Parma MSI Baseball

Game Recaps 2000

MSI Button Saturday, 8/5/00. Parma MSI began Championship Saturday in Winter Haven, Florida as the #2 seed from the American Division in the World Interntional Championship of the USSSA following their 2-1 record in pool play earlier in the week. In the intial contest of the day, MSI jumped out in front of the Dominicans on a Jim Lipinski single which scored Wilson James in the top of the first inning, 1-0. It was the first of two hits and RBI on the day for Lipinski. Parma added two additional tallies in the third inning on Jason Newcomb's first on two singles. That put the score at 3-0 and starter Luke Howard was coasting with a one-hit shutout through three. The trouble for Howard struck hard in the fourth as he faced seven Dominican hitters in the frame and was only able to retire one of them. Before the smoke had cleared, Howard had yielded six runs on five hits and left in favor of lefty Chris Keaton down 6-3. "We really could have rolled over and died right there after getting smacked hard with that six-run inning in the middle part of the game," stated Coach Pelka. "It was even more gloomy when we couldn't muster anything in the fifth. Give our guys credit though as they displayed a quality you don't find in many clubs - `the never say die attitude' which enabled us to rally on a couple of occasions." The long road back began in the sixth inning when Newcomb led off with a single. After the next two hitters were retired, Drew Saylor coaxed a walk, and Dave Brown singled to load the bases. Then Dan Painter singled home a pair to inch the Ohio club to within 6-5 as the inning ended. Nick Colagiovanni held the opponents at bay in the bottom of the sixth when he relieved Keaton and wriggled out of a two-on no-out jam with two grounders and a fly out to end the frame. The top of the seventh began on a positive note when Steve Conter and Chad Frk singled to put runners on second and third with no outs when the left fielder booted Frk's hit. Lipinski tied the game with a sac fly, but MSI was unable to push the winning run across and left two men on. Neither team threatened until the top of the ninth inning when with one out Steve Conter again was the catalyst when he singled and moved to second when Frk singled. Both runners moved up on a double steal. Lipinski was waked to load the bases and after a short fly to center registered the second out of the inning Josh Gaub cleared the sacks with a double to dead center over the outfielders head to give Parma a 9-6 lead. Things would not be easy in the home half of the ninth though as the Dominicans loaded the bases off Colagiovanni on a walk sandwiched between two infield errors with no outs. The MSI closer then buckled down and induced a double play grounder and a fly out to yield an unearned and advance the Parma to the title tilt against divisional foe, the Manatee Titans. Colagiovanni was the unsung hero tossing four innings giving up an unearned run and one hit while striking out a pair. The title contest was a rematch of Friday's barnburner won by Manatee, 8-6. Coach Pelka had saved Brian Karpel the undiputed ace of the staff for the contest against the left-handed dominated Titans. "We felt real comfortable matching up with Manatee with Karp on the hill," Pelka commented. "He has been a steady force for us all year long and we have played well enough down here to have a great chance in the game." Pelka would prove a prophet as MSI played one of their best games on the season from the opening pitch. Even though the Titans scratched out a run on a couple of infield singles and a sac fly Karpel looked in complete control. The confidence was apparent as MSI answered right back in the home half of the first. With two on and two out, Jason Newcomb smashed a two-run single to give Parma a lead they would never relenquish, 2-1. The Blue added three scores in the second on RBI singles by Wilson James and Chad Frk for a 5-1 lead. Both James and Frk had two hits in the game. Following a Manatee tally in third narrowed the gap to 5-2, MSI responded with two more runs in the fourth scoring on Frk's two-run double for a 7-2 cushion headed to the latter portion of the game. Once again the Titans wouldn't go away as the pecked away off Karpel for two runs to make the score 7-4 through four and a half innings. "This was what I feel was the key portion of the game", Pelka observed. "We turned a great double play started by Wilson James thru Steve Conter to Jim Lipinski which helped us dodge a major rally. Then we came back and scored one of our own to send a message that we aren't done scoring yet so just keep coming at us. The run we scored in the fifth inning broke their backs." That fifth inning run was a thing of beauty when Newcomb singled, moved to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run single by Greg Wisniewski and a hustle RBI by Dan Painter who beat out the back end of a double play by outruinning the relay throw from second for a 8-4 lead. Two Titan tallies in the sixth tightened things up again at 8-6 until MSI batted in their half. A bases-loaded single by Josh Gaub scored a pair and MSI headed to the seventh with a 10-6 lead. The stage was set for an astonishing finish. With Ron Natola on the hill in relief of Karpel, MSI turned in two magnificent defensive gems to retire the first two hitters of the inning. The leadoff man hit a bullet backup the middle which defected off Natola's foot to Conter who made a diving stop, recovered and threw out the runner. One out! The second hitter hit a looping-liner to left center which Dan Painter raced to the gap and made a diving catch fully-extended and parallel to the ground. Two outs! The final out came meekly as Natola got an infield pop-up to Wilson James to give Parma MSI their first USSSA World Championship. An ecstatic Pelka comments, "This is truly an exciting moment for our players, coaches, and the program. Each of us will be able to remember this for a lifetime. It was truly a team victory which mirrored our entire season. Everything we accomplished this season we did with everyone contributing day in and day out. Each game it was someone different which makes it that much more meaningful. My hats off to our players, Coach Kilburg, and their parents who made unbelieveable sacrifices for the past two months. I am so proud of all of them." The tournament accolades were abundant as Jason Newcomb was named the tourney MVP as he went 10-17 in the tourney and knocked in six runs. Wilson James was unanimously named the Best Defensive Player of the tourney and made amazing plays look routine throughout the week. Joining Newcomb on the all-tourney team was Steve Conter, Chad Frk, Jim Lipinski, and Nick Colagiovanni.
MSI Button Friday, 8/4/00. MSI advanced to the Championship bracket of pool play despite splitting a doubleheader in Winter Haven, Florida in the World International Travel Championships. Parma moves to the title round for games Saturday at 10:30 and 3:30 at Chain-o-Lakes Park. Game one saw the Buckeye club fall behind the Manatee Titans 5-1 as starter and loser Mike Johnston (7-3) was touched for eleven hits and five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings. Ron Natola relieved and got out of a bases-loaded no out jam in the sixth which was highlighted by a tremendous running catch in the left-field corner by Greg Wisniewski to end the threat. Offensively, MSI crawled to within 5-4 on an RBI double by Jason Newcomb and a two-run single by Josh Gaub. Gaub had three hits on the day, Chad Frk stroked two base-knocks, and Drew Saylor cracked two doubles (one RBI). Manatee pushed the lead out to 8-4 in the top of the seventh off of Natola and Nick Colagiovanni, but Parma came roaring back to close to the 8-6 final on run-scoring hits by Jim Lipinski and Wisniewski only to see the threat strand the tying runs on second and third base as the game ended. The second game against the Polk County Crew was a contrast in outcomes as this time MSI kept coming back and won the game, 5-4, on a RBI hit in the bottom of the seventh by Wisniewski scoring pinch-hitter Steve Conter who had doubled to lead off the bottom of the seventh. The game-winning single was the second hit and RBI of the night for the Brunswick native. He joined Newcomb with two hits in the nightcap. Polk County drew first blood off starter Chris Lang two hits sandwiching a wild pitch plated a run in the top of the first. MSI came roaring back on three consecutive hits by Wisniewski, Chad Frk, and Jim Lipinski to tlly twice for a 2-1 lead. Polk pecked away with solo runs in the third and fourth to take a 3-2 lead and knocking out Lang. Jason Day came on for his first inning of the season and pitched a scoreless fifth inning allowing only an infield single. Day has spent most of the season recovering from back surgery in early April. His appearance also coincided a return to the line-up by catcher Troy Yoder who has been out for seven weeks with a broken wrist. "It was really nice to see both guys back in uniform and contributing," says coach Gregg Pelka. "They have both been very patient with their injuries and its nice to see good people rewarded with good performances first time back." Yoder was hitless in two plate appearances, but did throw out a runner attempting to steal. Grant Relic pitched the final two innings allowing a game-tying homer in the sixth, but shut down Polk the rest of the way for his fifth win in seven decisions. Tomorrow's starters will be Luke Howard in the morning game and Brian Karpel in the nightcap.
