May 27, 2000

Calvert licks the Skippers

By Dave Feltner
Sports Editor

ELYRIA &emdash; Signs posted by Fairport Harbor Harding fans at Ely Stadium Friday ranged from "It ain't over til Columbus," and "Only 172 miles to go," to "Blondes have more fun."

OK, the latter may be true, but the first two turned out to be wishful thinking, not bed sheet prophecies.

Calvert made sure of that when it put a 9-1 licking on the Skippers, the No. 2 team in the state, to advance to the Division IV regionals at 3 p.m. today against Southington Chalker.

It had been a festive week for Harding until they ran into the Senecas. Team members dyed their hair blonde, and fans were all set for a rematch with Chalker in the regional finals.

But in Calvert, the Skippers (16-4) faced a red-hot team on a mission.

"We're 15-8 and that's not a terrible record, but we're not proud of the fact that we have eight losses," Calvert coach Rick Demith said. "But at the beginning of the season these kids were burned out and they weren't focused. And since we came back from (spring) break I think we're 12-2. And those two games were weren't focused.

"But when this team is ready, and when this team is focused, you'd better come ready to play ball against us or you're going to be in trouble. Our record is getting better, but it still doesn't say what type of team we are."

Friday the Senecas showed they were a force that could dismantle a team with six .400 hitters and a pitching staff that gave up just one run in the district tournament.

Calvert pitcher Dustyn Risner (6-3) allowed just four hits, struck out three and the only run he gave up was unearned.

In typical Calvert tournament fashion, the Senecas fell behind 1-0 in the first after a two-out error led to John Zinnicker's RBI double.

But then the Senecas came bashing.

Robbie Ritzler blooped a one-out single to center to get things started in the second. Then Zinnicker, the Skipper starter, got wild. He walked No. 8 hitter Scott Frank, and then had to be pulled with a sore elbow after throwing three straight balls to Eric Puffenberger.

Jacob Hadde took over and threw a ball to Puffenberger to load the bases.

Lead-off hitter Eric Lee followed with a two-run single to get Calvert on the board, and Risner chased home Calvert's second run with a double to left field. Lee later came home on a wild pitch and Risner touched the plate when Hadde air-mailed a throw to first off a come-backer by Jon Raitz. That made it 5-1.

"We were pretty stunned," Harding coach Todd Karako said. "They got a couple flare hits, but they all look like line drives in the book. We threw that one away to kind of keep their momentum going. We just haven't had to face adversity like that too many times this year."

It went from bad to worse for the Skippers in the third. Tim Brodman walked to start the inning, and, after two were out, so did Puffenberger.

Lee then singled to right for his third RBI of the game, and Risner drove in his third run of the game on a chopper that made it through the middle of the infield, making it 8-1.

"I usually don't get to bat when people are on base,' Lee said. "But (in that situation) I had a job to do and I did it."

With a seven-run cushion in his pocket, Risner put it on cruise control.

After the third inning he allowed just two hits and retired the final 11 Skipper batters in order.

Pitching with a lead is something new for the Calvert ace. The Senecas trailed 5-0 in the district semifinals and 6-0 in the finals.

"That was wonderful," Risner said. "These guys came out and put some runs on the board in the second inning. It was nice to pitch with a lead for the first time in three tournament games.

"I pitch the same whether I'm down five runs or up five runs," he said. "That's been pretty successful for me all year so I just stick with it."

Joe Harvey iced the game when he blasted a solo homer over the left-field fence in the sixth inning. Harvey joined Lee, Risner and Bart Fisher with two hits apiece. Scott Frank also singled.

"Our nerves got to us and we were anxious in the beginning of the game," Demith said. "That's why we gave up the early run. But other than that we played flawless defense. It was nice to get a lead. That's what we've wanted to do all tournament long. And we did. Finally, we got a lead.

"Dustyn could concentrate on throwing strikes and coach (Bob) Boes called a hell of a game," he said. "He calls the pitches and I call the defenses, and he just called a hell of a game."

Mike Ondo, Kenny Rogers and Bret Hughes joined Zinnicker in the Skipper hit column.

"You win with pitching and you lose with pitching, but you can't take anything away from Calvert," Karako said. "They're one hell of a great team. They never quit and their bats never stopped."

So even though blondes may have more fun, on this day no one celebrated more than the Senecas.