Ohio Heat National 2010 11U Baseball - Game Recaps

To visitors who may have come across this site, we generally have thorough, well-written, unbelievably entertaining recaps of all our games, but since our on-site reporter (me) was out of town the last week of the season, our last few recaps are a little sparse. I apologize for any disappointment (or say your welcome for anyone who is thrilled not to have to read my stream-of-consciousness ramblings). All that said...

The Ohio Heat demonstrated their never-say-die attitude, nearly pulling out a victory after falling into an early 10-1 hole. Unfortunately, they were unable to close the gap in the final at-bat and wound up on the losing end by a score of 12-10.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat fell 6-5 to the Bedford Bombers in a back-and-forth affair.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat scored the first six men they sent to the plate en route to downing the West Holmes Knights by a score of 7-0.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat fell to the Ohio Diamond Dawgs by a score of 7-5.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat lost to the N. KY Red Sox by a score of 11-1.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat pulled out an 8-7 squeaker over the Northern Kentucky mavericks

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Ohio Heat returned to form Saturday morning, defeating the Westside Raiders 10-5 at Tealtown Park. It was a complete team effort as solid defense and offensive output top to bottom backed stong pitching performances by Dylan Fryan Shayne Rice and Ronnie Allen. My thanks to Dave Hack for the updates.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

This reporter was not there, but quite simply, the Heat lost to the Riverbats by a score of 10-0.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat lost to the Eastside Sluggers 2-1 in just an hour and ten minutes.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

I kept score for only half the game this time around, so I have half a game's worth of notes to work with tonight. Fortunately, it was the good half, as the Heat scored five unanswered runs after I handed off the scorebook to claim a 7-5 come-from-behind league victory over J.B. Yeager at WCBC Wednesday night.  Clearly, Dave Hack does a much better job with the score book than yours truly.

It did not look promising through 2-1/2 innings as Yeager took a 5-2 lead against a team that seemed a little sluggish in the early evening heat, but a three run outburst in the bottom of the third evened the score and put new life in the boys' step.  Parker Kling started the rally with a single.  Then after Zach Holliday walked, a double steal put runners at second and third for Will Hack, who drove them both in with a line single to left that eluded the Yeager leftfielder, allowing Will to advance to second.  Shayne Rice promptly brought Will home as Shayne's grounder to short befuddled the Yeager defender.

The Heat proceeded to shut Yeager down for the first time in the top of the fourth, helped by a slick backhand play at second by Shayne for the final out of the inning.  The boys then took the lead for good in their half of the inning when Jefferson Szydlowski walked, moved to third on an error by the Yeager second baseman and scored on a Parker Kling sacrifice fly.

Yeager threatened in the fifth, when a walk and a perfectly executed hit-and-run put two men on with one out.  It looked like the Heat were out of the inning when pitcher Ronnie Allen, on in relief of Maguire, snagged a line shot right back to the mound and fired to Jefferson at second.  But the umpire ruled the runner safe, setting up another fielding highlight when Maguire ranged wide of first to backhand a ball heading into right and flipped to Ronnie covering the bag to end the threat.

The Heat scored their final run when Will walked, Trent Rosenbeck laid down a picture-perfect sacrifice bunt and Shayne hit a shot that the Yeager shortstop made a fine backhand stop on but was helpless in preventing Will from scoring the Heat's seventh run of the game.

Ronnie then set Yeager down 1-2-3 in the sixth to secure the win.  It was the boy's first game in a week and only the second in the past ten days, and the rust seemed to show early on.  But as has become the norm, the Heat exuded the confidence that's been growing all season, never seeming to be in doubt that they would pull this one out. Nowhere was that more apparent than after the final out, when satisfied smiles marked the win, rather than the exuberant shouts such a comeback victory may have prompted earlier in the season.  Just one more sign of the maturation of this team.  Before we know it, referring to them as "the boys" will seem out of place.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Anyone looking for evidence of the progress made by the Ohio Heat this season need look no further than their game against the South Dayton Braves at WCBC Thursday evening.  Their workmanlike 10-3 dismantling of the Braves bore no resemblance to the early season losses against this very same team that cost the Heat an opening week tournament victory.

While I must apologize that I have no notes for this game since I kept the official score book and surrendered same immediately afterward, there are several moments that stand out.  The first came with leadoff hitter Josh Harrison, who began the game with a line shot triple, followed two batters later by a double down the rightfield line by Winston Owens.

Will Hack had an especially productive day, tripling to the wall in straightaway center, doubling to left center and most impressively, going from first to third on a passed ball after reaching base on a walk.  It was the second time in as many games that a Heat baserunner has moved up two bases on a passed ball, a welcome indication of a new level of opportunism on the base paths.  Further offensive fireworks were provided by Ronnie Allen, who doubled into the gap in left and Zach Holliday and Trent Rosenbeck, who each added clutch singles.

The defensive gem of the night came in the second after Winston Owens had come on in relief with the bases loaded.  Clinging to a 5-2 lead, Shayne Rice snagged a hard one-hopper to his right at second and turned it into an inning-ending and threat-killing 4-6-3 doubleplay.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Thursday's affair and the two earlier games against the Braves was in the boys' attitude.  Whereas they may have seemed a bit uncertain of themselves in their early-season matches, they approached last night's game as though they had no doubt who was the better team - and rightfully so.  The Heat scored early, often and never let up, demonstrating the killer instinct that has been building all year.  This is not the same team that began the year.  For that, parents can take pride and the coaches satisfaction.  But the boys can take all the credit.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Dylan Fry pitched three shutout innings and combined with Trent Rosenbeck and Shayne Rice to throw the Ohio Heat's fourth (!) no-hitter of the season in a 12-1 victory over the Indiana Bats at the Lakota West Freshman field Sunday afternoon.  This was a total team effort as bats rang out from top to bottom and the steady defense we've come to expect came through once again.

As was the case all weekend, the Heat were the away team and took advantage of having the first at-bat to jump to an early lead.  But unlike their previous two outings, they did not let up after their initial outburst, scoring in each of the game's five innings.  Their first inning rally began with leadoff hitter Josh Harrison's single into left center. Joseph Cooney then took one for the team - right in his back. Josh proceeded to score on a wild pick-off throw as Ronnie Allen was working the Bats' pitcher for a walk and Joseph scored on a sacrifice fly by Jefferson Szydlowski. Ronnie eventually scored on a passed ball, givng the Heat a 3-0 lead, which was all that Dylan and his cohorts would require.

Dylan faced only three batters in the first, with the aid of a 6-3 doubleplay that came courtesy of a soft liner snagged behind second on a hit-and-run that caught the Bat runner dead-to-rights.

Maguire Stinson scored the Heat's lone second-inning run after he, too, reached base on a pitch to the backside (the pitcher's proclivity for hitting left-handed batters left the remaining lefty a bit concerned).  Trent Rosenbeck then poked a single to left and Shayne Rice walked to load the bases, which were quickly unloaded when Maguire scored on a passed ball.  Dylan would walk to reload them again, but no further scoring would result.

After another 1-2-3 inning by Dylan, the Heat plated two more runs in the third.  Winston Owens walked and stole second, leading to perhaps the longest at bat of the year for Ronnie Allen as the Bats' pitcher proceeded to throw as many balls into centerfield (five) as he did to home plate in walking Ronnie.  Jefferson then singled home Winston, and Parker Kling did the same with Ronnie to boost the lead to 6-0. 

An error and a walk sandwiched between a popup to short and a strikeout would put runners on second and third with two outs in the Bats half of the third.  It looked like they might break through for a run when a pitch made its way to the backstop, but Zach Holliday retreived the ball and threw to Dylan hustling in from the mound for the final out of both the inning and Dylan's stellar outing.

Maguire again scored the lone run in inning four after reaching base on a rocket line drive that handcuffed the Bats centerfielder.  Zach Holliday then walked and Trent ripped a line shot into right center to drive in Maguire.

A leadoff walk - the only runner Trent would allow in relief - would lead to the Bats only run of the game, but Trent shut down the final three batters he faced to leave the Heat well in control by a score of 7-1.

The Heat put the game away with five runs in the fifth.  Joseph started the rally with a double to left field.  Winston and Ronnie followed with singles to bring Joseph home.  Then, thanks to heads-up baserunning, both Winston and Ronnie scored on a single passed ball.  Winston darted for home on the errant pitch and drew a throw to the plate as he scored. Ronnie, meanwhile, gave a textbook lesson in baserunning, bolting from second the moment the pitch passed the catcher and rounded third with a full head of steam in the event the ball got away from the pitcher covering home - which is precisely what happened.  Ronnie hesitated momentarily, saw the ball rolling unattended toward the mound and immediately darted home.  It's a run that may not have scored had Ronnie been content to simply run bag-to-bag.

One could argue that Ronnie would have scored anyway, as Jefferson walked, Parker singled, Maguire drove in a run on a ground out and Zach singled. But, it is also possible that Ronnie's aggressiveness changed the complexion of the entire inning. And as we know all-too-painfully from Friday's extra-inning disappointment, one run can mean the difference between not only victory and defeat, but playing for consolation or playing for a championship.  So, hats off to Ronnie. [As a footnote, those who ventured to watch the Georgia Bandits play at WCBC afterward noted that the Bandits universally exhibited such aggressive, heads-up baserunning, which makes for great baseball].

With a 12-1 lead, it was left to Shayne Rice to shut it down, and shut it down he did with an easy 1-2-3 inning that included a popup and grounder to Dylan at second and another grounder to Winston at third for the final out.

Today's win capped off what may have been a disappointing weekend form a tourney stand-point, but one that saw the Heat play outstanding baseball for each of the twenty-four innings they played.  They went toe-to-toe with some of the finest teams they have faced and left the opposition battered and bruised.  And talk of our performance by other coaches and players during the final rounds at WCBC was proof-positive that our star is on the rise.  It is clear that the best is yet to come.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

One of my favorite things when writing these recaps is to highlight outstanding individual plays and performances, except when it comes to my own son.  Unfortunately for him, my rule is to take a Jack Webb/Joe Friday approach - just the facts, ma'am.  Well, please excuse me as I break my own rule.  On a day where temperatures neared 90^o, against what is allegedly the #1 team in all of Indiana, Jefferson Szydlowski delivered one of the gutsiest pitching performances of the season in what turned out to be a gut-wrenching 3-2 seven-inning loss to the Smithville (IN) Gators.

Throwing 88 pitches - twelve more than any Heat pitcher has thrown in a single outing this year - Jefferson and the Heat defense held the explosive Gators, who had scored 31 runs in their two prior games, to two runs over 5-1/3 innings to give the Heat an opportunity to pull out what would have been a signature victory.  Alas, it was not to be.

As in their earlier game, the Heat scored all their runs in the first inning.  Josh Harrison (by the way, I can't tell you how many times I've had to correct myself as I write Josh Hamilton - must be the similarity in talent) started it off with a walk. Joseph Cooney then followed suit.  Josh would score on a grounder to short by Winston Owens and Joseph on a tapper down the third base line by Ronnie Allen that left everyone safe when the third baseman's attempt to cut Joseph down at home was seconds late.  Jefferson and Parker Kling would follow with singles, but a pickoff and strikeout would prevent any further scoring.

It should be noted that this first-inning outburst came against a hard-throwing lefty reported to be the Gators #1 pitcher, which bodes well for what these boys can accomplish against elite pitchers. Unfortunately, as in the earlier game, the early rally would not be repeated this afternoon.

The Gators would cut the Heat lead in half in the bottom of the first, but a fine running catch by Will Hack in right and a dazzling, sliding backhanded stop by Trent Rosenbeck behind the bag at second limited the damage.

A small sign of how this team is maturing into real ballplayers - the kind of thing that can often go unnoticed - occured after the final out of the Gators second inning when catcher Ronnie Allen picked up the hitter's discarded bat and pointed out to the umpire that it was of illegal design, resulting in the bat's removal from the game.  A small thing perhaps, but one that only a thinking man's ballplayer could have executed.

The Gators tied the score in the the third, an inning that could have easily gotten away from the Heat, but stellar defense and determined pitching got the boys out of a bases-loaded jam and limited the damage to one run.  Parker Kling started the inning with a rolling catch on a sinking looper in left center, then nearly replicated the feat on the next play, but his diving attempt on another looper to right center came up just short.  A hit batsman put two runners on, but a heads-up play by Winston Owens on a grounder to third, where he tagged the runner passing by, cut down the lead runner for out number two.  The next man then reached base to load the bases.  The Gators batter then worked the count to 3-2 and managed to foul off a two-strike pitch to stay alive.  The eighth pitch of the at bat then appeared to catch the batsman looking at strike three, but the umpire called ball four to force in the tying run and leave Jefferson with a smile not unlike the one Armando Gallaraga gave the umpire after being denied his perfect game. And like Gallaraga, Jefferson put the frustration behind him and proceeded to induce a grounder to short to end the inning.

The Heat threatened in the fourth when Ronnie and Jefferson led off with back-to-back singles, but a missed hit-and run attempt that caught Ronnie stealing and two strikeouts ended the threat.

Jefferson proceeded to retire seven of the next eight men he faced, with the only runner reaching base by way of an error, taking the 2-2 tie into the sixth.  He was assisted in the effort by a solid backhanded grab of a hard grounder down the line by Joseph at first.  It was a play that we've become so accustomed to seeing from Joseph that we almost take it for granted, but it is precisely the type of play that has turned the Heat into such a fearsome unit.

The Heat had another opportunity in the top of the sixth when Josh ripped a one-out shot down the rightfield line that was sure to be extra bases, but the bag, a shoelace or something tripped Josh up as he rounded first, holding him to a single.  Josh made it a moot point, however, as he took second on a stolen base, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. Joseph then launched a flyball to deep left that looked like it might drop behind the leftfielder, but the Gator's player was able to make the catch.  Winston was then called out on a questionable third strike that the catcher couldn't field even with a dive to his right.  The man in blue claimed it caught the corner, but as one overly-zealous fan pointed out, even Stephen Strasburg's curve doesn't have such a physics-defying break. No matter, the call was made and the threat was over.

The ump returned to the Heat's good graces in the sixth, however, as Jefferson achieved the rare feat of hitting batters three times, but put only one man on base (the ump ruled no attempt had been made to avoid the first two pitches, resulting in mere balls being called).  Clearly tiring, Jefferson was removed, but the Gators proceeded to load the bases anyway. Winston was then brought in and got a clutch popup to short to send the game into extra innings.