MSI Button Thursday, 8/3/00. Parma MSI returned to action on Thursday afternoon in Winter Haven, Florida by opening their quest for the World International Baseball Championships by defeating the Ocowee Force, 3-1 at Chain-O-Lakes Park. The victory was the third win in a row dating back to late July in Columbia, South Carolina. "We got some great pitching and tremendous defense today which led to the win," said head coach Gregg Pelka. "I was concerned about our being off so long on offense, but when you get three pitching preformances like today and with stellar D it makes it easier." Heath Baker tossed the first four frames and gave up a solo run in the first inning and shut down the Force the rest of his stint. He scattered four hits and struck out four as he got stronger as he went along. Chris Keaton made his initial MSI appearance a memorable one as he yielded only a walk in two innings and recorded his first win of the year. Nick Colagiovanni tossed a perfect seventh to chalk up his fourth save of the campaign by striking out two of the three hitters he faced. Offensively MSI struggled the first two times through the order against Ocowee starter Don Barton. Trailing 1-0, MSI tied the game on a single by Jim Lipinski and a double by Jason Newcomb in the second. Newcomb had two hits on the night. The deciding inning for Parma was the sixth when they had three key at-bats and plated two runs to break the tie and forge ahead for the win. The inning began with Drew Saylor coaxing a walk after fighting through an 11-pitch at-bat. After a failed sacrifice bunt attempt, Wilson James doubled down the left-field line to put runners on second and third. Steve Conter then followed with another 11-pitch at-bat and capped it with a single to left scoring Saylor to break the tie. Chad Frk concluded the scoring with a sacrifice fly to deep right field to score James. "The game was won with the tremendous efforts by both Saylor and Conter in the sixth," said Pelka. "Anytime you can work a quality pitcher eleven pitches deep and then get on base it is really a lift for the team. Both Drew and Steve did outstanding jobs of concentrating and hitting during those at-bats. Ultimately it mentally defeats the pitcher and we cashed in with a couple of runs." Tomorrow the tourney continues in pool play at Winter Haven when MSI locks up with the Manatee Titans in the morning and the Polk County Crew in the afternoon at the Cleveland Indians' Spring Training facility. Mike Johnston gets the nod in the a.m. against the club that finished third in the USSSA World Series this season. Grant Relic will take the mound in the afternoon against the host team. A pair of victories would clinch the pool championship and a number one seed in Saturday's Championship bracket.
MSI Button Monday, 7/24/00. MSI concluded thier Atlantic Coast swing on a positive note by knocking off the Greensboro Diamondbacks, 5-1 on Monday. That makes Parma 4-3 on this swing through the southeast quadrant of the U.S. and a perfect 2-0 in two games this week in North Carolina. Grant Relic pitched masterfully for the first five innings for the win successfully scattering five hits and yielding an unearned run. Nick Colagiovanni pitched two innings to collect his second save of the trip. Hitters that led the charge on Monday's win were Dan Painter who finished a successful trip by slapping two hits including a two-run double which broke open a close game. Other rbi came off the sticks of Steve Conter and Jason Newcomb. MSI will get back into action on August 2 when they head to the USSSA International Baseball Championships in Winter Haven, Florida at the Cleveland Indians' spring training site, Chain-o-Lakes Park.
MSI Button Sunday, 7/23/00. Parma MSI completed a long weekend in Columbia, South Carolina on a positive note by defeating the East Cobb (GA) Astros 13-9 at AC Flora High School. The victory gives MSI a 3-3 record on this current road trip with one game remaining against the Greensboro Diamondbacks in North Carolina on Monday evening. "We really needed this win since we have played some pretty ugly and uninspired baseball this weekend," stated Coach Gregg Pelka. "It is nice to rebound against a strong club like East Cobb. Jason Newcomb and Steve Conter had some big hits for us." Newcomb started the scoring after MSI had fallen behind 1-0 in the first. Newcomb smashed his second homer of the year to right center to clear the sacks. It was the first of three hits for Newcomb who also had five RBI on the day. Parma ended up scoring eight times in the first inning. Greg Wisniewski and Drew Saylor also collected first inning RBI. Conter's blast also went to rightcenter with two runners on base in the fourth after East Cobb had gotten to within 10-9. "Steve's hit was huge in that situation for us. He has repeatedly come up big for us." Conter finished with two hits and three RBI. Heath Baker started and notched his fourth win of the season with relief help from Nick Colagiovanni who collected his second save of the year. Baker didn't have one of his better outings, but was able to make some pitches to escape more damage. Monday MSI travels up the coast and closes out this current trip with a game against the Greensboro Diamondbacks who are host team for the Palimino World Series. Grant Relic will get the start which will uniquely be his second of the season in the Tar Heel State.
MSI Button Friday, 7/21/00. Friday saw the best and worst of two extremes as MSI opened the Diamond Devil Classic in Columbia, South Carolina by splitting a pair of games against two southern opponents. Game One saw an extremely lethargic and, ultimately, pathetic performance in all facets of the game resulting in an 8-1 loss to East Cobb (GA). Chris Lang went the distance and was able to keep the game close until the fifth when he fell prey to some shodding defense and the 94 degree heat. "We really stunk up the joint in game one", said Head Coach Gregg Pelka. "That was about as unispired and terrible as one of our teams have played in years. Lang didn't pich all that well, but he certainly deserved a better effort from us." Lang gave up a three-run homer in the second inning to break a scoreless tie. MSI notched their only run of the game in the third and left runners at second and third. That proved to be the closest they would get. East Cobb put the game away in the fifth by getting the first five batters of the inning on and plating three runs to stretch a 3-1 lead to 6-1. Two additional unearned runs came home in the sixth to complete the scoring. Due to a schduling quirt in this tourney the two teams will meet again on Saturday morning so Parma has a chance to even the score. Drew Saylor knocked in MSI's only run with a single in the third. MSI was held to six hits. Game Two was a completely different story. Parma brought their "A" game to the University of South Carolina and destroyed the West Henderson (NC) Falcons, 17-0, in a game shortened to five innings due to the run-rule. The biggest highlight among many in the second conest was Luke Howard tossing MSI first no-hitter in a little over two years. Mike Kandra's gem over Garfield Diamonds in June '98 was the most recent no-no for Parma. "Luke allowed two walks in the second, but outside of that he did a tremendous job and was in control the whole way", said Pelka. "He has pitched so well for us all season that he deserves all the accolades he gets." Offense was no problem either. Four home runs led the way including Wilson James first of the season which was a three-run insidde the park variety. With two men on James hit a line-drive single to center which took a big hop over the centerfielder's head and rolled all the way to the wall. James circled the bases easily and scored standing. Josh Gaub, Jason Newcomb, and Nick Colagiovanni also went deep the conventionl way. Colagiovanni went three for three and drove in four runs. Newcomb and Gaub also had two hits in the win. Saturday will see MSI with two more games in Columbia. A rematch against East Cobb in the morning with Brian Karpel throwing and then a mid-afternoon tilt against the host club, the Diamond Devils, with Mike Johnston tossing.
MSI Button Thursday, 7/20/00. Parma MSI finally dodged the raindrops and began their southern swing in a victorius style by thumping the Greensboro Colts at Grimsley High in Greensboro Thursday night, 8-4. The win marked 21 out of the last 24 for MSI and raised thier mark on foreign diamonds to 7-6. The MSI offense took a little while to get on track as they fell behind 3-2 after two innings. Then the sticks took over and they tallied four runs in the third and never looked back on their way to the win. Chad Frk had a bases loaded double to drive in three as the big blow during the inning. Other hitting stars for MSI were Greg Wisniewski (3-3 with 2rbi), Jason Newcomb (2 hits and an rbi), Josh Gaub (2 hits and an rbi), Wilson James and Steve Conter (two hits apiece). Grant Relic went the distance winning for the third time. After two rocky frames in the second and third innings, he settles down and retired 13 of the last 14 hitters in the game. "Grant made some adjustments and quit trying to be too fine and really did well the second half of the game," said Coach Pelka. "He gets himself in trouble once in awhile when he tries to strike people out instead of just getting them out. He gets the ball up and gets into all kinds of trouble. Give him credit though he made some adjustments and pitched well the last four innings." Next up for Parma are the opening two games of the Diamond Devil Classic in Columbia, South Carolina on Friday. They open against East Cobb at 11:30 with Chris Lang tossing and then come back to play West Henderson (NC) at 4:30 with Luke Howard going.
MSI Button Wednesday, 7/19/00. Parma MSI's journey down the Atlantic Coast began on a soggy note Wednesday as they were rained out on a visit to Charleston, West Virginia and a scheduled game against the Huntington Hounds. The washout costs Steve Conter a start asThursday night Coach Pelka will skip over Conter and start Grant Relic (2-2, 5.65) on Greensboro, NC.
