Canfield trounces Avon to win Little League Minors state title

NORTH CANTON — For three weeks the Avon 11u Little League All-Stars were on top of the world. Thursday that world came crashing down. After making its way through the championship bracket without allowing a run in their first three games, Avon didn't have an answer for its counterpart from Canfield with the championship on the line. Canfield won the day's first game 14-3 in five innings to force a winner-take-all game for the Ohio Little League Minors (ages 9-11) state championship. Canfield picked up where it left off in the first game, scoring six runs in each of the first two innings on its way to a 12-0 four-inning win to claim the state title at the Hoover Community Recreation Complex. "I told the boys it just wasn't our day," Avon coach Bill Fecht said. "We had the pitching we wanted. I tip my hat to Canfield, they play well and they hit our best pitching." On Tuesday, Avon defeated Canfield 2-0 and forced them into the consolation bracket. Brody Mihalic held Canfield scoreless and struck out five in 12/3 innings. Canfield figured out how to hit Mihalic on Thursday, scoring five runs in the second inning to take a 6-0 lead. Mihalic and Josh Myers, who came on in relief in the fifth inning, weren't helped by Avon's usually reliable defense committing six errors. "We made some uncharacteristic mistakes," Fecht said. "We haven't had games like that, but we tell the boys that happens in baseball. You just need to make sure you learn from it and take something positive from this." Avon's best chance to put itself in position to win a state title came in the third inning of Game 1 when it had turned five consecutive hits off the bats of Maclin Nelson, Blake Bernard, Julian Perniciaro, Mihalic and Easton Shubic into three runs that cut the Canfield lead in half. However, Avon was unable to inflict further damage against Canfield starter Luke Broderick, leaving two runners in scoring position to end the inning. Canfield put the game away in the fifth inning, scoring seven runs on six hits and a pair of Avon errors to take an 11-run lead and end the game due to the 10-run mercy rule. Both teams had just over 30 minutes to regroup and prepare for the winner-take-all game, but from the start Canfield showed it was in control. Canfield scored six times in the first inning and had a 12-0 lead before Avon had its first baserunner. "We felt the boys were pretty loose coming into today, they were in a good headspace," Fecht said. "It just didn't go our way." Avon loaded the bases in the second inning of Game 2 after a Mihalic single and a pair of walks, but were unable to score. The lone offensive highlight of the game for Avon came in the third inning when A.J. Malloy smashed a one-out double down the left-field line. Camden Brown tossed a complete game for Canfield, striking out three and scattering five hits. Perniciaro, who was one of Avon's aces throughout its District 7 championship run and in the early phases of the state tournament, started for Avon and allowed 10 runs in an inning plus of work. Fecht is hoping to keep most of the Avon All-Star team together for next year to make a run at the Little League World Series as 12-year-olds. "Everybody had fun, the families had a blast," he said. "We want to keep these guys together." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Canfield 14, Avon 3 (5) GAME ONE Canfield Avon ab r h bi ab r h bi Kellerman 3 0 1 2 Nelson 3 1 1 0 Abruzere 3 2 2 0 Bernard 1 1 1 1 Broderick 3 1 3 1 Perniciaro 2 1 1 0 Mshar 3 1 0 0 Mihalic 3 0 1 1 Vodhanel 3 1 2 2 Shubic 2 0 1 1 Toth 3 1 1 1 Myers 2 0 1 0 Klopta 3 2 0 0 Dorries 1 0 0 0 Ausmann 3 1 1 0 Fecht 1 0 0 0 Brown 3 1 1 1 Cutright 2 0 0 0 Petruska 3 2 2 2 Mittendorf 2 0 1 0 Richards 3 1 2 0 Laik 2 0 0 0 Dripps 2 1 0 1 Malloy 1 0 1 0 Totals 35 14 15 10 Total 22 3 8 3 Canfield 150 17 — 14 15 1 Avon 003 00 — 3 8 6 2B - Petruska Broderick. 3B - Vodhanel. LOB – Avon 10, Canfield 7. IP R ER H BB SO Canfield Borderick (W) 41/3 3 3 8 4 6 Toth 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 Avon Mihalic (L) 4* 11 4 12 2 3 Myers 1 3 2 3 1 0 * Mihalic pitched to four batters in fifth inning. Canfield 12, Avon 0 (4) GAME TWO Avon Canfield ab r h bi ab r h bi Nelson 2 0 0 0 Kellerman 1 2 2 1 Bernard 2 0 1 0 Abruzere 2 2 1 0 Perniciaro 2 0 1 0 Broderick 2 2 2 3 Mihalic 2 0 1 0 Mshar 2 1 1 1 Shubic 2 0 0 0 Vodhanel 1 1 1 1 Myers 2 0 0 0 Toth 2 2 2 3 Dorries 0 0 0 0 Klopta 2 0 1 1 Fecht 0 0 0 0 Ausmann 2 0 0 0 Cutright 1 0 0 0 Brown 1 0 0 0 Middendorf 1 0 0 0 Petruska 2 0 0 0 Malloy 1 0 1 0 Richards 2 1 1 0 Laik 1 0 1 0 Dripps 2 1 0 0 Totals 16 0 5 0 Total 21 12 11 12 Avon 000 0 — 0 5 1 Canfield 660 X — 12 11 1 2B - Malloy, Toth, Broderick. SB - Kellerman, Dripps. SAC - Mshar. LOB – Avon 6, Canfield 3. IP R ER H BB SO Avon Perniciaro (L) 1 10 9 8 2 1 Nelson 2 2 2 3 0 1 Canfield Brown (W) 4 0 0 5 2 3