Ronnie led off the seventh, driving a 3-2 curveball into right center for a single (I won't editorialize on how disgusted I am with coaches who not only allow, but encourage eleven year-old boys to throw curveballs, though I guess I just did).  Ronnie would eventually make his way to third, but two strikeouts sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt would leave him stranded.  I'm not going to say that Cinderella left the building at that point because the Heat are no Cinderella team.  They have proven that they can match up with any team in the country.  Still, the Gators pushed the winning run across the plate to deny the Heat the win.

Now, if you've made it this far - and I apologize for my wordiness - I want you hold your thumb and index finger about a millimeter apart.  That is how close this team is to being one of the truly elite teams anywhere.  They have given top squads like the Central Ohio Select, the Illinois Sparks and, of course, the Gators all they can handle.  These teams have had to turn to their top pitchers to shut us down and still have barely scratched their way past us.  A hit here, a break there and this team will become the headline attraction at any tournament they enter.  Their maturation into a team, in every sense of the word, is a marvelous thing to behold.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Meat Loaf, known to the New York Times as Mr. Loaf, once sang that two out of three ain't bad.  That may be true regarding whatever Mr. Loaf was singing about, but it certainly wasn't the case when it came to the Ohio Heat's game against the Illinois Sparks in second round action of pool play in the Cincinnati Flames Classic at Lefferson Park Friday afternoon.  The pitching was steady, the defense rock-solid in holding the Sparks to just three runs. But the offense could muster just one run, resulting in a 3-1 defeat against one of the tournament's top teams.

That run came in the first when Joseph Cooney walked and came home on a ground out by Ronnie Allen.  From that point on, the Heat would gather only two hits on singles by Parker Kling and Jefferson Szydlowski, putting the pressure on Heat pitchers Maguire Stinson and Winston Owens to shut down the Sparks.

Maguire gave all he had - so much so, that he had to seek medical attention as the sweltering heat took its toll and left him perilously light-headed.  Fortunately, the reports on Maguire are that he is fine, which is the same adjective that could be used to describe his pitching.

the Heat defense, meanwhile, was its typically stingy self. Zach Holliday cut down three Sparks attempting to steal and could have had four were it not for a mishandled throw.  The importance of such a performance cannot be overstated in a game like this, not only for the outs it produces, but for the psychological lift it provides.  Meanwhile, Ronnie Allen and Joseph both made excellent plays on line drives down the line - Ronnie at third and Joseph at first - with Joseph's turning into an inning-ending unassisted double play.

The Heat offense was not without its chances, loading the bases in both the third and fifth innings with the heart of the order coming up, but the Sparks were able to fend off both threats.  To be fair to the boys, they were facing some of the toughest pitchers they've faced all year.  Once they learn to break through against elite pitchers, there is no telling what this team will accomplish.

The loss puts the Heat at 1-1 in the tournament, but with runs allowed a key component in determining final seeding, the low score leaves the boys in good shape.  With two more games left before final seeding is determined, it is time to put all three pieces of the puzzle - hitting, pitching and defense - together.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Ohio Heat played a rare 4:30 pm weekday game Thursday, winning their contest against the Noblesville (Indiana) Heat by a score of 8-1 in the opening round of the Cincinnati Flames Classic.  And like a business day special, there seemed to be a laid-back atmosphere as fans soaked up sunshine, among other things, on a warm afternoon at WCBC.

The boys jumped to an early lead, following the traditional losing of the coin-toss that made them the away team in this affair, scoring four times in the first.  Josh Harrison got things started with a walk.  Joseph Cooney then continued his torrid hitting of late in one of the most impressive at bats of the season.  He worked the count to 3-2, fouling off three pitches along the way, getting his timing down a little better with each one, until he finally ripped a shot into the gap in right for an RBI double.  He would move to third on an infield single by Winston Owens and score on a passed ball.  Ronnie Allen walked and Jefferson Szydlowski drove Winston in on a sacrifice fly to left.  Ronnie would eventually score on a passed ball to put the score at 4-0.

Noblesville would put a runner across in their half of the stanza, but the Ohio Heat came right back with three more in the second. Trent Rosenbeck walked and Dylan Fry reached base when his slow roller confounded the secondbaseman. Dylan was erased trying to steal second, but Josh walked and Joseph drove an RBI single to left for the inning's first run. Winston then reached base on a ball hit to first, scoring Josh and sending Joseph to third.  Joseph would then take advantage of Noblesville's attempt to catch Winston stealing second, alertly darting for home on the throw, putting the Heat up 7-1.

Noblesville threatened, putting two men on after two were out in the second, but Ronnie bore down and got the next man to whiff at a fastball for the final out.  Zach Holliday would score the game's final run in the third, driving a ball into right center for a single and eventually coming home on a ground out by Trent.

Only four more batters would reach base for either team the rest of the way, leaving most of the entertainment up to the crowd, where topics ranged from armpits and enhancements to things that, quite frankly, could not be understood - and probably wouldn't be fit for print if they were.  We'll just blame it on the sun. Yeah, that's what it was.

Both the temperatures and the competition are expected to heat up on Friday.  We know the boys will rise to the occasion.  As for those in attendance, well, all I can say is bring your sunscreen.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

It seemed to take the Ohio Heat a while to get going in their game against the Dublin Green Sox on Saturday, and perhaps that is understandable, given that the first game of their scheduled doubleheader not only took forever to finish and wound up a 10-10 tie on a warm, muggy afternoon, but it also turned out to be a scrimmage due to the lack of an umpire. But once they flipped the switch, we saw the heart that they've displayed of late, twice overcoming two-run deficits to secure a 9-8 victory.

The Green Sox jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second on a walk, two bunts, a sacrifice fly and a single.  Not exactly a rip-roaring rally, but it was two runs, nonetheless.  Meanwhile, the first six Heat batters sent three straight grounders to second, then one to pitcher, short and pitcher to end a decidedly uneventful first two innings.

The boys finally broke through in the third, scoring five times to take a 5-2 lead.  Maguire Stinson and Trent Rosenbeck started it off with walks, followed by a line shot single to left by Will Hack to load the bases and a Dylan Fry walk to drive in the Heat's first run.  Joseph Cooney then cleared the bases with the first of two triples on the day to make the score 4-2.  Winston Owens then blasted one past the Sox first baseman to bring Joseph home with the fifth run of the inning.

They added another run in the fourth when Parker Kling walked, Maguire singled and Zach Holliday laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to bring Parker home from third.  It was precisely the type of play the team had worked on in their earlier scrimmage, and in what would turn out to be a one-run victory would prove to be decisive.

The Sox were not done, however, as they scored five times in the fifth to take an 8-6 lead.  Joseph Cooney did a masterful job in minimizing the damage after coming on with the bases loaded and no outs, inducing several ground balls and a popup to get out of the inning.

Once again, it was time for the Heat to demonstrate their never-say-die attitude as they came to bat in the bottom of the fifth.  Dylan Fry started it off when a pitch glanced off the top of his helmet (he's perhaps the only person in memory to get hit in the head and immediately smile on his way to first).  Josh Harrison then lined a shot into left and Joseph continued to turn this one into the Joseph Cooney show by lining a shot to the wall in right for his second triple of the game, giving him five RBIs on the day and the Heat an 8-8 tie.  Winston then brought Joseph home with what proved to be the game-winning run on a grounder to short.  Ronnie Allen would then double into the left field corner, but would venture no further.

Winston came on in relief to close it out.  A walk and a couple of stolen bases put the tying run at third with two out, but a 3-2 strike caught the Sox batter looking for the final out in the Heat victory.

The best thing about this game, aside from the "W", was that even when they fell behind during the Sox fifth-inning rally there never seemed to be any doubt that they would win this game.  That air of confidence has been building slowly over the course of the season, and rightfully so.  Combine this team's talent with a killer instinct and you've got a potent mix.  It appears the best is yet to come.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Timely hitting, steady pitching and solid - and in at least one instance, spectacular - defense combined to give the Ohio Heat an important league victory over the Ohio Force Thursday evening at WCBC.  With dark skies threatening almost the entre night, jumping to an early lead and holding it appeared to be important in the event of a rain-shortened game.  The rain never materialized, but the boys put themsleves in a position to win from the get-go and were in control thoughout.

The first run came by way of a Josh Harrison walk and an RBI groundout by Joseph Cooney.  Perhaps not as exciting as a couple of blasts to the wall, but just as effective.  After the Force tied the score on what may be considered an unearned run in the bottom of the first, the Heat took the lead for good in the second on a walk to Maguire Stinson, a ball off the shortstop's glove by Parker Kling and a clutch two-out single by Zach Holliday that drove in two runs to give the Heat a 3-1 lead they would never relinquish.

The Force pushed another run across in the bottom half of the frame, but Maguire Stinson was able to get out of the jam by getting the last two men on a strikeout and a lazy fly to Will Hack in right field.

The Heat padded their lead with another run in the third, thanks to a walk to Joseph, who stole second, moved to third on a grounder by Winston Owens, then scored on a passed ball.  The Force threatened when they put two on after two were out in their half of the third, but an unassisted putout by Joseph on a grounder to first put the threat to rest.  The Force closed to within one, 4-3, in the fourth on a couple of singles, but another grounder, this time to short, prevented any further damage.

The final Heat run scored following another walk to Joseph and a double to the gap in right by Winston Owens on a swing that had the baseball purists in the crowd raving.  With the Heat offense done scoring for the day, it was time for the defense to take over.  Winston, now pitching, helped his own cause after a couple of singles had put men at first and third with one out.  He induced a comebacker to the mound and made the bold decision to gun for the man coming in from home, throwing a strike to Zach Holliday who caught and held the ball just as the runner was sliding toward the plate.  The umpire took two steps ins, confirmed Zach had control of the ball and decisively signalled "Out!"

Clinging to their 5-3 run after a quiet sixth, Parker Kling stuck a dagger in the Force hopes to start the bottom of the sixth. Now, we've had many sliding, rolling, lunging catches this year, but I am always hesitant to call them diving catches.  Not this time.  Parker dove headfirst and plucked the ball mere inches off the ground for out one.  The next out came on a slow roller to second that Shayne Rice gunned to first for the putout.  The final out was an almost anti-climactic soft liner to shortstop to secure the victory.

The victory was an important one in the battle for the SWOL National League title.  With the balance within the league and the number of games remaining, anything can happen. And given the level at which our young men have been playing in recent weeks, the next month should be very interesting.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Words can't begin to describe the excitement and atmosphere at Avery Park on Sunday night where the Ohio Heat fell to the Central Ohio Select by a score of 9-6 in a game that had a little bit of everything.  Though the boys came up just short, they should come away with confidence that they are capable of beating any team they take on.  The Select threw five of the toughest pitchers the Heat have seen all season and they stood up to each one, putting men on base in every inning.

Early game jitters may have been at work in the first as the first three Heat batters reached base safely, but the Select's crafty lefthander's move to first resulted in two pickoffs that helped squelch any hopes for a Heat rally.

The Select also burst out of the gate with three singles to start the bottom of the first, but Josh Harrison made the first of several stellar plays in left, nailing the Select leadoff man at home with a one-hop strike to catcher Zach Holliday.  A walk and sacrifice fly would help bring in two runs, but the damage was limited.

The Heat loaded the bases with one out in the second, but the Select shut it down from there, keeping the score at 2-0.  The boys returned the favor in the bottom half of the frame, as the Select also loaded the bases with one out, but a strikeout by Shayne Rice and a spectacular running, lunging, over the shoulder catch in deep left center by Josh for the final out kept the Select off the board.

The Select added two more runs in the third on a triple, a looper behind third, and a ball lost in the lights, but a rare 5-3-4 double play and a man cut down stealing by Zach ended the rally.

The Heat finally broke through for three in the third when Ronnie Allen blasted one off the third baseman's glove, Parker was hit by a pitch and Maguire walked to load the bases.  With the Heat sideline now in a near frenzy, Will Hack sent a popup beyond the view of the Avery Field lights and out of sight of the Select first baseman, who helplessly watched the ball fall for a two-run error. Zach then followed with an RBI single to right to cut the deficit to 4-3.

The boys and their fans could now feel it and the excitement ratcheted up another level when Will made a sliding catch in right for the first out in the bottom of the fourth. Ronnie cut down the the second man on a grounder to third and Winston, on in relief of Shayne, got the third out on a swinging strike for a 1-2-3 inning.

Now, with rain falling, parents yelling, heads aching, fences rattling and the Heat batting, Shayne Rice launched a drive deep into the gap in left center for a stand-up double. Dylan Fry then lined to second and Shayne alertly retreated to the bag, but the attempt to double him off went wide and Shayne scampered to third.  The Select pitcher, apparently rattled, then committed a balk to allow Shayne to come home with the tying run.  Josh then singled, as did Joseph, Winston walked to load the bases and bring Ronnie Allen to the plate, who promptly ripped a two-run single to give the Heat a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the fifth.

The excitement of the moment may have gotten to the Heat, however, as the Select were able to score five times on just one hit - and that was another popup lost in the poor lighting (afterward, the boys would say the ball would just disappear into the night sky).  And if I may editorialize for a bit, the inning also included one of the most disappointing moments in youth sports when a Select batter fouled a ball off his forehead, leaving him wobbling and weak-kneed. But rather than taking what would seem to be the wise route and sitting him down, the boy was sent back to finish his at-bat.  Afterwards, the parents asked for medical advice that probably should have been sought earlier.  (I'm sorry for the digression, but I am not a fan of the misplaced priorities youth sports can bring out in otherwise level-headed adults).

The Select, realizing they had a battle on their hands, then brought on their fifth pitcher of the game.  The fireballing lefty retired the first man he faced, but Will Hack tagged him for a single, putting the tying run on-deck.  Zach then ripped a line-drive to third for the second out.  Heads-up baserunning by Will averted a potential game-ending double play. No matter, however, as the final Heat batter went down swinging.

This was as raucus a game as we've seen all year and while there may be no moral victories (a point made clear by one Heat player on the drive back to the hotel), the message from this one should be that there is no pitcher too tough for the Ohio Heat and no team they can't handle.  All would be wise to be wary of the Ohio Heat.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Ohio Heat wound up on the short end of a back-and-forth early morning game with the Kentucky Mudcats, falling 6-5 in a hotly contested affair.