MSI Button Tuesday, 7/18/00. Parma MSI scored early and often on their way to their twentieth win in the last twenty-three games by knocking off the Ohio Eagles,11-8, in Berea on Tuesday. The verdict gave MSI an 18-1 mark at home this year and they hit the road for an eight-game one-week roadie down the Atlantic coast to West Virginia, North and South Carolina. MSI pounded out twelve hits led by Steve Conter with three and Wilson James and Chad Frk with two apiece. Eight Parma batters collected an RBI led by Conter's three and James' two. James drove his home on a perfectly executed double suicide during a run that put MSI up 11-3 in the third. Parma scored seven times in the third inning to mark the thirteenth time that they have tallied more than five runs in an inning this season. They also raised the team batting average to .376. Heath Baker twirlled the first five innings for his fourth win against two defeats. Lefty Jason Newcomb got the save with two nervous frames for his first save of the campaign. "It was key picking up the win tonight before we head out on the road for a week," said Coach Gregg Pelka. "It is always nice to leave home thinking positively about yourself and the team. We are definitely in a good zone right now." In addition, to Conter and James eight MSI players chalked up at least an RBI for the game. Eight of the nine starters also collected at least one hit. Now Parma heads to West Virginia and a nine-inning game against the Huntington Hounds in Charleston on Wednesday. Steve Conter (2-0) will start, but plans are to split the game among a couple of pitchers in anticipation of the weekend tourney in Columbia, South Carolina.
MSI Button Monday, 7/17/00. Parma MSI flexed its offensive muscle in a definitive way Monday night on pummeling the Norwalk Truckers, 14-0, at Baldwin-Wallace for their nineteenth win in their last twenty-two games. The victory game MSI a two-game sweep of the season series with Norwalk. Nick Colagiovanni went the distance and was superb in recording his fourth win in six decisions and lowered his ERA to 1.50. He allowed two hits and struck out nine without walking a batter. He only went to a three-ball count on one Trucker. Hitting stars for the contest were Steve Conter with three hits and two RBI (55 team leading) and Heath Baker who had two hits and four RBI. Chad Frk and Greg Wisniewski also slapped two hits apiece. The Drew Saylor hit-by-pitch watch continued as he was plunked for the fifth time in less than a week and is zeroing in on Ray Vercoe's MSI record of nine. Another first for MSI in their twenty-year history was that Coach Pelka placed a lefty behind the plate on Monday. Jason Newcomb donned the tools of ignorance and caught the complete game win. Pelka stated, "It was unique having a southpaw behind the dish in our uniform, but Newc did a fabulous job." Tuesday marks the final game of this homestand with the Ohio Eagles invading Berea in place of Sandusky who cancelled. Heath Baker (2-2, 1.64) closes out the stretch at home before the team departs fo a week-long road trip down the Atlantic Coast.
MSI Button Sunday, 7/16/00. Sunday afternoon saw MSI and the Ohio Thunder hook up for the rubber match of their three-game season series at Berea. This contest never resembled the first two games played earlier this week in Columbus which featured two nip and tuck tilts decided by less then two runs. This game was a blowout almost from the opening pitch with MSI grabbing a 14-4 decision. The game sailed by until the bottom of the third when Steve Conter started the onslaught with a two-run triple to put Parma up 2-0 through three innings. Four more MSI tallies made it 6-0 when four hits and a couple of Thunder errors made the scoring easy. Then MSI blew it open with eight runs in the fifth which is the eleventh time this season that Parma has scored at least six runs in an inning. Josh Gaub and Dan Painter had run-scoring singles, Conter a bases-loaded double to drive in three, and Chad Frk followed with a triple. Painter had three hits and two RBI, Conter two hits and 5 RBI, and two hits from Frk, Jason Newcomb, and Gaub. Meanwhile Mike Johnston had his best outing of the season in collecting his seventh win in eight decisions. Johnston went the distance yielding six hits and no earned runs keeping the Thunder off the scoreboard until the last inning when the game was decided. "Mike really pitched very well all game long," said coach Gregg Pelka. "The key numbers were that his walks were down (one) and he kept getting ground balls which we converted into outs. He will really be a help to us as the we head for the home stretch." The victory gives MSI eighteen wins in the last 21 games as they continue their homestand on Monday against Norwalk at 6:15 pm. Parma won the first contest between the two clubs in late June which was the initial contest in MSI-Norwalk history. Righthander Nick Colagiovanni (3-2, 1.73) gets the starting nod at Baldwin-Wallace.
MSI Button Saturday, 7/15/00. Parma MSI won their thirtieth game of the year by knocking off the Columbus Bombers in Berea on Saturday, 4-1. Coming off yesterday's rainout, Parma jumped on the visitors early with a three-run first. Three of the first four hitters reached base safely and scored. The big blow of the inning was Jason Newcomb's two-run single which drove in the the second and third runs of the frame. The fourth and final tally was notched on a pair of singles by Chad Frk and Newcomb and a successful safety squeeze bunt by Josh Gaub. Newcomb had three hits and two RBI and Frk stroked a couple of singles in the win. Meanwhile, Brian Karpel was in control the whole way despite giving up a solo run in the eighth inning. He allowed six hits and walked one and struck out eight. The only runner who crossed the plate for Columbus was the player that drew the base on balls. The victory runs Karpel's record to 6-1 and holds his ERA at 0.84. Grant Relic pitched a scoreless ninth in chalking up his first save of the season. Tomorrow the homestand continues with a rubber match with the Ohio Thunder beginning at 1:00 for a nine-inning contest. Mike Johnston (6-1, 2.70) will take the bump for MSI.
MSI Button Thursday, 7/13/00. Old habits are hard to break for Parma MSI. The immediate outcome saw them fall behind the Boys of Summer early in the Thursday's contest and bounce back with an eight-run fifth inning to turn a 5-0 deficit into an 8-5 lead which they never relenquished. It marked the tenth inning this season that plated more than six runs. The 13-6 triumph also became the fifteenth come-from-behind win for MSI this season. The older habit was that Parma won their twentieth league championship in a row by clinching the Other League title with the win. This mind-boggling accomplishment spanning two decades is unmatched by any other modern day club or organization. "It is an honor to win our league this season since all of our member clubs have accomplished so much in tournaments outside league play and we haven't even reached the postseason yet," said Head Coach Gregg Pelka. "Being in such fine company as the Boys of Summer, Andy's Niners (winners of the '00 prestigiuous Beast of the East), Fiedler's Choice, Lake Erie Admirals, and Diamond Boys and winning the league on top of it is a real pleasure. I will stack up our six clubs against anyone nationally including the teams that shy away from competition and claim to be winners. Just look at our teams' records against others in the area and you can draw your own comparisons." The Thursday's heroes included Steve Conter who smashed three hits and drove in five runs to bring his team-leading total to 48. Dan Painter also stroked three knocks and crushed his third homer in four games. Drew Saylor collected two hits and an RBI as well. Long ball heroics also came off the bats of Josh Gaub (his 4th) and Conter (his 3rd). The big hits during the deciding fourth inning off starter and loser Sole were a bases-loaded double by Jason Newcomb to get MSI on the board and the three-run homer by Gaub that tied the game. Luke Howard went the distance to post his fourth victory against no defeats. Howard struggled with his control through the first couple of innings when he was touched up for five of the six runs. "Luke kept falling behind in the count and it really came back to haunt him," Pelka observed. "Once he found his bearings he settled down well and we were able to turn three double plays behind him which helped him relax." Tomorrow MSI opens up a five game- five day homestand. The Ohio Eagles from Ravenna are the first opponents at Baldwin-Wallace on Friday. It will mark the first-ever tussle between the two clubs. Brian Karpel (5-1, 0.83) gets the starting assignment. Scheduling change for the weekend as well as Saturday's doubleheader against the Columbus Bombers has been reduced to a single-inning game beginning at 1:00. This will mark the first weekend in MSI history that they will be home for a weekend and playing two scheduled single games on the two days.
MSI Button Wednesday, 7/12/00. Drew Saylor's bases-loaded triple highlighted a four-run sixth inning that brought Parma MSI back from a 6-4 deficit and led them to an 8-7 victory and a split of their doubleheader against their I-71 rivals, the Ohio Thunder. This was the first two of three meetings this week between the foes. The Thunder won the opener 6-4. Saylor triple was followed up by Steve Conter's single to provide the eventual winning run. Conter (2-0) was also the winning pitcher with three innings of shutout relief as the third MSI pitcher. Chris Lang started and was relieved by Grant Relic after getting hit on the thigh with a hard hit ball. Lang is listed as day-to-day. Chad Frk stroked three hits and drove in two runs in the nightcap. Jason Newcomb and Greg Wisniewski also chimed in with two safeties. Josh Gaub and Nick Colagiovanni also drove in runs. "It was inspiring to come back and win the second game and blowing so many chances in the first contest," pondered coach Pelka. "Drew (Saylor) had a big blow for us when we really needed a lift and Steve (Conter) did a splendid job shutting down a potent offense for three innings to get the win." In the opener, the Thunder scored four times in the third and then staved off repeated MSI threats in posting the win, 6-4. Heath Baker went the distance and really pitched rather well, but fell prey to the longball on two occasions. Baker's record fell to 2-2 despite giving up only seven hits. "We really didn't help Heath out much defensively," stated Pelka. He was a pitch or two away from getting out of the fateful inning and we just couldn't get it to go our way. He will win most of the time if he continues to pitch like he did today." Hitting stars for MSI in the opener were Wilson James who reached base in all four of his plate appearances (seven of nine times on the day) and Dan Painter who had two hits which included his second home run of the season. Thursday MSI will have a showdown with the Boys of Summer for first place in the Other League at Walsh Jesuit High School. Luke Howard who was hit on the left forearm by a pitch on Wednesday will get the start and try to give Parma the outright league title with a victory. MSI won the first meeting bewteen the two clubs back in early June, 4-0, at Baldwin-Wallace.
