May 20, 2000

The Senecas come out charging

By Dave Feltner
Sports Editor

NORTH ROBINSON &emdash; The conversation floating around the Crestline seating area during the third inning of Friday's district final centered around which Bulldog would pitch in next week's regional semifinal.

Apparently, they never heard about Calvert's previous tournament game, when the Senecas came back from a 5-0 deficit to punch out Sandusky St. Mary's.

Sure enough, Calvert found itself in another hole, this one a 6-0 chasm against Crestline in the district finals.

And sure enough, despite the overzealous prophecies of some, the Senecas came charging. Robbie Ritzler, Joe Harvey and Bart Fisher hit home runs to bring Calvert back once again, this time to post a 12-7 victory and earn a berth in the school's third consecutive regional tournament.

The comeback was such a shock that Crestline coach Jon Smith was in tears after the game.

"Put this in the newspaper," Smith told reporters. "I've got a hell of a team; I blew the game. That's all I have to say."

As the emotional Smith walked away he added, "Oh, and give that (Dustyn) Risner kid a lot of credit. He pitched a heck of a game. He didn't get rattled at all."

Smith had grounds to be stunned. By all means Risner should have been rattled.

The Calvert pitcher had set himself up to be the goat in the second inning, when with two outs he allowed five consecutive Bulldogs to reach base.

With Jason Goddard at first, Risner walked Brandon Ronk and Marcus Hafner to load the bases.

Ryan Hale followed with a two-run single before leadoff hitter Jon Hatfield socked a three-run homer. Brett Higgins doubled after that, but Risner struck out Kevin Phillips to end the inning after surrendering five runs.

Things got worse for Risner in the third when he dropped a pop up that would have ended the inning. That gaffe led to Crestline's sixth run, but Risner kept his cool.

"All my life I've been working on (keeping my composure)," the Calvert senior said. "Coach (Bob) Boes and I got into a discussion about it, and we talked about how you can't lose your composure out here. No matter how many times I screw up, or anybody else screws up, you just have to pat 'em on the back and say 'Go get the next one.'

"You drop a pop up and give up six runs, sure it's going to be frustrating," he said. "But you can't let your emotions get to you."

After throwing 50 pitches in the first two innings (34 in the second), Risner tied down the loose ends and allowed just two hits the rest of the way.

The temptation to yank Risner was there, but Calvert coach Rick Demith refused to take the bait.

"He gave up runs, but you can't go get him," Demith said. "I didn't think about taking him out until the fifth inning. I told him we have our lefty out there, but the game was his. If he got in trouble it was his to finish. If he wants it, go get it. This is the third straight year he's pitched in the district final, so he's doesn't get shaken up."

It got to be Risner's game thanks to some bashing by the Calvert offense.

The Senecas stranded four runners in the first two innings, but finally got to Philliips, the Crestline starter, in the third.

Eric Lee walked and stole second to start the inning, and hustled to third on Risner's ground out. Then Lee scored Calvert's first run on a single by Jon Raitz.

Bart Fisher worked a two-out walk, and Tim Brodman drove in the second run with a single through the left side.

Robbie Ritzler followed with the big blow of the inning, a three-run homer over the left-field fence to shave the deficit to 6-5.

"They got ticked," Demith said. "The mood of our team was that they were upset because that wasn't us out there. That wasn't our team; that wasn't what we're about. They got upset. And once you get these guys upset they go. And it's fun to watch."

Crestline (19-9) answered with a run in the top of the fourth to make it 7-5, but the Senecas (15-8) delivered a pair of knock-out punches in the bottom of the inning.

Fittingly, Risner started the rally when he laced a two-out single to left. Raitz followed with his second hit of the game, and Harvey knocked out Phillips with a towering homer to left-center to give the Senecas an 8-7 advantage.

Hatfield came on to spell Phillips, but didn't fare any better. The first batter he faced, Bart Fisher, crushed a homer nearly identical to Harvey's for a two-run cushion.

"I just needed to make up for the last time I was up," Harvey said. "I was a little upset at myself for striking out. I needed a little vindication because I've struggled here the last couple of years. I needed to break out of it, and it was the perfect situation. It put us on top.

"He threw me a curve ball the first time, and it had me fooled," he said. "Then he brought it back to same spot, but he didn't fool me that time."

The Senecas plated three insurance runs in the sixth and the rest was up to Risner.

Although the Calvert starter threw 119 pitches, his strongest innings were the sixth and seventh when he retired all six batters he faced. Risner struck out eight, walked four and allowed seven hits.

Raitz and Brodman both had three hits for Calvert, while Fisher and Ritzler had two apiece. Lee was the only Seneca not to record a base hit, but he walked twice and stole two bases.

"I was a little concerned," admitted Risner. "Down six runs, I was wondering what was going on. But I knew five or six runs wouldn't win this game. I knew I our guys would come through."

It may have been a stunner Crestline. For Calvert ... well, it's just old hat.