The Heat struck first, scoring once in the first, but they missed an opportunity to plate more runs as the first five batters reached base safely.  Josh Harrison and Joseph Cooney led off with walks and Winston Owens ripped a line shot into left to bring Josh home with the games first run, but Joseph was caught trying to go to third on the base hit.  Ronnie Allen then followed with a walk and Jefferson Szydlowski singled to load the bases, but the Mudcat shortstop was able to scoop a grounder up the middle and touch second before firing to first to complete an inning-ending double play.

The Mudcats quickly matched the Heat's run when an error allowed a man who'd singled earlier to cross the plate.  The score would remain knotted at 1-1 until the bottom of the third, thanks in part to a double play the Heat pulled off on a line drive to short that caught a man off second for the DP.

The Mudcat's third inning leadoff hitter ripped what looked to be a line shot single into center, but Parker Kling fired a strike to Joseph at first to record a rare 8-3 putout.  But an error, single and double quickly gave the Cats a 2-1 lead. Following a walk that loaded the bases, the Heat ended the one-out threat just as quickly with a 4-6-3 double play started by Trent Rosenbeck at second.

The Heat tied the score in the fourth when Zach Holliday's RBI single drove in Will Hack, who had walked to start the inning.

With Jefferson on in relief of Maguire Stinson, the Mudcats again took the lead, scoring two on a walk, single and double to make the score 4-2.  The Heat then came right back with three of their own for a 5-4 lead when Winston walked, Jefferson doubled and Dylan Fry walked to load the bases.  Parker Kling then reached base and plated a run when the Mudcat shortstop couldn't get a handle on his grounder up the middle.  Another Cat shortstop error allowed two more to score when his throw on a Maguire grounder sailed wide of first base.

The Heat retired the first two Mudcats in the fifth, the first out coming on a nice play by shortstop Josh Harrison, who stayed with a bad hop to get the out at first.  But a walk and a groundball right over the bag at third into left field allowed the Cats to tie the score 5-5.

The score remained that way through the top of the sixth as the left fielder made a diving catch on Josh's looper behind third base.  Joseph would then single, but was stranded as the Heat were retired.

Parker nearly pulled off another 8-3 putout to start the sixth, but the Mudcat hitter was called safe, putting the potential winning run on base.  The next man was intentionally walked to set up a force play after the leadoff man stole second. The Heat drew their infield in after the runners advanced, and the strategy worked as Josh was able to nail the man from third at the plate on a grounder to short.  Winston then came on in relief and the Heat intentionally walked another man to load the bases, but the strategy would not matter as the next Mudcat drove a shot over the drawn in outfield to bring home the winning run.

With that, it's now time to wait and see who the Heat will play in the bracket round, which will begin Sunday evening.  As the boys proved last week, they need not be perfect to win a tournament. We'll see if they can match that feat this week.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Will Hack and Winston Owens (the Ohio Heat's two "W's") combined to hold the Carmel Pups to three runs and then, when the game was in doubt, Jefferson Szydlowski and Will smacked back-to-back doubles as part of a seven-run sixth that put the Pups away for good in a 10-3 victory in game 2 of the Wayne Williams Memorial Tournament in Columbus.

Will had his most effective pitching outing of the season, throwing three shutout innings, before tiring in the late afternoon heat and giving way to Winston in the fourth.  He had been staked to an early 2-0 lead when Joseph Cooney and Winston had back-to-back first inning walks, followed by back-to-back RBI singles by Ronnie Allen and Jefferson Szydlowski.  That lead was extended to 3-0 in the third when Shayne Rice, who just the inning before had entertained all within earshot with the unique "thunking" sound that can be produced only by the collision of a baseball with a certain piece of equipment, led off with a single and proceeded to score on a passed ball.

But the Pups would not go away, chipping away at the Heat lead with runs in each of the last three innings.  The first of those runs came when the first three batters reached base safely in the fourth.  Winston was brought on to shut down the bases-loaded, no out threat and began the job in dramatic fashion, setting down the first man he faced on three straight called strikes (K-LLL for those of you keeping score at home).  Then after a just-out-of-reach single brought in a run, Winston got a force at home on a twisting, spinning tapper in front of home plate and a force at second for outs two and three.  The end of the threat brought the boys back into the dugout amidst chants of "Oohhh-oh-oh-oh-oh!" 

Unfortunately, the enthusiasm did not translate into runs, as the boys went down quietly in the top of the fifth.  The Pups, now starting to sense an upset, came to the plate with growing confidence - confidence that seemed well-placed when their leadoff hitter drove one into right-center.  But Dylan Fry and Trent Rosenbeck turned in a defensive gem that took the wind right out of the Pups sails.  Looking as thought there would be no chance to nail the runner without a throw directly to second from Dylan, Trent took the throw and turned as pretty a relay as one will ever see, throwing a strike to Jefferson, who had only to put his glove to the ground to record the out.  Though the Pups would go on to score one, the play was a momentum-changer.

Clinging to a precarious 3-2 lead entering the top of the sixth, the Heat offense finally kicked into gear.  Dylan Fry started the rally with a walk, followed by Joseph, who did the same.  Winston then reached base on a catcher's interference call to load the bases.  Ronnie Allen drew another walk to drive in the first run of the inning.  Joseph then scored an a passed ball to extend the lead to 5-2. Jefferson then cleared the bases with a double to the wall in left center and Will brought Jefferson home with a soaring double down the line in deep left.  Parker Kling and Maguire Stinson then closed out the Heat scoring with an RBI single each.

The Pups would not go down without a fight, however, scoring once before Zach Holliday snagged a pop fly down the third base line for the final out.

The win secured a spot in the championship round and put the Heat in position for a possible #1 overall seed, pending the final game of pool play Sunday morning.  We'll know final pairings later in the day and will update you as play progresses.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Ohio Heat returned to their winning ways, downing the Dublin Green Sox 14-3 in game one of the Wayne Williams Memorial Tournament in Columbus. For a brief moment it looked as though we might have ourselves a ballgame, as the Sox jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Heat came back with three of their own in their half of the inning on a line single by Josh Harrison and walks to Winston Owens, Jefferson Szydlowski and Will Hack.  All three runs scored on passed balls as the Heat took advantage of the deep backstop and grassy area behind home plate.  In fact, two runs scored on a single passed ball when Winston took advantage of a wild toss to the pitcher covering home trying to catch Josh at the plate, aggressively coming home when the ball squirted toward the middle of the diamond.

Alert baserunning helped again in the second, when Maguire Stinson and Zach Holliday, who'd both walked, scored on a 6-3 groundout by Trent Rosenbeck.  Zach scored when ball got away from the Sox first baseman.  The boys would go on to score two more runs as Shayne Rice reached base on an error, Dylan Fry walked and Joseph Cooney doubled down the line in left on a slicing line drive that landed just inches into fair territory.  All told, the Heat had scored seven runs on just two hits.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Allen continued to mow the Sox down, helping his own cause when he picked off the a Dublin baserunner who had reached base on an error. 

The Heat put the game away in the third, scoring seven times.  Ronnie started it off with a double to the wall in left center.  Jefferson Szydlowski then singled and Will Hack reached base on a tough play at third that scored Ronnie.  Parker then lined a shot right at the second baseman for the first out, but Maguie singled to left to drive in two. Zach followed with a line shot to left and Trent did the same to right center.  Shayne and Dylan then walked to load the bases and Josh Harrison drove in a run on a groundout that required a fine play by the Sox shortstop.  The inning ended when Joseph was robbed on line shot into the gap in right center that was flagged down on a lunging, running catch by the Sox centerfielder.

With the Heat now up 14-2, Will Hack came in and through twelve pitches, eleven of them for strikes, to close out the victory.  An error and a two-strike double allowed the Sox to score once, but the 14-3 margin was enough for a run-rule victory.

The boys are now off until Saturday evening, when we will be back with more news from Columbus.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Well, it appears this reporter picked a good one to miss, as the Heat fell to the league-rival Cincinnati Sluggers 14-4 Wednesday night.  Fans pulling left out of the West Chester Baseball Complex may have noticed the full moon rising over I-75.  We'll just have to blame this one on full-moon hijinks.

Though there were a few highlights - a 1-6-3 double play to end the second inning, another fine play in the hole at short by Josh Harrison for the final out to brighten an otherwise unpleasant fifth and a triple to the wall in left by Jefferson Szydlowski followed by an RBI single by Will Hack - I doubt there would have been much more to write about had I been there in person.  Perhaps the brightest moment, oddly enough, came on the final out as Zach Holliday busted his tail trying to beat out an infield grounder.  In games such as this, one looks for little signs and Zach's hustle shows that even when down, this team does not quit. 

Fortunately, full moons come and go and so will the memory of this one, sure to be replaced by victories to come.  Boys, put this one behind you, recall what you did last weekend and look forward to what lies ahead.  There is still a lot of baseball to be played, and young men, you will play it well.

On site reporting by Dave Hack. Copy editing by Paul Szydlowski

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

With players dropping as though this were a boxing match rather than a baseball game, the Ohio Heat outlasted the Diamond Elite by a score of 13-7 Tuesday night at WCBC.  And like the "sweet science", it combined moments of artistry and violence as both teams bobbed and weaved through the first three rounds, er, innings.

The Heat drew first blood in the second on singles by Jefferson Szydlowski, Parker Kling and Maguire Stinson.  Parker landed the first real blow of the game as he took out the DE catcher, who was trying to block the plate while fielding the throw coming in from center after Maguire's base hit.  Parker's hard slide took the legs out from underneath the defender, allowing Parker to score, the ball to scoot to the backstop and Maguire to advance to second.

The Diamond Elite came right back with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, but not without paying a price as the fourth man up in the inning took a blazing fastball to elbow and was forced to leave the game shortly thereafter.

Pitcher Shayne Rice helped his own cause, leading off the Heat third with a walk and coming around to score on a Winston Owens RBI single to right to knot the score at 3-3.  Shayne would maintain that score, setting the DE down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third, with help from Will Hack who flagged down yet another flyball trailing down the line in right.

The Heat appeared to blow the game wide open in the fourth, scoring eight times on four hits, five walks and a handful of errors.  Will got it started with a single to left, followed by a walk to Parker, who scored on an error off the bat of Maguire Stinson.  Then, after Trent Rosenbeck and Shayne walked, forcing in a run, Josh Harrison and Joseph Cooney had back-to-back RBI singles to drive in two more runs.  Winston then walked to reload the bases, as did Ronnie Allen to force in the Heat's fifth run of the inning.  A passed ball allowed Joseph to score and Jefferson singled to load the bases yet again.  The final two runs crossed the plate when the DE shortstop was screened by Ronnie Allen on his way to third and Parker's ground fall went through into left field.

The DE scored another run in the fourth, but pitcher Will Hack prevented another as he alertly looked the runner back to third on a grounder back to the mound before retiring the batter at first.  Will got the next man on a 6-3 groundout to end the inning, leaving the score at 11-4.

Now, here I must apologize, because once again my notes fail me.  According to the official scoring - which is clearly handled by someone far more diligent than me - the Heat scored two runs.  But I can account for only one, and that one was scored by Dylan Fry, who had reached base on a bunt single.  After that, well, heck, I don't know how we scored that next run, but trust me, it's in the books. According to all involved, the score was 13-4 and the Heat were in position for a run-rule victory.

The Diamond Elite answered the bell in the fifth, however, scoring three times and knocking third baseman Ronnie Allen out of the game in the process when a DE runner apparently forgot that while a straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, that line is not his if it interferes with a player making a play on a ball.  [That said, I think it's important that people who may not know the player in question understand that he is a good, good, kid.  I can assure you there was nothing intentional or malicious about the play.  Jefferson played with him last year and he is a good teammate and a worthy foe.]

Ok, where was I?  Oh, yes, the DE scored three times and squelched the Heat's hopes for a run rule-victory.  No matter.

The Heat scored their final run on a Parker Kling single, driving in Jefferson, who'd been hit by a pitch.  All that was left was for the Heat to shut down the opposition. Jefferson, on in relief, retired the first two batters easily, then Josh Harrison closed it out in dramatic fashion with a play where he went deep in the hole for a backhand stop at short, planted his feet, skidded to a stop and rifled across the diamond to secure the final out and the victory.  As his grateful pitcher said on the way home, "That play was amazing."  And may I add, a poetic final touch to a rough-and-tumble game.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

It has been a long time coming, and the boys have been oh-so-close, but when the Ohio Heat finally won their first tournament championship, few could have imagined the celebration would have been so telling, so touching or so satisfying.  While parents planned their part in a mid-field celebration as the boys worked to close out their decisive 7-2 victory over the Northern Kentucky Red Sox, the boys let the world know who was in their hearts and thoughts as they accepted their championship trophy with chants of "Tyler! Tyler!" in honor of their teammate's battling younger brother.

This victory was everything a championship victory should be - a complete demonstration of hitting, pitching, defense and heart against a worthy opponent who had demonstrated those very same qualities when the two teams had met not more than sixteen hours earlier.

Josh Harrison set the tone when he lined a solid shot into left for a leadoff single to start the game.  Though he would not score, Josh let the Red Sox know that the Heat from the night before were an aberration and that they should not expect a repeat performance.  Maguire Stinson provided the bookend to that message in the bottom half of the first when he set the Sox leadoff hitter down on three straight called strikes (my notes read K-LLL, for strikeout looking, looking, looking).  The Sox proceeded to go down 1-2-3, a far cry from the four run first of the night before.

The Heat took the their first lead of the game when Jefferson Szydlowski led off the second with a single.  Then, after the next two Heat hitters were retired, Zach Holliday came through with a clutch single to drive in the first Heat run.  Will Hack followed with a single, but Shayne Rice's hard shot was right at the Red Sox shortstop, who threw to first to end the threat.

The Sox threatened in the bottom of the second as they put two runners aboard, but Jefferson, who came on in relief of Maguire after he'd used his allotted tournament innings, induced a comebacker to the mound to finish the inning without incident.

Josh started things off in the third with another line shot to left, then advanced to third on a stolen base and a groundout by Joseph Cooney.  Josh would be retired at home when he tried to score as the Red Sox attempted to catch Winston Owens stealing second, but Winston would score on an RBI single to right by Jefferson.