MSI Button Tuesday, 7/11/00. Parma MSI returned to the friendly confines of Baldwin-Wallace College and kissed their sister on Tuesday evening by playing to a 5-5 nine-inning tie with Cleveland PAI. The non-decision kept Parma with only two losses in their last sixteen contests. MSI scored single runs in the first two innings on an RBI double by Chad Frk and a sacrifice fly by Greg Wisniewski to take a 2-0 lead. PAI tied it with a two-spot in the fourth inning. The tie was broken in the home half of the inning when Josh Gaub led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a fielding error, and scored on a ground out by Nick Colagiovanni. PAI tied it again in the fifth with an unearned tally. The game stayed that way until the seventh when PAI greeted MSI reliever Brian Karpel with back to back hits in the inning. Add in three MSI errors on the two hits and PAI led 5-3 going to the home half of the seventh. Parma countered with two of their own off PAI starter Stowe. James singled to lead off the inning. After Drew Saylor flew out, Steve Conter tripled to right and scored on a wild pitch to knot the game at 5. PAI mounted the only threat of the extra frames in the ninth, but Karpel induced May to ground out with the winning run at third base to end it. "We played pretty lethargically on defense tonight," stated coach Gregg Pelka. "Anytime you make six errors in a game you should be grateful to escape with a tie. I'm sure Coach Doug Lamb (of PAI) feels like he should have won the game, but we did most things well which enabled us to come back and tie the game in the seventh." Mike Johnston had a solid outing in tossing six innings yielding three hits and one earned run. "Mike threw much better tonight then he did in Nevada," observes Pelka. "The only problem he had was his curveball tonight. He just couldn't get the feel of it so we relied a lot more on his slider and fastball tonight." Next up for MSI is the Ohio Thunder Wednesday with a rare mid-week doubleheader beginning at 1:00 in Columbus. There has been a pitching change in tomorrow's starters due to the fact that Luke Howard is suffering from a migrane headache. Heath Baker (2-1) and Chris Lang (3-0) will get the nods in the capital city. Howard will be moved back to Thursday night in Other League play against the Boys of Summer. Pelka commented, "We were a little tired from the flight yesterday, but now that we have shaken off the cobwebs by playing we better be ready for a dogfight Wednesday in Columbus against an outstanding Thunder club."
MSI Button Sunday, 7/09/00. Parma MSI completed the round robin portion of the Capitol Classic in Carson City, Nevada needing a win to maintain hopes of advancing into the title game. Parma kept up their portion of the deal when they knocked off the Boise (ID) Gems by the score of 9-5. The triumph put MSI at 5-1 and waiting for the showdown between once-beaten Austin (TX) Slam and undefeated Santa Rosa (CA). Due to the tie-breaking system, MSI needed some help to qualify. In order for Parma to play for the championship against the host team, Carson City, Austin would need to defeat Santa Rosa by two, three, or four runs. Anything else would mean disappointment. Santa Rosa controlled most of the early portions of the contest and jumped out to a 6-2 lead after four innings. Austin stormed back with a six-run fifth to take a 8-6 lead. They added a solo run in the sixth and things appeared to be working out as planned when the two teams went to the bottom of the seventh at 9-6 Austin. After one was out, a four-pitch walk and a two-run homer for Santa Rosa got them the necessary runs to get into the final despite a 9-8 loss. "It was like being the leader in clubhouse in a golf tournament," said coach Gregg Pelka. "Watching others determine your fate is never fun, but we almost got in. The home-run by Santa Rosa in that situation was a killer. Overall, it was a good solid week for our club." Sunday's game saw MSI jump out to a 3-0 lead on Luke Howard's second homer of the season, an RBI single by Steve Conter and a fielding error by the Gems. Boise scored three of their own in the fourth to tie it up. Parma took the lead for good when Wilson James singled home Dan Painter with his second RBI of the game in the bottom of the fourth to give MSI a 4-3 lead which it would never relinquish. A three-run fifth broke the game open and two more tallies in the sixth capped the scoring. In addition to James' heroics, the Game MVP was Greg Wisniewski who knocked in three scores with two key singles. MSI also had two hit performances from Conter, Howard, and Painter. On the hill, Nick Colagiovanni went the first 5.2 innings to record his third win of the season against two defeats. Colagiovanni yielded five hits, walked four and struck four. Heath Baker pitched the final 1.1 to collect the save. "Nick really struggled to get any consistency today with his pitches. He kept falling behind in the count which made him vulnerable to getting hit hard," Pelka commented. "He was able to battle through some things and Heath came in and did a good job closing things out." MSI finishes the trip at 25-8 and heads back home for a Tuesday showdown with PAI at Baldwin-Wallace at 6:15. Mike Johnston (6-1) will get the starting nod. Parma MSI gets back to Ohio this week before heading to South Carolina in ten days.
MSI Button Saturday, 7/08/00. Parma MSI's offense derailed on Friday by Scott Berg of Santa Rosa exploded on high profile high schooler Brian Hunter of the Indiana Bulls and pounded the Hoosier State representatives in convincing fashion, 14-7 Saturday morning to run their record to 4-1 in the Grey Division of the Capitol Classic. The Indiana Bulls fell to 1-4 in the round robin tourney.
Grant Relic evened his mark at 2-2 on the season as he baffled the Bulls for 4.2 innings before giving up a grand slam to Brian Canada. Relic pitched six strong innings before tiring and yielding to Heath Baker who closed things out in the seventh.
Offensively, hitting stars were plentiful. Chad Frk (Game MVP) and Jason Newcomb each had three hits. Frk unloaded his sixth round tripper of the year in the process. Josh Gaub also homered and drove in four. Dan Painter also cracked his first home run and drove in three. Newcomb also collected three RBI's.
Sunday MSI takes on the Boise Idaho Gems with Nick Colagiovanni toeing the slab. Parma is 4-1 and Boise is 1-4. MSI must win to have any hopes to collect a divisional championship and an appearance against Carson City in the title game on Sunday night.
"We have to get a win against Boise (first ever meeting) and then have Austin knock off Santa Rosa to have a chance to get in the title game," states Pelka.
MSI Button Friday, 7/07/00. The Capitol Classic resumed on Friday after the off-day and Parma MSI fell from the unbeaten in the tourney as they lost the battle for first place, 3-1. Santa Rosa (CA) scored an unearned run off Brian Karpel in the sixth to tie the contest and then pushed across two scores in the seventh for the victory. MSI drew first blood off Righty Scott Berg in the second when Chad Frk walked, Nick Colagiovanni and Greg Wisniewski both singled to load the bases. Dan Painter then hit into a fielder's choice to score what turned out to be Parma's lone tally. Second baseman John Hanson made a tremendous play to rob Luke Howard of a two-run single to end the inning. As it turned out it was the last scoring opportunity of the day for MSI. Santa Rosa plated the unearned run in the sixth and then with one out in the seventh inning when Mocny coaxed a walk from Karpel, Craig followed with an infield single moving Mocny to third. Karpel then uncorked a pitch in the dirt which squirted away from catcher Josh Gaub. Mocny scored when he knocked the ball out of Karpel glove on the tag. Karpel injured his knee on the play and is listed as day to day. Luke Howard relieved and yielded an RBI single by Bacigalle to complete the scoring. "We really didn't put any pressure on Berg after the second inning. He pitched a strong game and kept us off balance," stated Gregg Pelka. "Brian Karpel pitched a tremendous game and it's just a shame he had to lose it and get injured. We had a chance to defuse their rally in both innings, but came up short," Pelka commented. Friday's loss puts MSI in a must-win situation on both Saturday and Sunday if they hope to force a tie for the divisional title and a chance to play in Sunday's title tilt. Santa Rosa would now win a head-to-head tiebreaker so MSI must hope for a three-way tie with Austin or two Santa Rosa losses in their last two contests. "All we can do is take care of our games and hope that we get some help," says Pelka. "We will send Grant Relic to the mound against Carmel, Indiana tomorrow morning and try to enhance our chances."
