND THE PLATE THE DAY BEFORE, THE ZONE WAS DIFFERENT THIS DAY.  A BUTCHERED CALL IN THE INFIELD COST THE SAINTS AN EARLY RUN TO KEEP IT CLOSE; BUT THE Y-TOWN BOYS SCORED 4 IN THE 6TH TO OPEN IT UP.  MAC AND SATCH BOTH GOT TOSSED AND THE SAINTS RECEIVED ANOTHER RUNNER UP TROPHY.  RICKY AND PASQUINE EACH HAD 3 HITS AND SATCH 2.  

JIM PASQUINE HAD A MONSTER TOURNAMENT GOING 10 FOR 18 WITH 4 RBI AND THE STELLER PITCHING PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE TITANS.

VERY PROUD OF ALL THE GUYS, AS WE HAD 23 GUYS ON THE BENCH FOR THE FINAL, DESPITE ONLY HAVING A 21 MAN ROSTER.  THANKS TO ALL, ESPECIALLY TO OUR VETS WHO ALWAYS MAKE IT WORTH WHILE.  TO OUR YOUNGER GUYS WHO MAKE THE FUTURE BRIGHT, AND OF COURSE TO RICK WHO REALLY MAKES IT GO SO SMOOTHLY.

WE'LL BE BACK........SOMEWHERE?????