The Red Sox would tie the score in the third on a controversial play that some felt should have ended the inning.  It all began after two were out when the Sox hitter drove a two-strike pitch into right center for a double.  After a bunt single and stolen base put runners at second and third, the Red Sox batter put a ball in the hole at short, but the long throw to first pulled Joseph off the bag.  Joseph appeared to stretch back and get his foot on the bag in time to record the out, but the umpire called the runner safe as Joseph rolled over in pain from the effort.  That was enough to allow the man to scoot in from second with the tying run.  The man on first then attempted to steal second, and in what appeared might be the beginning of an unraveling by the Heat, the attempt to catch him sailed into center.  But Parker Kling alertly backed up the play and caught the man going to third in a play that got the final out and put an end to the Red Sox momentum. 

Parker led off the fourth with another of his patented bunt singles, but was erased on a line shot double play off Zach's bat that left Parker no chance to get back to the bag.  The final Heat batter then went down, leaving the score knotted at 2-all.

The bottom half of the fourth brought more fireworks and gave a glimpse into the Heat's determination to win this championship.  With one out and a man on third, the Red Sox batter launched a solid drive into deep right-center.  Even if it were catchable, which seemed in doubt, it seemed certain to allow the go-ahead run to score from third.  But Will Hack not only flagged the ball down, he immediately rifled a one-hopper to Zach, who put the the tag on the runner rumbling in from third for the final out.  The Red Sox runner protested that Zach had missed the tag, but Zach, busy retreiving his mask and helmet, turned, pointed at his accuser with determination burning in his eyes and shouted in no uncertain terms, "I did not miss you!"  If there was a moment when it became clear the Heat were going to take this one, that was it.

The Heat finally took the lead for good in the fifth, building upon Zach's determination.  Shayne Rice led off with a single to right, then advanced to third on a stolen base and a bunt by Josh that Josh barely missed beating out for a hit. Joseph Cooney then grounded into a fielder's choice that caught Shayne going home, but not before Shayne got into a rundown that gave Joseph time to hustle all the way around to third, leaving the Heat no worse off than if Shayne had remained at third while Joseph was retired at first.  It was the kind of heads-up play that is the hallmark of champions.

The play appeared to pay off when Joseph scored on a wild pickoff attempt, but the umpire had called time and Joseph was forced to return to third.  The next pitch scooted past the catcher, however, and this time Joesph was not to be denied as he raced home with what would prove to be the game-winning run.

Clinging to a 3-2 lead, Jefferson - now into his longest pitching stint ever - retired the first two batters he faced, the second on a beautiful play where Josh went deep in the hole at short and Joseph made a picture-perfet scoop on the long throw to complete the putout.  The next two batters reached base on bloop singles and when the next batter walked, Winston was brought in to end the bases-loaded threat.  He did just that, getting a grounder to Josh at short, who stepped on second for the unassisted force out.

The Heat then put all fears to rest when they exploded for four runs in the top of the sixth.  Jefferson got things rolling with a double over the centerfielder's head.  Dylan Fry then walked and Parker singled.  Zach drove in a run on a grounder to second.  Will Hack then cleared the bases with a rocket triple into left to give the Heat a 6-2 lead.  Trent Rosenbeck drove in the final run on a goundball to first.

With excitement building and parents planning their rush onto the field, Winston calmly struck out the first batter on a called third stike.  The next batter gounded out to short.  Then, after a harmless infield single, the Heat got the final out on a, well, I don't know how they got the final out.  In all the excitement, I never recorded the play in my notes.  No matter - the boys got the out and exploded in a midfield celebration that they so deserved.  Despite the disappointing loss the night before, despite the difficult scheduling and the long day, the Heat came through.  And then they showed what champions they really are with their trophy-celebration tribute.  Leave it to a bunch of eleven year-old boys to remind us of what really matters.  Boys, you are champions in every sense of the word.  Congratulations!

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Ohio Heat enjoyed a perfect tuneup for the championship game in the Classic at the Lakes tournament, throwing their third no-hitter of the year in an 11-0 run-rule victory over the Cutter Redlegs in a semifinal matchup.  It was the Heat's seventh shutout of the year and featured the fine pitching and solid defense that has been the hallmark of this team all season.

The Heat jumped to an early 3-0 lead when Josh Harrison walked, Winston Owens was hit by a pitch and Ronnie Allen singled to drive in a run.  Maguire Stinson then doubled to left center to drive in two more and give the Heat a lead they would never relinquish.

Ronnie Allen proceeded to shut the Redlegs down with a little help from his friends.  The first Redleg batter was cut down on a slow roller to third that Winston charged across the diamond to field, then was aided by a fine stretch by Joseph Cooney to assure the putout.  Parker Kling then made a fine, sliding catch on a looping liner to center for the inning's final out.

The Heat added four more in the second on a walk to Zach Holliday, followed by a line shot single to right by Trent Rosenbeck.  Zach scored on Josh's hard grounder to short.  Then, with two out, Joseph singled, Winston and Ronnie walked and Jefferson singled, reulting in three more runs and a comfortable 7-0 lead.

The boys added four more in the fourth for an 11-0 lead - enough for a run-rule victory if they could hold the Redlegs in the their final at bat.  Winston got thisngs started with a single.  Then, after Ronnie was hit by a pitch, Jefferson knocked an RBI single, followed by a two-run line shot up the middle by Parker.  Zach Holliday drove in the final run on a double - a double that was the reult of Zach's hustle as he never hesitated from the moment he left home plate.  The damage could have been worse as the boys loaded the bases, but Josh's solid line drive was snagged by the Redleg shortstop to end the inning.

The Redlegs threatened to deny the Heat a shutout, and perhaps the run-rule victory, when they put men on second and third with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but jefferson came on in relief to get the final two batters to help secure Ronnie's shutout and move the Heat into the tournament final, where they will play the Northern Kentucky Red Sox.  This will be a grudge match, as the Heat seek to avenge Saturday night's loss and take home their first tournament championship.  The boys have looked progressively sharper each of the last two games, so it would appear the Red Sox will have a game on their hands.  They'd be wise not to underestimate their opponents.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

A little more than 9-1/2 hours after dropping a late night affair, the Ohio Heat, working on about six hours sleep, took another step toward their first tournament championship by defeating the Kectucky Bucs 6-2 in the first round of elimination play at the Classic at the Lakes tourney.

The Heat grabbed an early 1-0 lead on first-inning singles by Josh Harrison and Joseph Cooney, followed by and error off the bat of Ronnie Allen.  That score would hold through 3-1/2 innings as pitcher Maguire Stinson held the Bucs scoreless through three.

The Heat added two more in the bottom of the third on singles be Zach Holliday, Josh Harrison, Joseph Cooney and Ronnie Allen, with a Winston Owens walk thrown in for good measure to start the inning.  It looked as though the boys were ready to bust loose with the bases loaded and no outs, but the mood of the inning changed when Jefferson Szydlowski hammered a foul off his ankle for stike two and took several minutes to return to the plate.  The runner at first was then promptly picked off for out number one, Jefferson swung at strike three and the following hitter also K'd to end the threat.

The Bucs broke through for two of their own in the fourth on a triple sandwiched between two singles, cutting the Heat's lead to a lone run, 3-2.  But the Heat gained those back, and then some, scoring three in their half of the inning on a couple of errors, a couple of walks and a two-run single by Joseph Cooney.

The Bucs cut the lead to 6-3 in the fifth, but that would be all they would muster as Winston kept them off balance, shutting them down in the sixth to preserve the victory.

While it was not a dominating effort, given the late night, the long drives back-and-forth and the early start, it was a solid performance that moved the Heat into the semi-final round. We now await to see who our next opponent will be.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat lost a late - and much delayed - second round game to the Northern Kentucky Red Sox by a score of 10-0 at the Classic at the Lakes tournament in Northern Kentucky, in what was perhaps their least-inspired outing of the season.  The Heat sent the minimum twelve men to the plate over four innings in suffering their only shutout of the year, avoiding a no-hit perfect game thanks to a third-inning single by Maguire Stinson.  But Maguire was shot down trying to steal, turning the inning into just another 1-2-3 inning for the Red Sox.

The Sox, on the other hand, had no such difficulties at the plate as their first five batters reached base safely, scoring four times before a batter was retired.  In fact, the only batter to make an out in the inning was retired on a leaping catch of a line drive by shortstop Jefferson Szydlowski.  The other two outs came on a pickoff and a runner caught stealing by Zach Holliday.

The score remained 4-0 until the bottom of the third, when the Red Sox added three more to take a 7-0 lead.  They then ended the affair when they added three more in the fourth to ensure the run-rule victory.

It was a disappointing end to a late day, but perhaps the boys will get the opportunity to turn the tables as has been done to them in past tournaments if they get another shot at the Sox.  There's some work to be done before that can happen, but these boys are entirely capable of pulling it off.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

One would think that a 17-1 laugher would inspire tales of grand offensive prowess, but the Ohio Heat's victory by just such a score over the Northern Kentucky Impact at the Classic at the Lakes Tournament was instead a tale of patience and attrition as the Heat racked up those seventeen runs on just six hits.

For a while, it looked as though this one might be a squeaker as the Heat scored a lone run in the second on a walk and an error to eek out a 1-0 lead.  Meanwhile, Winston Owens was his usual, efficient self on the mound, setting down all nine batters he faced, including a 1-2-3 second where he struck out the side.  The first of those K victims was so baffled by Winston's knuckleball that he ducked and backed away, only to listen to the umpire call strike three.

The Heat finally blew the game open in the top of the third, scoring seven times on four walks (Dylan Fry, Joseph Cooney, Winston and Will Hack), a hit batsman (Trent Rosenbeck - who sported a bruise with baseball seams on his back the next day), a couple of errors, a single by Parker Kling and a double to left by Josh Harrison.

They added nine more in the fourth with a bit more firepower, as walks to Trent, Winston, Ronnie Allen, Shayne Rice and Dylan  weresanwiched around singles by Zach Holliday, Josh, Joseph and Will and a double by Jefferson Szydlowski.

The Heat just missed out on tossing their seventh shutout of the season despite an unusual 1-3-5 double play on the bottom of the fourth (with the man on first running on the pitch, pitcher Dylan Fry fielded a grounder and got the batter at first.  Maguire Stinson then gunned across the diamond to get the runner trying to advance to third.  The next batter reached on an error, however, and scored on a subsequent single.  Still, it was another stellar pitching performance by the Heat, as Winston, Jefferson and Dylan allowed no earned runs.

Despite the lopsided score, one can expect that the offense will need to take a more active role if the Heat hope to win this championship, as it's hard to imagine they'll be the beneficiaries of such generous pitching and fielding going forward.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

It may take longer to write this recap than it took the Cincinnati Riverbats to defeat the Ohio Heat by a score of 2-1 Wednesday night at WCBC.  The game, which took all of an hour and five minutes to complete, began promisingly enough as the Heat put men on second and third with one out in the first, thanks to two Riverbat errors, but two quick outs left them stranded.  The boys broke through for a run in the second after Maguire Stinson set the Riverbats down in 1-2-3 fashion, scoring on a Parker Kling bunt single, a Dylan Fry sacrifice bunt and an RBI single by Maguire to left.  But that would be it for the Heat offense the rest of the way, save for an infield single by Jefferson Szydlowski in the top of the fourth.

The Riverbats scored their two runs in the bottom of the third after being one strike away from going down 1-2-3 for the third straight inning.  From then on it was a pitcher's duel, and given they had the lead, that was to the Riverbats advantage.  The lone highlights of any sort - other than Maguire's solid pitching - came on yet another man cut down stealing by Zach Holliday and a nice unassisted putout on a hard groundball to his right by first baseman Joseph Cooney.

There is not much else to say, which is probably appropriate for a quick, well-played game that could have gone either way between two solid, evenly-matched teams.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Anyone who just finished the two hour-or-so trek home from Indianapolis with an Ohio Heat player in tow knows there is no joy in Heatville this day following the 15-2 thrashing at the hands of the Indiana Mustangs in the semifinal found of the Elite Invitational Tournament.  It is difficult to put a pretty face on this one as the Mustangs burst out of the gate with six runs before the Heat had a chance to send a man to the plate.  The tone was set from the get-go as the first batter ripped a line shot into left that eluded a diving Jefferson Szydlowski's glove by maybe three inches.  The next man tripled to center, beating the relay throw to third by fractions of a second.  The third batter landed a catchable ball safely into left.  An argument could be made that a few inches this way or that could have resulted in a 1-2-3 inning, but that would be unfair to the Mustangs, who hit the ball solidly and out-of-reach.  Such is the game of baseball.

Meanwhile, the Heat batters ran into a lefthanded buzzsaw that Coach Scott Harrison called the best pitcher he has seen at this level.  The numbers back him up: four hits allowed all season, no runs in his previous eighteen innings.  The Mustang hurler would see to it that there would be no comeback this day.  Still, the Heat were able to touch him up for a run in the third on singles by Shayne Rice, Zach Holliday and Joseph Cooney.  That's more than his previous opponents could claim, as little consolation as that may be.

It should also be noted that Shayne, who came on in relief, seemed determined to win this one himself, making excellent defensive plays on the mound, maintaining his determination and composure despite the Mustang onslaught (and as slow rollers turned into base hits and bouncers found their way into the outfield), and rapping the aforementioned base hit.  One man can't do it all, but he was the epitome of the Heat's attitude all weekend.

Which brings us to an important point to keep in mind.  We should not let this game overshadow what was another excellent weekend of baseball by the Ohio Heat.  In the four games leading up to the semifinal they produced a hard-fought 3-2 victory, a 15-1 laugher and two come-from-behind wins to earn the number one seed entering the championship round.  They combined hitting, pitching and defense that belied their age, making some forget that these young men are still eleven years old.  Most of all, they played with heart and determination throughout.  One game does not negate what this team accomplished over the weekend.  If we learned anything this weekend, it is that one should never count out the Ohio Heat.  They may be disappointed by the outcome, but have every reason to be proud of their accomplishments.  I know their coaches and parents are.  Good job, men.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

It has been my responsibility to carry the team's first-aid kit this season, but it has been Teresa Rosenbeck's responsibility to keep it stocked.  Well, Teresa, you may want to find us a defibrillator after this one, lest we turn a boy or two into orphans. I'm not sure the parents can take many more like this as the Ohio Heat scored eight times over the final two innings to rally from a six run deficit to secure a 9-8 victory over the Indiana Irish in the final game of pool play in the Elite Invitational tournament.  Holy-moly, what a finish.