MSI Button Wednesday, 7/05/00. Parma MSI returned to the site of Tuesday's slugfest in the third round of the Capitol Classic and maintained their strong offense showing in run-ruling the Woodward (OK) Travellers 12-2 in 4 1/2 innings on Wednesday. The victory puts MSI at 3-0 halfway through the round robin tourney and heading into the off-day on Thursday in a tie for first in their division with Friday's opponent, Santa Rosa (CA). The loss drops Woodward to 2-1 in their division. The Travellers drew first blood of off Parma starter Chris Lang in the first on three consecutive hits to start the ballgame. Lang settled down and held the Sooner representatives to only two hits the rest of the way. Lang walked five and struck out the same amount in raising his record to 3-0. MSI countered in the bottom of the first when Steve Conter hit his second home run of the year to right field (a two-run shot) to begin a four-run frame. Greg Wisniewski had a two-run double to complete the first inning scoring. After the Travellers tallied their final run in the top of the second inning, Parma took over the scoring with something that has become common place over the past week, a big inning. MSI batted around for the fourth time in three games here in Nevada and put six runs on the board in the third. Chad Frk and Josh Gaub each had two RBIs during the inning. Run-scoring singles during the fourth by Jason Newcomb and Steve Conter plated the final two scores in the 12-2 win. Once again eight of the nine starters in the MSI lineup collected hits and six of them had RBIs. Steve Conter was the MVP of the game going 2-2 with four RBI. The other two-hit performances came from Danny Painter (two 2B), Wisniewski, Frk, Gaub, and Newcomb. MSI continues their mastery over Woodward winning for the fourth time in as many games here in the Capitol Classic. The win puts Parma at 23-7 and drops Woodward to 32-11. Next up for the Ohioans is an off-day on Thursday. Then its back to action in a battle for first place in the Grey Division against unbeaten Santa Rosa (CA) who is also 3-0 after shellacking Honolulu (HI) on Wednesday. Head Coach Gregg Pelka is deciding upon either righty Grant Relic (1-2) or southpaw Brian Karpel (4-0) against the Northern Californians. "That is tough decision that will be made on Friday morning. We have to take a look at the scouting reports and see which guy matches up better for us against them," stated Coach Gregg Pelka.
MSI Button Tuesday, 7/04/00. Game Two of the Capitol Classic had all the makings of a wild west shootout when Parma MSI arrived at the ballpark Tuesday afternoon. The wind was blowing out in gale force, the sun was setting brightly and shining right in the fielders' eyes and the sky was as high and blue as you could possibly imagine. Add that combination to two teams with extremely potent offenses and you would expect a high-scoring affair. Well, that is exactly what happened as MSI and Austin (TX) Slam pounded on each other to the tune of 33 runs, 34 hits, and eight errors in a game shortened to six innings due to the time limit. Oh yeah, by the way, MSI won it 18-15! Austin drew first blood and looked like they were going to run away with it scoring the first five runs of the contest off MSI starter Heath Baker for a 5-0 lead after two ininngs. Then Parma scored their first of two big innings putting six runs on the board in the top of third for a 6-5 lead. Steve Conter and Greg Wisniewski each had two-rbi hits during the frame. The lead was short-lived though Austin came right back with two in their half of the inning to reclaim the lead at 7-6. Luke Howard knotted things up again with his first homer of the year in the top of the fourth, 7-7. Slam countered once again with two more tallies in the fourth to jump out 9-7. The fifth saw MSI post their largest single inning of the year as they struck for nine runs on nine hits during the onslaught. Chad Frk (who along with Josh Gaub had two hits in the inning) started things off with his fifth homer of the season to rightcenter field. Gaub then singled, Nick Colagiovanni singled, Wisniewski reached on an error which scored Gaub, Dan Painter singled home Colagiovanni, Howard singled home Wisniewski, Wilson James grounded out scoring Painter, Steve Conter singled, Jason Newcomb singled home Howard, Frk singled, and Gaub doubled home three runs to end the scoring. MSI added what turned out to be two very large insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning when Newcomb smashed a two-run single. The bottom of the sixth saw Austin come back six runs with two outs off reliever Mike Johnston to tighten things up considerably and make things uncomfortable in the MSI dugout, but Brian Karpel came in for the second game in a row to get a groundout to end the game for his third save. A relieved coach Gregg Pelka commented after the contest, "It was extremely important to get out of here with a win today. We battled the physical conditions all day long and didn't exactly conquer them, but outlasted them and an extremely potent Austin team. Heath Baker pitched much better than the results indicate. He suffered from us not being able to catch fly balls. We only gave up three earned runs on the day." "Our outfielders got a learning experience today. We can't duplicate the conditions at home with the high sky, bright sun, and dramatic wind gusts. We tell the guys all year long about how it is to play here, but they have to experience it for themselves. We got through it and tomorrow is another day and we are back here (at this field) again." Heath Baker pitched the first four innings, Mike Johnston pitched into the sixth to record his sixth victory in seven decisions, and Brian Karpel notched the save getting the only hitter he faced to ground out. Offensively, MSI was lead by Luke Howard (four hits), Steve Conter (three), Jason Newcomb (three), and Chad Frk (three). Every MSI player had at least one hit and eight of the nine had at least one RBI. The leaders in RBI were Josh Gaub with four and Jason Newcomb with three. Parma had twenty hits and eighteen RBI on the game. One dubious record that MSI made during the game was recording five outfield errors. Jason Newcomb set an individual error mark in a game for an outfielder with three. Wednesday it will be a battle of the unbeatens in the crossover divisional contest against Woodward (OK) Travelers. Both teams are 2-0 in tournament play so far. Chris Lang (2-0, 1.58) will hurl for Parma against a team it has beaten in all three career meetings.
Scores from Day Two of the Classic:
Carson City (NV) 11 St. Louis (MO) 1 (Late Monday night)
Boise (ID) 6 Cherry Creek (CO) 4
Woodward (OK) 5 St. Louis (MO) 4
Santa Rosa (CA) 5 Carmel (IN) 2
Danville (CA) 15 Ogden (UT) 2
Carson City (NV) 3 Honolulu (HI) 0

Standings:
Red Division
Carson City, Nevada 2 - 0
Danville, California 2 - 0
Woodward, Oklahoma 2 - 0
Honolulu, Hawaii 0 - 2
Ogden, Utah 0 - 2
St. Louis, Missouri 0 - 2

Grey Division
Parma, Ohio 2 - 0
Santa Rosa, California 2 - 0
Austin, Texas 1 - 1
Boise, Idaho 1 - 1
Carmel, Indiana 0 - 2
Cherry Creek, Colorado 0 - 2
MSI Button Monday, 7/03/00. Parma MSI began their quest for a Capitol Classic title on Monday by defeating Cherry Creek, Colorado in eight innings, 7-3. "Today's game was one of the better played ones we have ever participated in for the many years we have been coming to Carson City," surmised coach Gregg Pelka. "Mark Johnson and Cherry Creek had an excellent club and both of our teams played outstanding baseball this afternoon." Cherry Creek drew first blood off MSI starter Luke Howard when they plated two second inning runs on three singles, a sacrifice bunt, and an MSI error. Parma had numerous chances early on, but repeated baserunning blunders negated any scoring opportunities early on. MSI finally got on the board in the third inning when Wilson James followed a walk to Chris Lang with his first home run of the season to rightfield to tie the game at 2-2. Steve Conter, Jason Newcomb, Chad Frk all followed with singles and a throwing error plated another tally and give MSI a 3-2 lead. The game stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh inning when Cherry Creek's Williams doubled home a run to tie the game at 3-3 and leave runners at second and third with one out. (Both Williams and MSI's Luke Howard will attend Purdue next season.) After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Brian Karpel entered and retired two Creek hitters on infield grounders to end the threat. "Karp came through in the clutch again. Chris Lang made a difficult play look easy and get the force at the plate on the first one," said Pelka. " It was nice to see such outstanding pitching and defense save a great performance by Howard today." MSI came up in the top of the eighth and removed all doubt about the outcome quickly with five straight hits topped by a sacrifice fly off reliever Andrews. Conter, Newcomb, Frk, Josh Gaub, and Nick Colagiovanni had consecutive singles and Greg Wisniewski hit a sac fly to complete the scoring. Pelka commented, "We really hit the ball well and scored in bunches today. Jason Newcomb (the game's MVP) was at the center of all our offense getting three hits and stealing a base. We really brought our sticks today." Also gettting two hits were Conter, Frk, Gaub, and Dan Painter. Howard went 6.1 innings and yielded six hits and two earned runs. Brian Karpel slammed the door in the seventh and eighth frames for his fourth win against no losses. Next up, tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 Pacific Time is a key game against Austin Slam from Texas. Heath Baker (2-1, 0.81) gets the start for MSI. Parma has now won eight of their last nine and 9 of 11 to run its mark to 21-7. Cherry Creek falls to 25-4 with the loss. MSI leads the all-time series 5-2.
Other finals from Monday's action:
Danville (CA) 13 Honolulu (HI) 6 Santa Rosa (CA) 11 Boise (ID) 5 in 10 innings
Austin (TX) 7 Carmel (IN) 4
Woodward (OK) 5 Ogden (UT) 3
Late Game: St. Louis (MO) vs. Carson City (NV)
We will share divisional standings beginning on Tuesday night.
