NABF: RELEASE CROWNED JUNIOR WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS

Release wasted no time getting on the board, scoring in the bottom of the first inning.  Gabriel Nard led off the bottom of the first with a double.  Nard advanced to third on an error by Creekside 2nd baseman JA Quahliero.  Tommy Barth brought Nard home with an RBI fielder’s choice to take a 1-0 after one.

Release went right back to work in the bottom of the second inning.  Caden Contant hit a single, then advanced to third on a base hit from Drew Lightner.  Lightner advanced to scoring position by stealing 2nd base.  Gip Conroy plated Contant with an RBI fielder’s choice following a walk of Ben Weingarten to load the bases.  Nard hit a fielder’s choice in the very next at-bat, but an error from shortstop Benny Dottle extended the inning and allowed Lightner to touch home.  Release leads 3-0 after two.

Creekside and Release traded a pair of scoreless innings each, taking us to the fifth.  Joseph Roth got in base with a single, recording the first hit of the game for Creekside.  Cameron Caldararo slugged a double in the following at-bat, moving Roth to third base.  Luka Roggenburg uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Roth to cross home and getting Creekside on the board but still trailing 3-1.  Release would not take long to retaliate, getting that run right back in the bottom half of the inning.  Tommy Barth got on base with a single.  Barth then proceeded to steal second and third base.  On the steal of third, Creekside catcher Cameron Caldararo threw the ball away, allowing Barth to go home and extend the Release lead back to three runs, 4-1.

Release Baseball would push across an insurance run in the last of the sixth.  Peter Levin struck out but managed to get to first base after a passed ball on a dropped strike three.  Tommy Barth hit a single to left.  Left fielder Joshua Merchbaker misplayed the ball, and that allowed Levin to score all the way from first, giving Release a 5-1 lead.

Ronnie Schultz came on and pitched aa seventh inning to secure the 5-1 victory and the World Series crown!

Luka Roggenburk pitching six strong innings to record the win for Release.  Roggenburk allowed just the one run on two hits while striking out six and not allowing a single Creekside batter to walk.  Issac Schleich suffered the loss for Creekside, allowing four runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking only one.  Release was led by Tommy Barth who had two hits, a run and an RBI in the game.  Gabriel Nard slugged two hits of his own, including a double, and scored a run of his own.  Joe Roth had a base hit and scored the only run of the game for Creekside.  Cameron Caldararo hit a double of the only other hit of the game for Creekside.

*Contributed by Rob Harvischak