Clarion 11-12 Year Olds Win District 25 Little League Baseball Title (07/10/14)
The Clarion Area Little League 11-12 year old All-Stars won the District 25 Championship by virtue of two victories over Butler Township. They traveled to Butler on Monday, June 30, for the winners bracket final and came away with a 9-2 win. The same two teams met in the Championship Game at Paul A. Weaver Park, on Thursday, July 3. This time Clarion was victorious by a 15-2 score.
Monica Goheen shared of recaps of both games. We begin with the Championship Game.
District 25 Championship Game
Clarion jumped out to an 8-0 first inning lead that they never relinquished to capture the District 25 championship.
Clarion was the visiting team by way of the coin toss.
Clarion 11-12 Year Olds proudly display the 2014 District 25 Championship Banner
Skylar Rhoades and Curvin Goheen each singled to start the game. Josh Craig drew a walk. Hayden Callen hit a comebacker to the mound which got Rhoades out at home but left the bases loaded. Ben Smith drew a bases loaded walk, then Nate Datko reached on an error which scored Craig and Callen. Cal German had an RBI single before Nick Frederick reached on an error that scored 2 more. Rhoades and Goheen each singled again , Goheen’s single plated runs number 7 &8 of the inning.
Hayden Callen got the start for Clarion and worked a scoreless 1st and 2nd inning. Clarion went scorless in the 2nd as well, but scored another run in the 3rd when Callen hit his first career home run.
Skylar Rhoads reaching 2nd base easily
Butler cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the 3rd when Hayden Wheeler’s one out double scored Kyle Weitzel who reached on an error. Callen recorded 2 groundouts to strand Wheeler at 2nd and Clarion took a 9-1 lead into the top of the 4th.
Clarion went scoreless in the 4th as did Butler.
Clarion scored one more in the top of the 5th when Rhodes led off with a Homer. Clarion was able to load the bases but never crossed the plate again when the inning with back to back pop outs.
District 25 Final – at Weaver Park “Guest” Clarion 15 – Butler Township 2
Butler showed life in the bottom of the 5th when Josh Bonetti, Weitzel, and Wheeler each singled. Wheeler’s plated Bonetti making the score 10-2. That was all they could muster as Callen induced 2 groundouts and a strikeout to end the Butler threat.
Clarion blew the game open in the top of the 6th. German and Frederick led off with back to back singles. German then scored on Rhoades 4th hit of the game. Frederick was plated a pitch later on Goheen’s 3rd hit of the game. Goheen and Rhoades were each plated when Josh Craig hammered a 1 strike pitch way over the left field fence to give Clarion a 15-2 advantage.
Callen took the mound in the bottom of the 6th and wasted no time. He induced a weak ground ball and collected strikeouts number 5 & 6 to end the game and give Clarion the 2014 District 25 championship.
District 25 Winners Bracket Final
Clarion traveled to Butler to play in the winner’s bracket final game June 30. Clarion was the home team by way of the coin toss.
Hayden Callen Started on the mound for Clarion and he worked a scoreless first inning striking out 1 batter.
(Photo by Monica Goheen) Conference during game at Butler
Curvin Goheen hit a 1 out double and Josh Craig drew a walk, but both runners were stranded when Butler starter John Piroch induced 2 ground balls to end the threat.
Callen started the 2nd inning by striking out the first 2 batters then was pulled due to pitch count restrictions. Skylar Rhoades entered the game and recorded a strikeout to end the Butler 2nd.
Clarion went in order in the 2nd as well and after 2 complete innings the game was scoreless.
Butler cracked the scoreboard in the top of the 3rd when Hayden Wheeler singled and was pushed to third with back to back walks. Rhoades then recorded a strikeout and picked the runner off of 2nd base, but Wheeler scored on the play. Rhoades then issued another walk and a single before giving way to Goheen. Goheen induced a groundout to end the frame and minimize the damage at 1-0.
Clarion responded in the home half of the 3rd by scoring 4 runs of their own. Lake Staub opened up the scoring by leading off with a home run. Josh Craig walked with 2 outs and Callen reached on an error. Ben Smith then hit a 3 run homer to right center to give Clarion a 4-1 lead at the game’s midpoint.
(Photo by Monica Goheen) Action during game at Butler
Goheen worked a perfect 4th and Clarion came back to the plate.
Nate Datko led off with a single and scored when Nick Frederick hit a 2 strike homer to left. Clarion could muster no more, but did have a 6-1 lead.
Goheen worked another scoreless inning in the 5th.
Clarion scored 3 more runs in the bottom of the 5th. Craig, Callen, and Smith each singled in succession. Cal German drew a RBI walk plating Craig and Datko reached on an error to score Callen and Smith. With 1 inning to go Clarion was up 9-1.
German came on in relief of Goheen. He surrendered a single to lead off the inning. After a passed ball and 2 groundouts, Butler scored its 2nd run. German then induced a game ending pop up to Craig at 2nd base to end the game 9-2.
(Thanks to Mrs. Goheen for these game recaps and photos. Congratulations 11-12 year old All-Stars!!!!)