MSI Button Saturday, 7/01/00. Parma MSI finished their pre-Independence Day portion of the schedule by splitting a doubleheader at home against the JL Clevelanders Collegians. The first contest ran MSI's winning streak to six games and seven of their last eight by slaughtering the Collegians 15-3. Offense was the name of the game as Parma bashed out 17 hits. Eight of the starters had at least two hits led by Chris Lang with three safeties. Jason Newcomb led the RBI parade with three as eight players also recorded RBIs. Steve Conter stroked his first roundtripper of the summer in the opener. Nick Colagiovanni went the distance to even his record at 2-2 and lower his ERA to 1.31 giving up only one earned run while scattering five hits to JL. The nigthcap saw the six-game win streak come to a screaching halt despite a three-hit performance at the plate by Greg Wisniewski. After MSI had come back to tie the game at 2-2 after three, JL outscored Parma 7-1 over the next two innings to pull away. MSI made a furious rally in the last two innings but came up short 9-7 with the tying runs left on base in the seventh. Mike Johnston suffered his first setback of the season after five wins as he struggled to master the strike zone all day long. On the night, he walked eight and struck out only two in 4 2/3 innings. The game marked the first home loss of the season after thirteen victories. Next up, it's on to Nevada and the Capitol Classic in Carson City. The marks the seventh straight July Fourth visit to the Silver State for MSI. They have accumulated two titles and two runners-up finishes in six seasons. The tournament begins on Monday with Parma meeting perrenial national power Cherry Creek, Colorado. Luke Howard at 3-0 gets the opening assignment. MSI has won four of the six meetings all-time against Cherry Creek. The following are the career records against the tourney opponents:
Austin (TX) Slam - MSI 3 Austin 1
Woodward (OK) - MSI 3 Woodward 0
Santa Rosa (CA) -MSI 9 Santa Rosa 5
Carmel (IN) - MSI 1 Carmel 1
Boise (ID) -First Meeting
Carson City (NV) - MSI 14 Carson City 3
MSI Button Friday, 6/30/00. MSI took to the road on Friday night and returned with their sixth straight victory in offensive fashion by bludgeoning Norwalk by the score of 11-5 at Edison High School in Milan. Parma wrapped out sixteen and nine of them went for extra bases (a season high). "We finally were able to get some balls up the gaps tonight which makes scoring runs a lot easier," commented head coach Gregg Pelka. "Seven doubles in a game is alot and getting five in a row during the sixth inning is a team record I hope we challenge again." Swinging the big sticks tonight for the road crew were Josh Gaub, Nick Colagiovanni, and Luke Howard who each slammed three hits. Chad Frk and Greg Wisniewski each had two safeties. RBIs were plentiful as seven of the nine men in the line-up got a run across the plate. Chad Frk crashed his fourth homer of the season in the first (2-run shot) and Josh Gaub unloaded his second round-tripper in the seventh with the bases empty. Grant Relic went seven solid innings to notch his first win of the season against two losses and spread out seven Norwalk hits. Heath Baker and Luke Howard pitched flawless innings to close things out. This is the first of two meetings this season between these two foes with the return visit scheduled for Berea in mid-July. It marks the first meeting ever between the two clubs. MSI is back in action in Berea on Saturday for a noon doubleheader against the JL Collegians whom they edged on Thursday 5-1. Nick Colagiovanni (1-2, 1.42) and Mike Johnston (5-0, 1.46) will do the hurling. Saturday marks the last home game for MSI until July 11th against PAI. MSI heads for Carson City, Nevada and the Capitol Classic beginning on Monday against Cherry Creek, Colorado.
MSI Button Thursday, 6/29/00. The MSI win-machine kept rolling with their fifth consecutive triumph and sixth in their last seven by knocking off the JL Clevelanders Collegians Thursday at Baldwin-Wallace by the score of 5-1. This is the first of three meetings in three days between these two rivals. "Brian Karpel was magnificant tonight!" stated Parma coach Gregg Pelka. "He was in complete control from the opening pitch. Karp just keeps motoring along and we are riding his coattails." Karpel went the distance for his thrid win against no defeats and his ERA stands at 0.69. The lefty scattered three hits and struck out eight. The offense was provided by Jason Newcomb and Josh Gaub who each collected two hits. Nick Colagiovanni double in the fourth inning broke a 1-1 tie and led Parma to the victory. Newcomb also swiped two bases in the process. The one tough stat tonight was Steve Conter had his 21-game hitting streak on an 0-4 night. Friday, MSI hits the road for a trip to Norwalk for a 5:30 start. Grant Relic looks for his first win of the season on the mound. Then its back home on Saturday for a noon twinbill against JL Clevelanders once again.
MSI Button Wednesday, 6/28/00. Parma MSI kept rolling along with their fifth win in six outings as they executed a convincing 15-1 win over Euclid at Baldwin-Wallace Wednesday night. MSI raised its mark to 17-6 and remained unbeaten (11-0) in Berea. Euclid fell to 8-7 on the year. Parma got a combination of impressive hitting and strong pitching to notch the surprisingly comfortable verdict over a Euclid club that earlier this season had defeated a perennial "Connie Mack state title pretender" JL Clevelanders. The victory gives MSI a 16-1 career mark over Euclid. Hitting stats were plentiful on the night. Chad Frk announced his returned to the line-up by smashing his third home run of the year and knocked in seven runs. Steve Conter raised his batting average to .500 (40-80) by collecting four hits and knocking in his team leading 29th run. Other players with mulitple hits on the day were Josh Gaub (3), Jason Newcomb (2), Greg Wisniewski (2), and Luke Howard (2). The eighteen hits were a team high this season. Chris Lang did the honors on the hill by tossing his first complete of the season and raising his mark to 2-0 while lowering his ERA to 1.68. Lang walked two,struck five, and gave up five hits. The 6-2 lefty turned gem by tossing only 74 pitches. Next up on this current homestand are the Strongsville Collegians from the inaugaral North Coast Collegiate wooden bat League Thursday night at 6:15 at B-W. Brian Karpel (2-0, 0.60) will get the starting assignment for MSI. "Thursday will be a stern test for us and really see where we are as a team," states Parma head coach Gregg Pelka. "It has been difficult playing short-handed the past couple of weeks on a daily basis and as we start to get some of our players back we can rest some guys we have been tiring out." "Our games against the Collegians tonight and on Saturday will allow us to see some older competition and prepare for a tough week in Nevada beginning on Monday," observes Pelka. "Hopefully we will step up for the challenge and continue to play the fine defense we have shown the past four games."
MSI Button Tuesday, 6/27/00. Parma MSI returned to the Buckeye State and the Other League in fine fashion as they won for the fourth time in their last five outings 3-1 over Andy's Niners at Baldwin-Wallace Tuesday night. Heath Baker twirled an outstanding complete game in raising his record to 2-1. Baker struck out seven and walked his first two hitters of the season in the effort which puts his ERA at 0.89. "Bakes did a tremendous job of staying ahead of the hittters all night long", stated MSI coach Gregg Pelka. "Everytime the Niners threatened he toughened up and left many key runners stranded on base. He pitched the big hitters especially tough." Pelka continued, "I became a bit concerned when he took that hard hit ball off his foot in the fourth, but he shook it off and came back strong. A real gutsy effort tonight for Heath." Offensively the big blows for MSI came in the first when with one out Steve Conter continued his torrid hitting by stroking a run-scoring triple and later scored on an infield single by Jason Newcomb. The RBI gives Conter a team-high 27 on the year. The last Parma tally came home on an errant throw following Wilson James second hit of the night which scored Dan Painter. The victory puts MSI at 7-1 in the Other League with one conference contest remaining against Boys of Summer in mid-July. The loss drops the Niners to 2-2 in the League. Overall, MSI is now 16-6 and welcomes Euclid to B-W tomorrow night at 6:00 pm. Chris Lang (1-0, 2.17) will make his third start of the campaign. NOTES: Three MSI players were selected to All-Tournament team in San Diego this past weekend: Brian Karpel, Greg Wisniewski, and Wilson James... One change in the pitching rotation this week to note, Brian Karpel will pitch on Thursday against JL Collegians and Grant Relic will be moved back one day to Friday at Norwalk.....The rotation will probably revert back to normal next week in Carson City, Nevada for the Capitol Classic.