It did not start out well for the Heat, as the only runner to reach base in the first did so on a catcher's interference call.  It got uglier as the Irish scored four times in the bottom of the first, appearing to take early control of both momentum and the game.  The parental wise-cracking of the day before - heck, the half-inning before, when the bleacher moms were displaying their cheerleading skills, splits and all - suddenly gave way to what one mom described as prayer.

Will Hack provided an early answer to those prayers, and shook the Heat from their initial shock as he topped off his recent extra-base tear with the Heat's first home run in two years - a rocket shot that cleared the wall in left in no time flat to cut the deficit to 4-1.

That score held through the bottom half of the inning, helped in part by an outstanding play on a bunt by catcher Ronnie Allen, who jumped out to grab the ball and spun to nail the runner on a bang-bang play at first.

The Irish would score three more in the third to increase their lead to 7-1, but the damage could have been much worse were it not for two consecutive outfield assists on putouts at home - the first by Dylan Fry from left, the second by Will Hack from right - to end the inning.

That set the stage for the beginning of the biggest Heat comeback of the year.  It began in the fourth with a Winston Owens walk.  Winston was erased on a controversial 9-6 (rightfielder-to-shortstop) fielder's choice.  It was a play that even the opposing coaches thought the man in blue had gotten wrong.  It was also a play that threatened to empty both the Heat dugout and cheering section as the umpire was none-too-pleased with our righteous protests.

But while turmoil swirled all about them, the boys went about their business.  Jefferson Szydlowski walked and Parker Kling reached base on a bunt single to load the bases.  Maguire Stinson and Dylan Fry both followed with run-producing walks to cut the Irish lead to 7-3.  Trent Rosenbeck then fouled several pitches off before knocking a grounder to second that was first booted, then thrown away, to allow two more runs to score and close the gap to two.

The Heat returned to bat in the top of the fifth after shutting down the Irish.  With the tournament time limit now in play, this would be the Heat's final chance to close the gap.  It did not start out well as the first two batsmen went down quietly.  But then Joseph Cooney reached base on an infield single, barely beating the throw from a hard-charging shortstop.  Winston then looped an RBI single to center that was just out of reach of the Irish shortstop.  Ronnie and Jefferson followed with walks to load the bases.

What came next was a play that initially had Heat fans raving about the coaching staff's brilliance and, dare I say it, cajones. With the Heat down to their last out and the tying run at third base, Ronnie wandered far enough off second to prompt a pickoff attempt.  During the ensuing run-down, Winston bolted for home with the tying run before the Irish could attempt the putout of Ronnie at third - except the putout failed, putting the go ahead run a mere seventy feet away.  Now, I said the play initially had Heat fans raving about the coaching ploy, but as it turns out, the coaching staff had nothing to do with it.  Whether the result was Ronnie's intention shall remain a mystery, but the reaction of the Heat players certainly shall not.  The dugout erupted in exhultation of the new life they'd just snatched from their opponents.  It was a life they would not squander.

With the Irish clearly rattled, Will and Parker promptly walked to force in the go-ahead run and Maguire laced a line shot off the pitcher for an insurance run-producing single - a run that would prove to be the game-winner.

With fans now holding their breath (or pacing furiously and looking to be in need of that defibrillator mentioned earlier), the Heat proceeded to walk the leadoff batter, putting the tying run at the plate.  Joseph, who was now pitching, caught the runner leaning and had him picked off, but the Irish runner just beat the throw to second.  The next batter then laced a liner that appeared headed for right, but Maguire made a leaping snag at first for the first out.  The next batter then produced an RBI single to cut the lead to one.  With the tying run on and the winning run at the plate, Shayne Rice snagged a hard shot at second and fired from his knees for the second out.  Joseph then induced a comebacker to the mound and coolly tossed to first to secure the dramatic win.

This was a win the boys have been working towards all season.  They had a comeback thwarted on a play at the plate a few weeks ago, then produced a walkoff comeback win last week against the Weststars after trailing by one.  This time, they fell into a large, early hole, but never gave up.  It is clear these boys are learning how to win. And in the process, they may be learning just how good this team is.  How good? Very.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

It seems I may be a bit quick with the mobile updates during these tournaments, getting a few details wrong in the process.  In this case, I originally stated the Heat had rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the IBA Storm 11-4 in the third round of pool play in the Elite Invitation Tournament outside of Indianapolis.  Well, it was a 4-1 deficit.  Nonetheless, the Heat continued to display the never-say-die attitude that began with the walk-off victory last week against the Cincinnati Weststars.

The Heat jumped out to a 1-0 first inning lead on a walk to Joseph Cooney and a single by Winston Owens.  Joseph made the run possible when he was originally picked off first but did the right thing by running without hesitation to second, forcing the Storm to make a perfect play to get him - something they were unable to do, thus setting up Winston's RBI single. 

The Heat scored another run in the second, but not before the Storm had plated four runs on a single down the rightfield line, a little flare that landed safely, a walk, a seeing-eye single up the middle, an RBI groundout and an infield hit.  Hardly an onslaught, but a four-run rally nonetheless.  The Heat scored their run with a similar lack of fireworks as Parker reached first on a bunt single, Maguire walked and Dylan Fry produced a run-scoring groundout of his own.

The Heat held the Storm scoreless in the third, thanks in part to Zach Holliday's pickoff of a Storm runner at second.  That set the stage for the Heat's game-changing rally in the bottom half of the inning.

Josh Harrison got things rolling when his leadoff drive to left landed safely on the turf.  Winston then got his second RBI of the game with another single.  Jefferson Szydlowski then followed an intentional walk to Ronnie Allen with a line shot to right to score another run.  Will Hack drove in two more with a solid double to left center.  Will would eventually score on a passed ball and Parker Kling, who walked, would come home on a solid single to center by Maguire Stinson.  When the dust had settled, the Heat had scored six runs for a 8-4 lead they would not relinquish.

The Storm would load the bases in the fourth but would not score as Shayne Rice fooled a Storm batter with a nasty changeup and got the final out on a comebacker to the mound.  Defense and pitching shut the Storm down in the fifth, as Ronnie Allen made a beautiful play on a slow roller down the line, charging hard and firing to first for the first out. Winston, now on in relief, then had one of the prettiest strikeouts of the season.  The Storm batter pulled the first one foul down the leftfield line for strike one. He was then way behind on a Winston fastball, fouling it out of play off first.  By now he had to be wondering what would be coming next, but it appeared he was in no way expecting the wobbling knuckleball Winston served up, swatting at it as helplessly as one would a housefly in mid-flight for strike three.  The next man lined to first for the final out.

With the time limit now in play, the Heat needed to kill eight minute to ensure the Storm would not get another chance at bat and that is just what they did. Joseph Cooney started it off with a bunt single, followed by yet another RBI single by Winston, an error off the bat of Ronnie Allen, a hit batsman (Jefferson) and Will Hack's second twor-run double of the game at the eight minute mark to clinch it.

It was enough to leave the Heat fans in high spirits and rare form (and may have left one opposing coach inspecting for cougar scratches - don't ask, you don't want to know).  In any event, the victory ensured the Heat a place in the championship round and set up what is sure to be an interesting final day in Indy.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Where does one begin when notes for this game are peppered with comments on everything from martinis and makeout chips to little blue pills?  And people thought all the action was taking place on the field.  Oh, if they only knew.  Fortunately, our boys put on a display that outshone anything that took place off the field, handing the Indiana Diamond Dawgs a 15-1 run-rule defeat in the second game of pool play at the Elite Invitational Tournament in Westfield, Indiana on Saturday afternoon.

It took a while for the Heat to get rolling, despite Josh Harrison's leadoff triple to start the game.  Josh wound up stranded at third, as the Dawg's pitcher looked dominating in shutting down the threat.  It looked no better for the Heat in the second when the Dawg hurler was one pitch away from striking out the side.  But then Parker Kling drilled a two-strike pitch down the first base line for a double and the rout was on. By the time the Heat were done, Maguire Stinson, Dylan Fry, Trent Rosenbeck, Shayne Rice and Zach Holliday had all singled and the boys had taken a 4-0 lead.

The Heat defense took over in the bottom half of the second as Shayne Rice charged a slow roller at second and made a quick shovel toss to first for the putout.  Parker then snagged a flyball to left center, nearly colliding with an equally determined Dylan Fry in the process.  After a walk to the third batter of the inning, Will Hack then decided to make things interesting as he teased the Diamond Dawgs by allowing a looping ball to right to fall for a single, then promptly fired a one-hop strike to Zach at home to nail the runner trying to score from second.  Those in the stands surmised that it was all about the "pub", since a routine catch gets no notice, but a putout at the plate is another story.

It was then time to put the game away, with the Heat scoring six times in the third on a single by Joseph Cooney, a walk to Winston Owens, a single to left by Ronnie Allen, a double to left-center by Jefferson Szydlowski, walks to Will and Parker, a run-scoring error off the bat of Dylan, a fielder's choice from Trent that included a throwing error by the catcher that allowed two more runs to score and a line shot off the pitcher by Shayne Rice.  When all was said and done, the Heat had a 10-0 lead and control of the game.

The Heat added another run following a 1-2-3 inning by pitcher Ronnie Allen when Josh singled to left and worked his way around the bases to score on a passed ball.  Jefferson, now pitching in relief of Ronnie, then put together another 1-2-3 inning, aided by Zach Holliday's second successful shutdown of a steal attempt in as many games.

The run-rule victory was secured in the fifth as four more runs crossed the plate on a single to left by Parker, an error off the bat of Maguire, walks to Dylan and Trent, a two-run single by Shayne, a single by Zach to load the bases and a ground ball by Joseph that drove in a run and left all runners safe when the second baseman's attempt to force the runner at second found no one covering the bag.

The boys almost pulled off their seventh shutout of the season, nailing one runner at home on a passed ball, then barely missing a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded that would have ended the game. But the runner barely beat the throw from second, allowing the Dawg's only run of the game to cross the plate.  The next batter popped up harmlessly to Joseph at first, however, and the Heat gladly recorded the 15-1 victory.

With the action on the field completed, there were two hours to kill before game two.  They say an idle mind is the devil's workshop.  We knew the boys would be fine.  The only question remaining was whether their parents would follow suit. With this crew, one never knows.  Stay tuned.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat played near flawless ball behind the efficient and gutsy pithing of Maguire Stinson in as fine a game as one is likely to see between 11-year olds, knocking off the Granger Cubs 3-2 in the Elite Invitational Tournament opener outside of Indianapolis Friday night.  Pitching and defense were the order of the day, as the Cubs outhit the Heat 5-2, but were unable to capitalize on their opportunities thanks to the Heat glovemen.

The Heat scratched their way to an early 2-0 after a couple of walks to Josh Harrison and Ronnie Allen and a stolen base put runners at first and third with two out.  Josh scored the first run after inducing a wild throw to third by the Cubs catcher, which also allowed Ronnie to move to third.  Then, with an 0-2 count, Jefferson Szydlowski sat back on a change-up and drove one into right center for a run-scoring single.

The score would remain that way until the fourth, as Maguire Stinson mowed down the Cubs with cool efficiency, including a four-pitch 1-2-3 second inning.  He got some help in the third, when Trent Rosenbeck's backhand of a hard one-hopper to second rendered the single that followed harmless.  

The Cubs cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth, but the Heat came right back with a run of their own on a walk to Winston Owens and a double to deep left off the bat of Will Hack to run the score to 3-1.  A walk and double allowed the Cubs to close within one once more in the fifth, but that would be as close as they would get as the Heat gloves took over in the sixth.

Clinging to a one-run lead, Maguire gave up a leadoff single to start the sixth, but with the top of the order coming up, catcher Zach Holliday immediately nullified the threat by nailing the runner at second on an attempted steal.  The next batter then rifled a shot right back at the mound which caught Maguire on the heel of his glove hand.  Maguire made the throw to first, then winced in pain as his brain had time to process what had just transpired.

A team meeting then took place on the mound as Coach Ron checked on the Heat hurler.  Shouts of determination - and a supportive tug on Maguire's jersey by thirdbaseman Ronnie Allen - followed the brief confab where Maguire insisted that he wanted to finish it out.  He tried, but had to give way to Ronnie after walking the next batter on a full count.  Ronnie got the final Cub to ground out to first and the win was in the bag.

There is lots of ball left to be played, but this well-played one-run victory is a nice way to start the weekend.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

What the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the National League Cincinnati Weststars lacked in beauty, the nightcap made up for in perfection as Winston Owens and Jefferson Szydlowski combined to toss a perfect game en route to a 14-0, four-inning run-rule victory at WCBC.  In the process, the Heat had more men cross the plate than the Weststars had step up to it (14 runs for the Heat, 12 batters for the Weststars).  Though there have been other contests that might merit consideration, it was quite likely the finest combination of hitting, fielding and pitching the Heat have put together all season.

The Heat jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first on solid singles by Joseph Cooney and Winston Owens.  Joseph scored on Winston's single and Winston proceeded to score on a passed ball.  As it would turn out, that would be all the scoring the Heat would need, though it was far from all the scoring the Heat would produce.

That 2-0 lead held through two as Winston mowed down the first six Weststars he faced, with some help from Will Hack, who made a sliding, grass-top catch in right for the first out of the second inning. The Heat then had the first of two innings where they batted around the lineup, scoring five runs in the top of the third to take a 7-0 lead. Winston began the rally with a bad-hop single to short.  It was as if the baseball gods were providing justice to Winston, who'd been robbed of base hits twice in game one by the Weststars third baseman.  Ronnie Allen and Jefferson Szydlowski followed with walks to load the bases. Unlike the second inning, when the Heat loaded them up but failed to score, Will Hack saw to it there'd be no such shenanigans as he doubled to left to drive in two. After a walk to Josh Harrison re-loaded the bases, Maguire Stinson drove in the third run of the inning on a grounder to second.  Trent Rosenbeck loaded the bases for the third time in the inning with another walk and Zach Holliday promptly unloaded them with a two-run single to finish the scoring.

Winston finished his three perfect innings on the mound, again with some defensive help - this time from Dylan Fry, who made a rolling catch on a sinking liner to left.

That brought the boys back to the plate to do what the fans in the stands were praying they would do - score enough runs to gain a run-rule victory and allow the shivering masses to head home for hot soup, hot showers or anything else that might warm their souls.  The boys did not disappoint.  Winston started things off with an infield single.  Ronnie then singled to center and Jefferson reached base on an error to load the bases yet again.  Will Hack singled to bring home the inning's first run.  After the second out was made, the floodgates then opened as Maguire singled to drive in two, Trent walked, Zach singled (driving in the all-important twelfth run, making him the fans' hero of the day), followed by two more run-scoring singles by Dylan and Joseph to finish the seven run outburst and make the score 14-0.

It was then up to Jefferson to wrap up the win in what would normally be a pretty pressure-free situation, but with a perfect game on the line there as a bit more at stake.  After he got the first batter on a come-backer to the mound, Josh Harrison proceeded to save the perfect game with a running, shoe-string catch of a sinking liner heading through the hole at short.  Maguire then sealed the deal with an unassisted putout at first.

This was the sixth shutout that Heat pitchers have tossed thus far this season, and the second no-hitter.  It couldn't have come at a better time, as the boys are entering a stretch of important league games and big tournaments.  It appears they are more than ready for the task at hand.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The game may have been as pretty as the weather, which is to say not very, but the dramatic ending made up for it all as the Heat came from behind to secure a two-out, walk-off 5-4 victory against the Cincinnati Weststars National unit on a cold, gray, blustery day at the West Chester Baseball Complex.

Since this reporter was pressed into score-keeping duty for this game and had to surrender the scorebook immediately thereafter - and because keeping score makes it impossible to see the forest for the trees - the details are a little hazy on this one.  Suffice it to say that the Heat had broken an early 1-1 tie to take a 3-1 lead into the sixth behind the solid pitching of Shayne Rice, but gave it all back and them some when they allowed the Weststars to score three in the top of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead.  It was a strange inning where the Weststars collected just a lone hit, but benefited from a questionable steal of second, a dropped third strike and a balk, among other oddities, to cobble together their three-run rally.

Despite all that, the boys remained unfazed as they came back to the dugout amidst shouts of "C'mon, we've got this!" and "Who wants to hit!?!" (prompting refrains of "I do! I do!").  Somewhere, someone added, "Hey, we need to win this one for Tyler, too."  Whatever the source of inpiration, it's the type of determination that's been quietly building amongst this team over the past several weeks and today it paid off.  Dylan Fry began the rally when he laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line for a one-out single.  Then, with two out, the Weststars surprisingly walked Winston Owens intentionally to put the winning run on first.  It was an odd move, given that with two out, Winston had to score in order for the Heat to win. But who are we to complain.  Ronnie Allen proved the folly of the move as he ripped a ball to deep left that just glanced off a diving leftfielder's glove for a solid two-run, game-winning RBI double.  As the boys mobbed Ronnie in a bouncing mass of humanity in the middle of the infield, all that had gone on before was tossed aside.  The Heat had proved their mettle - and won one for Tyler, too.

Whatever one might think of the first five and one-half innings of this game, that final frame could well turn out to be the spark these boys have been looking for.  The competition going forward would be wise to be wary of the Heat.  They're a team on a mission.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Perhaps the most incredible stat from the Ohio Heat's 8-0 victory over the Dayton Dodgers on an ideal baseball evening at WCBC came after Maguire Stinson completed his four innings of shutout ball and it was determined that my pitch count for Maguire perfectly matched that of Charlie Harrison, to whom Coach Ron had wisely assigned the task of backing up my potentially ADHD-addled scoring. 

That astounding feat aside, the boys set the tone from the get-go, as five of the first six Heat hitters scored in staking Maguire to a 5-0 lead before he even took the mound.  Parker Kling, appearing in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, began the rally with a walk and scored on Joseph Cooney's single.  Joseph proceeded to steal second and third, then came home on Ronnie Allen's sacrifice fly to left.  With the bases emptied, Jefferson Szydlowski began the second round of scoring with a single to left and scored when Will Hack reached base on an error at third.  Josh Harrison brought Will home with a double to the gap in right and Maguire closed out the scoring with a single to left to plate Josh.

The Dodgers promptly put men on second and third with no outs in their half of the first, but Maguire induced three consecutive popouts to the left side of the infield to end the threat.  After the Heat went down 1-2-3 in the second, Maguire worked out of a bases-loaded jam, getting the final out on a grounder to second, to keep the score at 5-0.

The Heat extended their lead to 6-0 in the third on singles by Jefferson and Will and a run-scoring groundout by Josh.  They added two more in the fourth on a walk to Parker, a fielders choice off the bat of Joseph that left everyone safe when the secondbaseman tried to force the lead runner, an RBI single by Ronnie and a run-scoring groundout by Jefferson.

After that, it was all pitching, as Maguire set the Dodgers down 1-2-3 in the fourth and Shayne Rice set down all six men he faced on just fifteen pitches to seal the shutout and the victory for the Heat.

All-in-all a solid victory by the Heat, albeit a relatively quiet one, given that about half the moms were in Chicago on a boondoggle of some sort.  They better be careful, lest the more superstitious among us begin sending them on out-of-town journeys whenever game day comes along.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

As fans exited the Mason Sports Park Wednesday evening, a few expressed anticipation of the commentary that might follow what turned out to be an extraordinarily tight and controversial 7-6 loss to the Cincinnati Riverdawgs.  Well, I'm afraid there might be some disappointment.  For one, I am not one to dwell on officiating.  I've seen every manner of good and bad over the years and the conclusion I've reached is that it's as much a part of the game as a ball between a shortstop's legs (yes, we had one of those tonight) or a line drive to the fence (we had one of those, too).  It happens.  What matters - more than what happened - is the reaction. And my tendency is to react the way I would hope my kid would, which is to let it go.

But the far more important reason not to dwell on the calls tonight is that doing so would take attention away from what can only be described as the gutsiest, most determined comeback of the year by the Ohio Heat.  And that would be a sin.  It may have come up a hair's breadth short, but these young men are growing up before our eyes, and we saw that in spades this evening. With five outs to go, they were down by six and to be quite honest, could have easily packed it in. But they did not.  Instead, Will Hack stepped up to the plate and promptly drilled a shot to the wall 260 feet away.  Ronnie Allen, who had singled earlier, had long since scored by the time Will made his headfirst slide into third for an RBI triple.  Josh Harrison followed with a line shot up the middle to score Will, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

Dylan Fry then came on in relief, charged with holding the Riverdawgs and giving the Heat a chance to win it in the sixth.  He did so with flying colors.  He first induced a slow roller to third, upon which Will made a textbook charge and throw to first for the first out.  The next batter also grounded to third and this time it was Joseph Cooney who provided the fielding lesson, making a classic backhand scoop on a throw in the dirt.  Dylan, apparently tiring of the defensive theatrics, then struck out the final Dawg to give the Heat the opportunity they were seeking.  They did everything within their power to seize it.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Parker Kling worked the count to 3-2, fouling several pitches off along the way, before knocking a single to center. Then, with the Heat down to their final out, Joseph ripped a shot off the pitcher that allowed Parker to score and Joseph to reach base safely.  Winston Owens was then hit squarely by a pitch and Ronnie Allen singled to load the bases.  With the score now 7-4, Jefferson Szydlowski rapped a two-run single to center to cut the Riverdawg lead to one.  Up stepped Will Hack with the tying run on third and the winning run on first.  With the Heat dugout in a raucous state and fans pleading for "one just like last time", the Riverdawg pitcher proceeded to throw one in the dirt that scooted away from the catcher.  Ronnie broke for home and looked to have the tag beaten as he began his slide.  But when the dust cleared, the umpire stood directly over home plate with his right thumb pointing skyward.  And that was the ballgame.

In a perfect world, Ronnie scores, Will finishes his stellar day with a game-winning single and all is right with the cosmos.  In our less satisfying, though no less perfect world, Ronnie is called out, the air fills with a collective groan of disappointment and the lasting impression that all present take home of the Ohio Heat is that of a team that gives its all to the very end.

That is what I saw.  That is what I'll remember.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The title game of the Midwest Ohio League Nations Baseball tournament was the Ohio Heat's thirteenth game of the season and it proved to be an unlucky one as the Springboro Destroyers lived up to their name, dashing the Heat's tourney title hopes 8-3.  It was a game that was figuratively within the Heat's grasp, but balls literally just out of reach turned out to be their downfall in a championship-worthy affair that saw both teams play a taut, low-scoring game through five innings.

Maguire Stinson tossed another excellent game for the Heat, working out of an early jam when he nailed the lead runner on a force at third for the second out of the first inning, followed by a strikeout to end the threat.  He then went on to shut the door on the Destroyers through three.  He got some help from second baseman Shayne Rice, who ranged far to his left to flag down a grounder heading toward rightfield to end the second.

The Heat took a slim one run lead in the third when Will Hack drilled a double into the corner in left, then scored on Josh Harrison's poke to right.  The Destroyers came back to tie it an inning later on a walk and single, but Shayne, on in relief, got the final out on a sinking liner that was snagged by shortstop Jefferson Szydlowski.

The 1-1 tie did not last long as the Heat manufactured a run in the bottom of the fourth when Dylan Fry walked, stole second, moved to third on a balk and scored on a check-swing grounder by Winston Owens.  Ronnie Allen and Jefferson both singled, but were stranded when the Destroyers leftfielder recovered from a near misplay of a flyball to make the catch, leaving the score 2-1.

The Destroyers took a 3-2 lead in the fifth, with the go-ahead run coming on a strikeout that bounced in the dirt. Ronnie made an excellent scoop on the ball, but was forced to throw to first to record the putout. That gave the runner on third an opportunity to come home and he just beat the throw back home to give Springboro the lead.

The Heat threatened again in their half of the frame when Shayne walked and Will drilled a single to center, but Josh's roller down the third base line kicked right into the third baseman's glove and the first baseman's stretch (one that would have left me unable to walk for a week) was just enough to retire Josh racing down the line.

That brought up the Destroyers, who proved what a game of inches baseball can be.  As a light rain became more steady, their leadoff batter sent a bouncer that just eluded a diving Trent Rosenbeck at second.  The next two batters reached on shots that glanced off outstretched gloves. The fourth reached on a grounder just fractions of an inch beyond a diving Jefferson at short.  After a fielders choice and a brief rain delay - and with the Heat demonstrating a not-so-quiet determination to stop the rally - the next batter was intentionally walked to set up a force at any base.  But with the infield drawn in, the next batter lifted a soft liner that just cleared a leaping Jefferson to drive in the fifth run of the inning.  Reliever Joseph Cooney then snagged a popup back to the mound and doubled the runner off second to end the inning.

The Heat were not done, however, as Joseph started a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth with a solid single to left-center.  Winston then rapped a single to right-center and Ronnie drove in a run with an infield hit, but a flyball to center ended the rally and the Heat title hopes.

A game of inches.  Had any of those sixth-inning Destroyer hits been an inch or two in another direction, they are outs. If the inning-ending double play comes earlier, no damage done.  But that is baseball.  It's part of why we love the game, even as it breaks our hearts.  It's also why we know that there is always tomorrow.  The ball may have bounced against us today, but with the determination these young men showed today and the talent they have shown all season long, those breaks will come our way.  Until then, boys, keep diving, keep leaping, keep working.  It makes you champions, whatever the score.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat's 8-0 run rule victory over the Northwest Drillers in the semifinal round of the Midwest Ohio League Nations Baseball tournament was precisely the type of baseball the boys should play all the time.  There's something about jumping out to a three run first-inning lead that allows the defense to relax, the pitching to dominate and puts the bleacher moms in rare form (well, maybe not that rare).

Today, it was Zach Holliday who set the tone early when he fired a strike to Trent Rosenbeck at second, who put the tag on the Drillers' leadoff hitter attempting to steal second.  Only two more Drillers would reach base the rest of the day as Winston Owens held them hitless and walkless until giving up a solitary double in the top of the fifth.

The bottom half of the first was noteworthy, if for no other reason than Winston Owens, who has been on fire all season long, made an out.  But even so, his groundball drove in Dylan Fry with the game's first run.  Ronnie Allen then followed with a line shot to center to drive in Joseph Cooney, who had walked earlier.  Jefferson Szydlowski capped off the first-inning rally with a run-scoring double to right center.

The Heat threatened again in the second after Winston had set the Drillers down 1-2-3, loading the bases on two errors and a walk, but Dylan's solid drive to left landed safely in the left-fielder's glove to end the inning.  Another solid inning by Winston, which included three strikeouts, brought the Heat back to the plate, wherein they quickly added another run on a single by Winston and a run-scoring error off the bat of Ronnie Allen.

Meanwhile, the scene in the stands stood in stark contrast to the Heat's quiet professionalism on the field, as discussion swirled around undergarments, exploding biscuit cans and a new koozie design sure to revolutionize Spring Break for generations to come.  In fact, if one were to report solely on what takes place off the field, this might become the most popular destination on the web.  I'm just not sure the boys would be allowed to read it. Might make a good fundraiser, however.

But back to baseball.  As all this was going on, Winston continued to mow down the Drillers, retiring six of the last seven he faced, the aforementioned double being the only blemish on an otherwise perfect final two innings.

Winston's work completed, the Heat dispatched the Drillers with an efficient four run, fifth-inning rally that saw all six Heat batters reach base safely.  Parker Kling opened with a walk, followed by an infield single by Dylan. Joseph then crushed a double to right center to score two. Winston singled in Joseph to make the score 7-0. Then, after Ronnie singled to put two men on, Jefferson ripped a shot through the first baseman's legs to bring home the game-clinching run.  It was a rally that all would be wise to remember whenever the Heat find themselves in a hole.  In all, it was an enjoyable and entertaining display that even a little rain couldn't dampen.  And had the run-rule not kicked in, who knows how many might have scored that final inning.  There will come a time when we all find out.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Ohio Heat earned the top seed in the championship round of the Midwest Ohio League Nations Baseball Qualifier with a solid 5-2 victory over the Springboro Destroyers on a cool, damp Saturday at Action Sports Center in Dayton.  Ronnie Allen sealed the deal with a dominating six inning complete game performance on the mound, backed by some stellar defense along the way.

The Heat flashed their gloves early, with Parker Kling denying extra bases to Springboro's second batter of the game with a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch of a flyball to deep straightaway center. Three batters later it was Trent Rosenbeck's turn, as he made a leaping catch on a blooper behind first that seemed destined to land safely in short right field. The two plays were instrumental in holding the Destroyers to a lone run in the first. 