MSI Button Saturday, 6/24/00. Parma MSI recovered nicely from a disappointing loss on Friday to sweep a pair of Arzona teams on Saturday in the Eaton Memorial Tournament at the University of San Diego. MSI knocked off the Yuma Braves 8-5 and then capped the day with an exciting 8-6 triumph over the Arizona Rustlers. In the opener, Greg Wisniewski's bases-loaded double to right center broke a 3-3 deadlock in the top of the sixth and led Parma to the win. The hit gave Wiz his second double of the game. Also collecting two hits in the first conest were Steve Conter, Jason Newcomb, Josh Gaub, and Dan Painter. Newcomb also knocked in pair of tallies. MSI collected five doubles in a game for the first time this year. Mike Johnston went the distance to improve his record to 5-0. He was his own worst enemy walking five to prolong innings. MJ was able to recover in most cases and scattered eigth hits in the route going performance. The MSI lefty also struck out eight. In the second game, MSI scored six times in the fourth inning to take a 8-2 lead and withstood a furious Rustlers' rally to hold on for the win. Luke Howard gutted out a five-inning stint to record his third win against no losses. The Springboro native allowed nine hits, walked two and struck out five while permitting five runs (three earned). Brian Karpel had his second outstanding perfromance of the trip in collecting his second save of the season getting out of a bases-loaded no-out jam in the sixth. He allowed his first run of the tourney in the seventh but wrapped things up in fine fashion. The hitting stars of game two were plentiful. Josh Gaub and Nick Birnbaum each had three knocks while Wilson James and Chris Lang collected two safeties apiece. Brinbaum also had three RBIs to lead the way. Interestingly enough, all thirteen hits for MSI in the second contest were singles. MSI finished 3-2 in the round robin portion of the contest and failed to qualify for the championship game which 1s played on Sunday. You can see all the results of the Eaton Tournament on this web site following Monday. Parma returns for the six games in the next five days starting Tuesday night at home in an Other Legue tilt against Andy's Niners. MSI won the first meeting between the two squads in early June, 9-2. MSI stands 6-1 in the Other League with two League contests remaining. Heath Baker gets the starting nod for MSI on Tuesday with a chacne to clinch a tie for the title. Following this week it's back on the road to Carson City, Nevada and the Capitol City Classic.
MSI Button Friday, 6/23/00. Parma MSI's quest to win the Eaton Memorial Tournament in San Diego, California, took a severe blow when they dropped a 3-1 decision to Fox Sports of Seattle, Washington, and San Diego City College Friday. The defeat puts MSI at 1-2 in the four day tourney and places a must win-out situation on the remaining two games on Saturday. "We have placed ourselves in a difficult position with today's loss," said MSI head coach Pelka. "Our lack of clutch hitting and intelligent baserunning really cost us today and wasted a good pitching performance by Nick Colagiovanni and Heath Baker." Fox lefty Joe Estes scattered six hits and got some relief help from Scott Wichland when he tired in the seventh. MSI loaded the bases with one out, but was only able to plate one run. Steve Conter's drive to the warning track in right was hauled in by Rico Joseph to end the threat. Six different Parma hitters collected safeties with Dan Painter gathering in the lone RBI. MSI was 0-7 once again wtih runners in scoring positin and were thrown out three times at third base during the tilt. Nick Colagiovanni went 5.1 innings yielding five hits and three runs (one earned) while walking four and striking out the same number. Heath Baker pitched the final 1.2 and got out of a scoring threat by the Pacific Northwest club in the sixth. Colagiovanni's mark dropped to 1-2. Next up Saturday is a doubleheader with two teams from Arizona. Mike Johnston (4-0) will take the mound against the Yuma Braves who have clinched the other division with a 4-0 tourney mark. It will be the first ever meeting between the two squads. Luke Howard (2-0) is the game two starter depsite sufferring a mild hip pointer during the Fox game on Saturday. If Howard cannot play, Chris Lang will get the nod against Arizona Rustlers. MSI owns a 2-0 career mark against the Rustlers.
MSI Button Thursday, 6/22/00. Parma MSI began the Eaton Memorial Tournament in San Diego, California by splitting an opening day doubleheader. In the opening contest, Parma was shut out for only the fifth time in their 20-year history, 10-0 to the host team (San Diego Gamers). In the second contest, MSI bounced back to throttle the Murrieta (CA) Hawks 16-0. Both games were payed at scenic Land Stadium at Point Loma Nazarene University. The MSI offense could do nothing against lefty Travis Escovil in the opener mustering only three hits with two of the safeties coming off the bat of Steve Conter. Grant Relic fell to 0-2 as he had trouble staying in front of hitters. Game two was the other version of Jekyll and Hyde show on Thursday using an unstoppable offense 16-0. Brian Karpel was dominating throwing a 61 pitch complete game in raising his mark to 2-0 and lowering his minsicule ERA to 0.33. Karp struck out 11 in going the route. The offense was lead by three-hit performances by Steve Conter, Jason Newcomb, and Dan Painter. Conter also knocked in six runs and Newcomb hit his first homer of the year. PARMA MSI takes on Fox Sports on Friday with Nick Colagiovanni (1-1, 1.47) on the hill.
MSI Button Monday, 6/19/00.The Parma MSI quest for an Other League title got derailed momentarily with a 5-4 loss to the Diamond Boys at Solon High School. The setback dropped MSI to 6-1 in the League and 11-4 overall. Diamond Boys upped their league mark to 4-2 in the process. Centerfielder Scott Francesangelo's two-out three run homer to dead center capped off a five-run fourth inning to lead Diamond Boys to the win. An MSI error prolonged the inning to allow in four earned runs and permit Francesangelo to bat off MSI starter Heath Baker. Baker went the distance and was the hard luck loser to fall to 1-1 (0.93 ERA). "Heath certainly pitched well enough to win most games. We made some key mistakes during that fourth inning to cause ourselves some trouble and prolong the inning. When you have the chance to close out a team on a routine play tied in a league game, you have to make the play," stated Pelka. "Offensively we hit the ball very hard but had little to show for it. Give the Diamond Boys credit, we had plenty of chances, but they shut us down. Kudos to starter Slack who didn't bedazzle us, but kept us off the board," Pelka continued. Josh Gaub led MSI with two hits, but it was MSI's inability to hit with runners in scoring position (1-7) that cost them the game. Next up is another Other League contest against Fielder's Choice tomorrow night at Brecksville High. Parma tries to depart the Buckeye State on a winning note before heading out to the Eaton Memorial Tournament in San Diego, California on Wednesday night. "It is important to us to finish with a win tomorrow night before heading to the left coast. We have to treat this as a very important contest that it is and not look ahead to getting on the plane," deduced Pelka. "Its a must win!" MSI won the first meeting between the two clubs eleven days ago in Berea, 11-2 behind Heath Baker. Chris Lang (1-0, 4.20) takes the bump for MSI.
MSI Button Sunday, 6/18/00. Washed out again at Euclid this afternoon. The means we begin our road trip tomorrow instead at Solon High against Diamond Boys.
The pitching rotation for the week is a follows:
Monday at Diamond Boys - Heath Baker (1-0, 0.78)
Tuesday at Fielder's Choice - Chris Lang (1-0, 4.20)
Thursday vs. San Diego Gamers - Grant Relic (0-1, 4.45)
Thursday vs. Murrieta (CA) Hawks - Brian Karpel (1-0, 0.43)
Friday vs. Fox Sports (WA) - Nick Colagiovanni (1-1, 1.47)
Saturday vs. Yuma (AZ) Braves - Mike Johnston (3-0, 0.48)
Saturday vs. Arizona Rustlers - Luke Howard (2-0, 1.50)
Sunday - Semi-Final - Heath Baker (1-0, 0.78) , Championship - Chris Lang (1-0, 4.20)
MSI Button Friday, 6/16/00. Rain continues to cause problems with the schedule. as MSI was washed out for the third consecutive day. Change tomorrow (Saturday, June 17) to a DH at home vs. Lake Erie Admirals, 4:00 pm.
MSI Button Tuesday, 6/13/00. Parma MSI won on a forfeit, 7-0, tonight when the Lorain MTM team failed to appear for the game.