It was a run the Heat promptly matched, thanks to one of the most impressive hits of the season, courtesy of Winston Owens.  With Dylan Fry in scoring position, Winston put on a clinic as far as handling an off-speed pitcher, the likes of which have frustrated Heat hitters of late. He locked and loaded as the pitcher delivered, then patiently waited for the ball to make its way into the hitting zone before unleashing a solid shot up the middle to drive in the tying run.  From the perspective of this observer, it was a thing of beauty.

Meanwhile, Ronnie kept the Destroyers at bay with a little help from his friends.  In the second, that help came from Shayne Rice, who began a double play on a soft line drive that threatened to find its way over his outstretched glove at second base. The two-for-one helped set Springboro down 1-2-3.

Springboro retook a one-run lead in the third, but were thwarted in stretching that lead thanks to Josh Hamilton's throw that nailed the Destroyers' batter at first after a run-scoring shot to right.  The Heat then took the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning on walks to Josh and Parker, a run-scoring fielders choice by Joseph Cooney and what is coming to be a routine double by Winston to deep left.

Ronnie enjoyed another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, with a little help from Dylan Fry, who brought Heat fans to their feet with a dramatic, sliding grass-top catch of a sinking liner to left for the third out.  Dylan's smile as he came off the field was matched by fans and teammates alike as the Heat held onto their slim 3-2 lead.

That lead was immediately extended to 4-2 as Jefferson Szydlowski singled to left, advanced to third and scored on a Maguire Stinson grounder in the bottom of the fourth.  The Heat finished the scoring in the fifth with perhaps the prettiest scoring play of the day.  With Josh Harrison and Will Hack on second and third, respectively, the Destroyers drew their infield in to cut off the run at the plate.  But Will was off and running as soon as Parker Kling's chopper hit the ground, allowing him to score the Heat's fifth and final run with a headfirst slide just under the tag following the throw from second.

From then on it was the Ronnie Allen show. Ronnie, who had told Coach Ron after the fourth that he "wanted to finish it," dispatched the first Destroyer on a groundball back to the mound.  Then with a light rain falling and two strikes on batter number two, Ronnie calmly asked for a dry ball from the umpire. With his hat pulled low over his eyes, Ronnie peered in, looking as though he fully intended to blow a fastball past the hitter for strike three. Instead, he pulled the trigger and tossed a nasty changeup that left the Destroyer tied up in knots. And just like that, there were two outs.  Ronnie then proceeded to knock out the final batter, appropriately, on a called third strike. 

Thanks to their 2-0 record in the round-robin portion of the tournament and their stingy combination of pitching and defense, the Heat earned the top seed and set up their Sunday matchup for a shot at the title.  Again, it's time to watch the skies and hope Mother Nature cooperates, for baseball like this is fun to watch.  I'm sure all involved will sound like the immortal Ernie Banks on Sunday, with his famous exhortation, "Let's play two!"

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

It took Winston Owens all of eight pitches to let the Ohio Heat faithful know there'd be no drama this night as he set down the Northwest Drillers 1-2-3, including two strikeouts, in the first inning en route to a 9-1 Heat victory in the opener of the Midwest Ohio Baseball League Nations Qualifier Tournament at the Action Sports Center in Dayton.  There would be no topsy-turvy, back-and-forth nonsense thanks to timely hitting and solid pitching, with the Heat scoring in four of their five turns at bat.

Joseph Cooney started the hitting attack with a solid double over the left-fielder's head in the bottom of the first.  Successive singles by Winston and Ronnie Allen helped put the Heat up 2-0 at the end of one.  The Drillers would score their lone run in the top of the second to cut the lead in half, but the Heat broke it open with four runs of their own in the third, thanks to a leadoff walk by Trent Rosenbeck, a Parker Kling bunt single and a Dylan Fry walk to load the bases.  Joseph followed with a single to left just past a diving Driller shortstop to drive in the third Heat run.  Winston then cleared the bases with a double to deep left field that put the Heat in control by a score of 6-1.

It was then up to Maguire Stinson, who had come on in relief in the top of the third, to shut the door - and shut it he did, facing just twelve batters in three innings of shutout ball.  Meanwhile, the Heat bats continued to put runs on the board. In the fourth, Maguire walked, Zach Holliday singled and Will Hack hit the lights out of the ball on a sacrifice fly (literally, as the lights went out just as courtesy runner Jefferson Szydlowski was sliding into home).  Shayne Rice followed with an RBI single to put the Heat up 8-1.  It should be noted that Trent Rosenbeck, apparently having had enough of opposing defenders robbing him of base hits, lined one into left that no one would have a chance to get a glove on.  Though Trent would not score, it was fitting justice for a man who'd been denied so often.

Friday night also marked the season debut of Josh Harrison, returning from his broken wrist, and Josh made his presence felt with a fine running catch of a flyball down the right field line in the top of the second.  It was one of several solid plays by the Heat, including a putout at third following a fly to Parker in center and another running catch by Will Hack on the line in right.  Afterwards, Will said he thought he might have to dive for the ball, but as they say, the best defenders make the tough plays look easy and that's what Will did.

The Heat closed out the scoring in the fifth as Parker singled, Dylan walked and Joseph secured what I suppose might be considered the game-winning RBI as his fielders choice drove in the ninth Heat run of the night, securing a run rule margin of victory.  All that's left now is to hope the skies clear and the rain holds off so the boys can pursue a tournament championship.  With that, it's off to check the radar.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Perhaps the finest moment in a game filled with fine moments came afterwards as Shayne Rice, who pitched five solid innings, went around telling his teammates to keep their chins up.  Shayne is absolutely correct, for while the result may not have been what the team or their edge-of-their-seat fans were hoping for, the effort and never-say-die attitude displayed in the 8-7, seven-inning loss to the Butler County Bombers was the type that can set the tone for an entire season.

It was a topsy-turvy affair, with the lead being relinquished or changing hands seven times during the course of the game. After a quiet first inning, highlighted by Shayne's 360-rollover and toss to first on a one-hopper to his left, the game remained scoreless.  The Bombers were able to take a 2-0 lead in the second on a rally that began with a drive down the line in deep right that just eluded a diving Will Hack.  They proceeded to load the bases with a run in and no outs, but Will would make the Bombers pay when he flagged down a fly to right center and fired home to Zach Holliday, who quickly fired to Ronnie Allen at third to double up the runner trying to advance from second and quickly stop the Bomber momentum.  Shayne then induced a soft liner that was flagged down by Jefferson Szydlowski behind second base to end the inning.

It was then the Heat's turn, as they scored two in the third following walks to Maguire Stinson and Trent Rosenbeck and a perfect bunt that left the Bombers no chance to catch the speedy Parker Kling at first to load the bases.  Dylan Fry then launched a sacrifice fly to drive in the first Heat run, followed by the first of two clutch RBI singles by Joseph Cooney to tie the score 2-2.

The Bombers quickly reclaimed a one-run lead in the bottom of the third, but two outstanding plays by Trent at second base prevented further damage as he first made a barehand grab and throw to get a bang-bang out at first and then made a sliding stab on a hard shot to his left that he turned into an easy out at first.

The Heat then grabbed their first lead of the night on a hitless two-run rally in the fourth, when Winston Owens walked, Ronnie got hit by a pitch and Jefferson reached base safely on a sacrifice bunt, with a run scoring on an error on the play (footnote - it was a bunt which post-game interviews revealed was a career first. Hmmm.).  Maguire then plated the second run when the Bomber second baseman lost the handle on Maguire's grounder up the middle, putting the Heat up 4-3.

The score would remain that way until the bottom of the sixth, when the Bombers began the inning with an infield single.  But here is where the Heat demonstrated how determined they were to take this one.  Will Hack made a spectacular sprawling over-the-shoulder catch of a drive deep down the right field line. Joseph then just missed an all-out diving attempt on a popup off first base.  The next batter singled to tie the score, but a strikeout by Ronnie and a nice over-the-shoulder catch by Joseph sent the game into extra innings (for the more football/basketball-minded, that would be the technical baseball term for overtime).

Again, the Heat were not to be denied.  Maguire, quickly becoming the base-on-balls king (they must fear him), led off with his second walk of the game.  He advanced to second on Shayne’s perfect sacrifice bunt, then after two more walks to Trent and Dylan, came home on Joseph's RBI single to left.  Winston capped off the Heat scoring, driving in two more runs when the right fielder trapped his flare to right, giving the Heat what looked to be a comfortable 7-4 lead.  But it was not to be, as the Bombers were able to tie the score on a bad-hop single to center that bounded past a hard-charging Parker in the bottom of the seventh.  It was a strange play all around as the Bombers thought they had won the game, prompting the runner on second to leave the base, resulting in a putout. The play appeared to reinvigorate the never-say-die Heat, but, alas, the Bombers would get the last word this night.

It was then that Shayne made his rounds, encouraging his teammates to keep their chins up. And well they should, for this was a hard-fought, well-played game against a tough opponent.  Were it not for a couple of look-what-I-found catches by the opposition or a bad hop that turned a harmless single into a two run double, this game would have been ours. But that is baseball.  The best thing is that there will be another game, and with the attitude displayed this evening, it won't matter which way the breaks go - good things are going to happen.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Well, this has turned into one difficult recap to put together, so suffice it to say that the Heat hitting attack was much like the weather today - it looked like it should have been hotter than it actually was as the Heat fell 6-3 to the Cincinnati Mustangs at the White Oak K of C fields Saturday morning. Shayne Rice did yeoman's work on the mound, pitching well enough to put the Heat in position to win, but fielding miscues allowed two runs to score in the second and another in the fourth. And therein lies the margin of victory.

The Heat were able to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the third on the basis of one of Winston Owens' two hits on the day, which followed two walks, an overthrow on a steal attempt and a dropped third strike that allowed the runner to reach first.  But that would be the extent of the offense for this day.  You know it's a tough day at the plate when the hardest hit balls of the day all result in outs (Winston, Will Hack).

Meanwhile, the Mustang bats weren't much hotter, except that they seemed to find holes. Their winning rally came on a couple of walks, a bunt single and a seeing-eye single through the hole on the right side to make the score 6-3.  Joseph Cooney, who came on with the bases loaded and no outs, was able to shut the door by starting the second 1-2-3 double play the Heat have turned in a week and inducing a groundout to second. But by then the Heat's fate was sealed as they were unable to score in the top of the sixth, despite Winston Owens' second hit of the day to lead off the inning.

Boys, if you are reading this, you should know that you have all the talent you need to win any game you play.  I've seen teams with far less talent come from behind again and again.  You are going to do that one of these days and once you do, there will be no stopping you.  And what you'll find is that those come-from-behind victories are so much fun that it won't bother you to be behind, because winning will be that much sweeter.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

It may seem strange that I was too busy keeping score to keep track of what was going on tonight, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I do know two things, however - the Heat defeated the Cincinnati Force 11-6 in the first game at their new digs at the West Chester Baseball Complex AND Dylan Fry can dance.

Other than that, the couple of things that stuck out on the baseball front were the Heat's three run rally in the second that began with four straight walks to force in a run (no pun intended) and a rocket to the wall in left by Winston Owens in the third.  Ronnie Allen also launched a shot that landed over a sprawling centerfielder's head.

Those fireworks aside, the highlight of the evening came in the top of the sixth, when with the light fading, the Force bounced a chopper back up the middle.  Dylan, who was pitching, appeared to field it cleanly as no ball was seen squirting away. But instead of making the easy throw to first, Dylan began what looked like, well, I'm not quite sure what it looked like. He spun left, he spun right, then began wiggling and patting himself as though, as one teammate later described it, "he had a spider in his shirt."  Except it was no spider, it was the ball.  And in a ruling that probably sent several people Googling when they got home, the umpire awarded everyone two bases. [Editor's note - the rules do award two bases for any ball that gets stuck in the fence, shrubbery, vines or scoreboard, but there appears to be no mention of players' clothing. Looks like we're breaking new ground here].

As this is not Dancing With The Stars, there will be no score from the judges for Dylan's performance.  We do know the final score, however, which improved the Heat's season record to 5-2 - and that's the only one that matters.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The worst part of losing the championship game of any tournament - aside from the loss itself - is that all the good that led to that moment can get lost in the disappointment.  Well, we should not let that happen.  Despite the Ohio Heat's 11-1 defeat at the hands of the hosting South Dayton Braves in the final of their Preseason Classic, the Heat put on a veritable baseball clinic in getting themselves in a position to win the championship.  First, and foremost, was their stellar combination of pitching and defense throughout the tournament.  In the four games prior to the finale, the Heat gave up a total of two runs in twenty innings.  The first three games - fourteen innings in all - were shutouts.  Not only is that astounding, such things do not happen by accident. It takes a total team contribution - and that is what we saw this weekend.

Unlike offense, where a handful of players may be able to carry a team for a day or two, it takes near flawless play from everyone on the field to shut teams down for four straight games as the Heat just did.  Pitchers threw strikes and fielders made plays.  Whether it was Parker Kling flagging down fly ball after fly ball in center or Joseph Cooney stretching to make tough throws to first look routine, Zach Holliday gunning down runner after runner trying to steal (literally) or Will Hack nailing batters at first with throws from right, the Heat did things both big and small in securing a place in the final. And of course, we can't forget our pitchers.  Will, Joseph, Winston Owens, Maguire Stinson, Ronnie Allen, Shayne Rice and Jefferson Szydlowski all had stellar outings during the course of the tournament.  Winston and Joseph even combined for a no-hitter.  Our pitchers threw strikes and the men behind them made the plays. And none of this even mentions our offense, which outscored the opposition by a total of 35-13 over the course of the tournament.  If this weekend proved anything, it is that the Ohio Heat are a force to be reckoned with in the season ahead.

Of course, none of this lessens the disappointment that was evident in the boys faces following Sunday's tournament loss.  But disappointment should not be confused with discouragment.  These boys played outstanding baseball over the course of the weekend.  Yes, they may not have taken home the trophy this time, but they should know after this weekend's performance that they are championship material.  All they have to do is believe.  There is no reason they shouldn't.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Heat finally gave up a run - two, in fact - in the South Dayton Braves Preseason Classic and it proved to be their undoing as they fell to the Braves by a score of 2-1 in a game that had little consequence, save for home field advantage in the final.  Those runs, one in the second inning and one that gave the Braves a walk-off victory in the sixth, followed fifteen shutout innings by Heat pitchers to open the tournament.  Unfortunately, the Heat bats fell silent after the 17-0 thrashing handed out earlier in the day to the Cincinnati WestStars, leaving them no margin for error.