MSI Button Sunday, 6/11/00. Game 2. Parma MSI completed a six-game in 40-hour stretch in grand style in completing a sweep of the Diamond Boys in an Other League doubleheader by winning the second game 9-5. The victory gave MSI uindisputed possession of first place in the league as they completed an undefeated first half of the league campaign and won for the seventh time in the last eight outings. "This was a good test for us to play as many games as we did in a short period of time against tremendous competiton. Becoming physically and mentally tough results from stretches like this and should prepare us for the tournaments we are headed to in the next three weeks," stated Coach Pelka. "I can't say enough about our guys and the effort they gave throughout the three days. To come out of this stretch at 8-3 is encouraging for the future. Josh Gaub and Drew Saylor played brusied and tired the entire time weekend and still managed to give us a great effort." The one casualty for the weekend was Troy Yoder breaking his wrist sliding into third on Saturday. He is expected to be out 2-3 weeks. "The sooner we can get Troy back the better ballclub we will be," commented Pelka. "Taking a .500 hitter out of our line-up will be a tough hole to fill." Josh Gaub, catching both games of the DH in mid-80s temperatures, stroked three hits and drove in three RBI to lead MSI to the second game win. Also collecting two hits in the nightcap were Wilson James, Steve Conter, Nick Colagiovanni, and Dan Painter. Gaub's fourth-inning base hit scored Drew Saylor to tie the game and then Greg Wisniewski's sacrifice fly plated Steve Conter with the go-ahead run during the four-run game-decisive inning. Nick Colagiovanni settled down after a rocky start and pitched a strong final four innings to even his mark at 1-1. Colagiovanni was aided by some sparkling defensive plays by Wilson James, Drew Saylor, and Jason Newcomb. MSI gets a well-deserved day off on Monday and returns to action on Tuesday as the homestand continues against Lorain MTM at Baldwin-Wallace College at 6:15 p.m. Pitching rotation for the week is as follows: Tuesday: Mike Johnston (2-0, 0.00) Wednesday: Luke Howard (1-0, 2.00) Thursday: Heath Baker (1-0, 0.78) Friday: Chris Lang (1-0, 4.20) Saturday: Grant Relic (0-1, 4.20) and Brian Karpel (1-0, 0.43) Sunday: Nick Colagiovanni (1-1, 1.47) and Mike Johnston (2-0, 0.00)
MSI Button Sunday, 6/11/00. Game 1. Parma MSI completed one of the most amazing comebacks in their 20-year history in the first game of an Other League doubleheader and defeated Diamond Boys 10-9 in nine innings. The victory game MSI an undefeated first half of the League campaign (5-0) as they concluded the first full week of the regular season. Brian Karpel and Aaron Smigalski were hooked up in a classic pitching battle for five innings until the Diamond Boys tallied two unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning. Karpel was his own worst enemy by contributing a hit batsman and a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt. It was Smigalski's turn to yield the lead in the home half of the sixth as the first three MSI hitters reached safely on two hits and a walk. Piocerek relieved the Diamond Boys' starter and was greeted with a walk and a two-run single by Dan Painter to give MSI a 3-2 lead headed to the seventh. Karpel got two quick outs and then fell prey to bad breaks by allowing an infield single, hit batsman, and an infield error to tie the game. The MSI lefty tired in the top of eighth and when the dust finally settled he yielded six runs (all unerarned) and things looked bleak as MSI came to the plate down 9-3 in the extra frame. The already dismal outlook darkened as two outs were recorded easily. Then the gods began to smile on Parma as with two on and two out the fun began. James was hit by a pitch, Saylor walked, Conter and Newcomb hit back to back triples driving Piciorek from the game with the Diamond Boys lead at 9-8. Erdelyi threw his second pitch to the backstop scoring Newcomb to tie the game at 9 before getting the third out of the inning. Reliever Mike Johnston (2-0) retired the Diamond Boys in order in the top of the ninth to set the table for MSI game-winning heroics in the home half of the ninth. Greg Wisniewski lead off the frame with a solid single to left, stole second base, and scored the game winner on Dan Painter's base knock to left center to win it. Steve Conter (.471) had four hits and three RBI, Wisniewski (.515) and Painter (.269) also had three safeties apiece. Winsiewski has now tallied 10 hits in his last 14 at-bats while drving in six runs.
MSI Button Saturday, 6/10/00.Parma split a doubleheader at Lorain losing the first 16-13 and winning the second contest 18-10. Sunday, an Other League showdown at Baldwin-Wallace College against Diamond Boys. Both teams are undefeated in the league. MSI will send Brian Karpel (1-0, 0.00) in the opener and Nick Colagiovanni (0-1, 0.00) in the nightcap.
MSI Button Friday, 6/09/00.Parma MSI kept it rolling as they ran their winning streak to four games with a split doubleheader sweep at home on Friday. The two victories pushed the season mark to 5-2 and the club now owns a 4-0 mark in the Other League.
In game one, after yielding two first inning doubles Heath Baker was masterful in shutting down Fielder's Choice on eight hits for his first win and complete game. Baker didn't walk anyone and struck out five. First game offensive heroics belong to Greg Wisniewski who stroked three hits, stole a base, and knocked in four runs in the process. Jason Newcomb and Steve Conter each posted three knocks and an RBI for the game as for the second night in a row MSI broke the game with a 6-run inning.
In game two, despite two home runs by Lake Erie shortstop Joe Koussa off Chris Lang, MSI bashed a 11-7 win over their Other League rivals. Eight MSI hitters got into the hit column and each of them also collected at least one RBI. Wilson James stroked three safeties while Steve Conter and Josh Gaub each drove in two runs. Chris Lang tossed five innings to garner the win over the Admirals with Brian Karpel picking up his first save.
The victory runs MSI Other League mark to 4-0 and they will complete the first half of the league season by hosting the undefeated Diamond Boys on Sunday at Baldwin-Wallace. In the meantime, they travel to Columbus Park in Lorain on Saturday to tangle with MTM. Grant Relic (0-1, 1.17) and Steve Conter (0-0, 0.00) get the starting assignments in a DH beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday's Starters: Brian Karpel (1-0, 0.00) and Nick Colagiovanni (0-1, 0.00) Tuesday's Starter: Mike Johnston (1-0, 0.00) Wednesday's Starter: Luke Howard (1-0, 2.00)
MSI Button Thursday, 6/08/00. Parma MSI chalked up their second consecutive win knocking of Other League foe Andy's Niners by the score of 9-2 at the Northern Ohio Complex in Strongsville, Ohio. The win moved MSI above .500 for the first time this season and also marked their first road win of the year against two defeats. Wilson James got things started by opening the game with a double own the rightfield line and eventually scored the game's first run on a wild pitch. That was the first of three hits on the night for James who also knocked in a pair of tallies during MSI's six-run fifth off Niners' starter Andy Hargrove. Hargrove was drafted this week in the 31st round by his father Mike's team, the Baltimore Orioles. The southpaw was touched up for seven runs (one earned) and eight hits in six innings of work. After a Rhomberg home run and an RBI single by Stacey put Andy's Niners up 2-1 after four innings, the MSI bats which have been dormant for most of the first week took over. The largest offensive inning of the young season saw James knock in two with a bases loaded single (which proved to be the difference in the game), Jason Newcomb and Chad Frk each single in one and Josh Gaub finish off the scoring for the innings with a two-run triple to dead center. MSI concluded their scoring on Chad Frk's two-run blast to rightcenter in the seventh. His second of the season and second in two days. Luke Howard was strong all game despite allowing a home run and yielded only two runs on three hits. Howard chalked up his first win of the year going the distance walking two and striking out six. His stellar peformance kept the MSI staff ERA under 1.00 (0.60) for the season. Six games in three days begin tomorrow (Friday) against Fielder's Choice at 3:30 with Heath Baker (0-0, 0.00) on the bump. The second game of the DH pits Chris Lang (0-0, 0.00) to the mound against the Lake Erie Admirals at 6:15 p.m. Both games will be at Baldwin-Wallace College. MSI is now 2-0 in the Other League with four of the next six contests in the league.
MSI Button Thursday, 6/08/00.  Parma MSI opened up league play with a 4-0 win over Boys of Summer yesterday at Baldwin-Wallace. Mike Johnston and Heath Baker combined for a three-hit shutout in lowering the team ERA to an astonishing 0.25 through four games. The duo struck out six and dominated the Boys powerful line-up.
  Offensively, MSI was led by Chad Frk who hammered his first round-tripper of the season to start the scoring in the second inning. Five players got hits as the MSI opened finally began to swing well, but didn't get much to show for their efforts off two Boys' pitchers. The game ended rather uniquely as the last two outs were recorded when Parma reliever Heath Baker picked two runners off second base. "In twenty years of coaching I have never seen a game end like that," stated coach Gregg Pelka. "Give Heath and Wilson James credit for executing the plays. This early in the season we haven't had the time to perfect our pickoff plays, yet they ran them as well as possible."
  Tonight, MSI travels to Strongsville's Northern Ohio complex to take on Other League rival Andy's Niners at 6:15 p.m. Luke Howard will get his first start of the season.
 NOTES: Monday's rainout vs. Fielder's Choice has been reschduled as part of a Twi-night DH on Friday, June 9 at Baldwin-Wallace beginning at 3:30. The first game is against Fielder's Choice and the second is the regualrly scheduled contest agst. Lake Erie Admirals. Both games are Other League contests....Jason Newcomb was selected to the All-State team in Michigan High School Baseball to play at Comerica Park in Detroit...Newcomb is also the all-time leader in career batting average in the state of Michgan with a .538 to eclipse Drew Henson's (Univ. of Michigan and NY Yankees) mark....Chad Frk will be participating in the Mizuno Ohio All-State Series this weekend in Columbus and also playing in Oklahoma in two weeks representing the Buckeye State.