The early run notwithstanding, it could have been much worse, as the Braves loaded the bases with one out in the second.  But Jefferson Szydlowski threw all of two pitches in relief to end the threat, starting a 1-2-3 (pitcher to catcher to first) double play to end the threat.  The Heat then tied the score in the top of the third when Dylan Fry followed singles to right by Zach Holliday and Shane Rice with a ground ball to short that scored Zach on the throw to first.

The 1-1 score would hold despite a threat by the Braves in the fifth, when they advanced a runner to third. But a bang-bang play courtesy of a hustling Shane Rice on a slow roller to the right side, followed by a quick shovel toss to first from his knees, got the third out to end the inning.

After the Heat went down quietly in the top of the sixth, the Braves were able to ice the win with a walk and two infield squibblers.  Disappointing, but hardly a rally that takes anything away from the Heat's tournament pitching performance.  All it did was give the Braves bragging rights and home field advantage in the finale.  It's now time to make sure it means nothing more.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Just when it seemed the Ohio Heat pitching could get no more dominating, Winston Owens and Joseph Cooney combined for a no-hitter in the Heat's 17-0 defeat of the Cincinnati Weststars in the third round of the South Dayton Braves Preseason Classic.  In the process, the Heat extended their scoreless pitching streak to fifteen innings, continuing an amazing run of baseball by one heckuva a baseball team.

Catcher Zach Holliday set the tone early in this one when he nailed a Weststar runner trying to take third in the top of the first.  That small threat averted, it was time for the offense to take over - and did it ever, sending eleven men to the plate and scoring seven. Dylan Fry, Ronnie Allen, Winston Owens, Maguire Stinson, Will Hack, Jefferson Szydlowski and Parker Kling all reached base safely before an out was made. Joseph and Zach each added RBI singles to finish the scoring in the first.

The Heat added four more in the second on a line single to right by Ronnie, followed by some defensive miscues by the Weststars on a line drive to third by Winston, a fly to left by Will, a drive to deep center by Jefferson and a liner to second by Parker.

Six more runs crossed the plate in the third, but I can't make heads nor tails of my notes, so you'll just have to trust me - they scored six to make the score 17-0.

Meanwile, Winston efficiently mowed down the Weststars for three innings, allowing just a couple of measly walks.  Joseph then came on in the fourth to close it down, securing not only the victory and the no-hitter, but a place in the tourney final as well.

The Heat have played outstanding baseball through three games of the tournament, outscoring the opposition by a combined score of 34-0.  That's the type of performance that should instill fear in the opposition and confidence in our boys. This team is loaded from top to bottom - and they have an excellent player waiting to come off the disabled list.  This is going to be a fun year. Enjoy it, boys.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Expectations for the 2010 season ran high when the Ohio Heat officially added four players to the roster during the offseason (Maguire Stinson technically joined the team in late 2009). And as we saw today, the expectations were well-placed, as two of the new additions helped shut down the highly-respected defending tournament champion Butler County Bombers by a score of 3-0 in a tight, well-played second round game in the 2010 South Dayton Braves Preseason Classic.

Maguire and fellow newcomer Ronnie Allen led the way, pitching three shutout innings each in the showdown between National League heavyweights.  Maguire set the tone with a quick 1-2-3 first inning, with a little help from Will Hack, who had another in what is becoming his trademark RF assist on a putout at first base.

The Heat scored the game's three runs in the bottom half of the first as Ronnie singled and scored on a close play at the plate following a Winston Owens single.  Maguire then reached first on a throwing error by the Bomber shortstop. After Will was retired on a bang-bang play at first, Jefferson Szydlowski lined a single up the middle to drive Ronnie in with the second run.  The final tally came on a Texas-leaguer, better known today as a flare, off the bat of Parker Kling to short right field.

From that point forward, it was all pitching and defense, though the Heat threatened again in the second by loading the bases. The Bombers, however, avoided any damage when their shortstop snagged a line drive ripped by Winston for the final out.

Zach Holliday helped thwart a Bomber threat in the fourth when he threw out a runner attempting to steal second.  Trent Rosenbeck, meanwhile, proved to be the hard-luck kid this day as he repeatedly ripped shots to the outifeld, only to be denied by the Bomber defense, the last time coming on a sliding catch by the Bomber's centerfielder to end the Heat fourth. The law of averages dictates that these will have to start falling in at some point.

A new tradition may have been born in the fifth when Shayne Rice stepped to the plate amidst strains of "Rice, Rice, Baby" emanating from the dugout.  The boys appear to be one-hit wonders - musically, that is - as they seemed to have no follow-up when the next batter, Dylan Fry, came to the plate. Of course, there are plenty of Bob Dylan songs to choose from, though I suspect there are few Dylan afficianados on the roster.  But I digress.

The bottom of the sixth belonged to Ronnie Allen, who KO'd the first two batters, including one on a nasty change-up.  The final out, wrapping up the second shoutout of the day and extending the Heat's scoreless inning streak to eleven innings dating back to last Tuesday, came on a flyball to Parker in center.

Given that seeding for the championship round will be determined by wins, head-to-head match-ups, runs allowed and runs scored, the day could not have gone any better for the Heat.  To be sure, there is still much work to do and nothing should be taken for granted.  But for now, let us all revel in a day of outstanding baseball.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Ohio Heat 11U pitchers set the tone in their four inning 14-0 run rule victory over the Mason Dyanamite in the opening game of the South Dayton Braves Preseason Classic.  Shayne Rice threw three scoreless innings in his Heat pitching debut, capped off by a called third strike on a changeup that left the final batter Shayne faced, to use the words of the immortal Ernie Harwell, "standing there like the house by the side of the road."  Will Hack then closed the Dynamite down without incident to secure the shutout.  They were helped along the way by solid defense, including a nice catch on a tricky, sinking line drive by Trent Rosenbeck at second base to end the third inning.

Meanwhile, it took a while for the Heat offense to get rolling, scoring a lone run in the second with the help of a couple Mason miscues, including a flyball off the centerfielder's glove, a dropped popup and an overthrow on a bunt.  No matter, the run counted and put the Heat up 1-0. 

The score would remain that way until the top of the fourth, when the dam broke loose and this reporter, quite honestly, lost track of all the action.  Suffice it to say that the eighteen men the Heat sent to the plate - and the thirteen who crossed it - were enough to cement the victory.  Among the highlights were doubles by Joseph Cooney and Will Hack, but much of the scoring came with an assist by the opponent's defense.  But as they say, put the ball in play and good things will happen.  We saw that today as batter after batter put the ball in play and good things continued to happen.  Parker Kling was the exception that proved the rule, however, as the Dynamite centerfielder made a nice sliding catch on Parker's shot to right-center to mercifully end the big inning.

All-in-all, a good start to what would turn out to be a stellar day for the Ohio Heat.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

Proving the adage that good teams find a way to win, the Ohio Heat did just that in their season opener, slipping past the Cincinnati Bulldogs Fairfield unit by a score of 6-3 Tuesday night at Waterworks Park.  While the victory may not have provided the offensive fireworks some envisioned during the runup to the opener, the Heat displayed something that may prove to be more valuable in the days and weeks ahead - heart. 

Finding themselves in an early 2-0 hole, the boys began their comeback in the bottom of the second when they manufactured a run to cut the deficit to 2-1. Maguire Stinson began the mini-rally when he singled down the line in left. Winston Owens followed with a sharp line drive to straight-away center - so sharp in fact, that the Bulldogs were able to get the force on Maguire at second. After advancing to second, Winston moved to third on a balk and scored on a passed ball.  Perhaps not the kind of rally that makes the highlight reel, but it got the Heat on the board.  Ronnie Allen then shut down the Bulldogs with a 1-2-3 third inning.

That set the table for a strange at-bat for the Heat, when they loaded the bases with no outs but were unable to score.  The key play in that inning was an odd double-play that would have required an instantaneous and encyclopedic knowledge of the baseball rulebook to avoid.  It was one of those moments that can decide a game, not so much because of the lost opportunity, but because of the toll it can take on a team's attitude.  But the boys proved their mettle, and then some.

Rather than hang their heads, the Heat turned a double-play of their own - the first of three in consecutive innings - in the top of the fourth when Shayne Rice snagged a line drive at second and alertly fired to Winston to double up the Bulldog runner at third.  That threat averted, the Heat then put the game away with four runs in the bottom half of the frame.  Again, these were manufactured runs, all generated without a ball leaving the infield.  Maguire and Winston walked, Will Hack drove in the tying run on an infield single, Zach Holliday reached first following a passed ball on a strikeout to load the bases, and Shayne plated two runners when the Bulldog second baseman's throw sailed past the first baseman. Shayne eventually scored on another passed ball to put the Heat up 5-2.

The Bulldogs threatened in the top of the fifth, putting runners on second and third with no outs, but then came what would be (if this were the Reds) the Frisch's Big Boy Big Play of the Game.  The Bulldog batter launched a solid line drive into right center, but Parker Kling played it perfectly, positioning himself to step in to make the catch and rifle a throw to Ronnie Allen, who cut the ball off at the mound, wheeled and threw a strike to Zach, who put the tag on the runner coming in from third. And just like that, there were two outs and just one on (and for good measure, no one injured, unlike the similar play this past Saturday). Though the remaining runner would eventually score, the threat of a big inning was put to rest.

The Heat tacked on an insurance run in the fifth when Maguire singled through the hole at short to drive in Jefferson Szydlowski, who had walked to start the inning.  It was the Heat's only run of the evening that resulted from a clean hit that left the infield.  The Heat then shut the door on the Bulldogs with the help of their third double-play of the evening, this one on a popup to Ronnie at third that he followed with a quick throw to first to nab the runner who'd taken off for second. Joseph Cooney then induced a harmless groundball to short to ice the victory.

This is a game the boys should keep in mind going forward. Despite that O-fer with the bases loaded early in the game, they continued to play like winners and hence, the victory.  It is certain to be the first of many.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

In 1966, Notre Dame and Michigan State, ranked #1 and #2 in national football polls, played to a 10-10 tie.  Afterwards, when asked how he felt about the tie, MSU head coach Duffy Daugherty said, "It's like kissing your sister."  If that was the feeling following a game with national championship implications, then it is hard to get too worked up over a scrimmage between the Anderson Eagles and the Ohio Heat that ended with the same score on a muggy and at various times, rainy, sunny, hot, thundery afternoon at WCBC.

The regularly scheduled game became a scrimmage when the scheduled umpire could not show for understandable personal reasons.  As a result, the Heat used the outing to work on some of the areas that have needed attention, such as bunting, squeeze plays, the hit-and-run, etc.  And by and large, the boys executed those well (a hit-and-run call explained why Jefferson Szydlowski was congratulated by coaches following a weak grounder to short on a pitch that was high and outside - something that had left me scratching my head until it was explained later).  The scrimmage also allowed us to see Trent Rosenbeck take the mound for the first time this season, and he pitched well, including a 1-2-3 second inning.

Other highlights included two line shot doubles by Zach Holliday, one to the corner in left and another over the left fielder's head, a triple by Dylan Fry down the line in right and a putout at home on a passed ball when Will Hack hustled in from the mound to make the tag.

Still, when all was said and done -  and it took a while for all to be said and done (it took longer to complete the first three innings than it did to play a six inning game against the Riverbats a few weeks ago) - we had a 10-10 tie in a game that will not end up in the record books.  And that pretty much sums it up.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

[Editor's note - I will be recapping games throughout the season. While I will try to honestly convey what transpired, players will always be presented in a positive light and everyone will get their time in the spotlight. However, as was demonstrated tonight, I do not always catch everything (just ask Ron) and so, if I ever appear to neglect someone, trust me, it's only because I wasn't paying attention. That said...]

The much anticipated debut of the 2010 Ohio Heat 11U squad left no one disappointed after a solid 6-2 exhibition victory over the defending American League West Division champion Diamond Elite on a perfect baseball evening at Walter J. Long Field Thursday evening.  Yes, it was just a scrimmage, but after months of hard work and preparation, it was real baseball and it was just what the doctor ordered - for parents and players alike.

The Heat jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first when Dylan Fry scored on a Ronnie Allen single to right. Maguire Stinson then shut down the DE in the bottom half of the inning with eight straight strikes following one of the most successful mound confabs in memory.

The Heat proceeded to add four more runs in the second inning to take a commanding 5-0 lead before both teams settled in for a solid final 3-1/2 innings of baseball.  All four Heat pitchers turned in strong performances, with Joseph Cooney retiring the final two DE hitters with runners on second and third to seal the victory.

The boys now have one more tune-up this Saturday before the real work starts on Tuesday. Let the games begin.

Posted by Paul Szydlowski

The Cincinnati Reds just finished a twenty-eight game exhibition schedule to prepare for the regular season.  If it takes MLB players that long to get ready, it should surprise no one that there seemed to be a little rust when it came to the Heat bats in their second and final pre-season tune-up, this one against the Cincinnati Sluggers on Saturday.  The 7-4 loss turned on two plays - a wind-assisted three-run home run to left that proved to be the difference-maker and a play that promised to be the highlight of the day, but instead seemed to take the wind out of the boys' sails.

The play in question involved an inning-ending double play on a fly ball to Zach Holliday in right, who wasted no time in firing a strike to Ronnie Allen at the plate to nail the Sluggers' runner barreling in from third.  On a gutsy play, Ronnie held onto the ball and made the tag despite a hard slide by the runner that injured Ronnie's knee and knocked him out of the game.  The excitement of the moment quickly gave way to concern as the Heat catcher lay on the field in obvious pain.  The boys never appeared to regain their swagger after that injury.

All-in-all, the Heat played good, fundamental baseball on the mound and in the field. And given that they hadn't faced live pitching until their Wednesday practice three days earlier, we can expect that the hitting will do nothing but improve going forward.  That's not to say there weren't bright moments at the plate, most notably Will Hack, who ripped solid line drive singles his first two times up. 

In a week, this will all be forgotten (both because the regular season will have begun and because that's when this write-up will drop off the home page). Then we'll be into real games - and that's when the real fun starts.

[Footnote - late word on Ronnie is that he has a bruised knee and should be fine after a few days rest. Here's to a speedy recovery.]

Posted by Paul Szydlowski