If somebody told Long Island Cardinals’ manager Ian Millman that his team would beat two draft picks in the seeding round, win three straight games through the elimination round, jump out to a 3-0 lead in a loser-goes-home game and that the winner of
“I would figure that we were playing flawless baseball, the planets were aligned, Elvis was in the building and this would be our year for a championship,” said Millman, whose Cardinals lost, 5-3, to eventual USABF champion Firestone Rangers in a season finale Friday in San Diego.
After blowing through the elimination round, defeating the Inland (Calif.) Bulldogs, Eastside (Washington) Harley Davidson and the Playa Vista (Calif.) Orioles, the Cardinals were left with the daunting task of eliminating the San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Firestone Rangers.
The Rangers were a tournament favorite and had already upset the favored Colton (Calif.) Nighthawks and San Diego (Calif.) Show.
Destiny put these two teams together short of the finals, where tournament officials had earlier figured these teams would meet. After the double-elimination round, teams were reseeded, and that forced the Cardinals and Rangers to meet in a winner-take-all contest.
Southpaw Cory Warrings got through the top of the first, stranding two runners. In the bottom of the frame, the Cardinals’ offense exploded and it looked like they were going to put the game out of reach.
Kenny Bowers reached on an error and moved to second on a Jason Bonder groundout. Sean O’Brien, 45th-round draft pick of the Montreal Expos, then doubled off of the left-center field fence at San Diego State University’s Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Holy Cross’ Frank Terzo then took a 2-0 fastball out of the stadium, an estimated 415 feet, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. George Washington-bound lefty Anthony Smith doubled down the right field line and Queens College incoming freshman Yi-Chang Chiang reached on an error, putting runners on the corners.
Rangers’ manager Ron Siskey chose to stay with his starting pitcher, Steve Cochran, a decision that would ultimately win them the game. Cochran settled down to strike out both Anthony Belfiore and Rob Sanzillo to strand the runners on base.
Warrings walked the bases loaded in the second inning with nobody out, but he struck out Ryan Overland and Jayson Wysong and got Eric Morrison to fly out to center to end the inning.
In the third inning, the Rangers loaded the bases again on two walks and a single, but O’Brien caught a Robby Price fly ball to left and then fired home to nail Wes Pereira at the plate. Kory Langwell then grounded out to end the inning.
“I figured that they had eight runners on in the first three innings with no one crossing home plate; this had to be our day,” Millman added. “Then our bats just fell silent.”
Cochran went on to allow only two hits in the final six innings. Warrings was tagged for a run in the third, fourth and fifth. He left with the game tied at 3 after walking seven, hitting a batter, giving up four hits and striking out five.
“He was wild enough that they couldn’t really dig in on him,” Millman said of the Cards’ starter. “Then he would find the strike zone and the hitters, being uncomfortable in the (batters) box couldn’t really get a read on him.”
Southside High School righthander Eric Bretscher came on to pitch a scoreless sixth, but a walk and back-to-back doubles in the seventh would spell the end for Bretscher.
After the two runs scored, Queens College-bound Brian Honeyman, who had thrown 77 pitches two days earlier, came on to retire the next three hitters and send the game to the bottom of the seventh.
But four batters later, the season was over. The Cardinals finished the season at 43-14-1, with an Elite League championship and New York Liberty Tournament championship under their wing.
“I guess Elvis had left the building,” Millman said.
Tournament Notes: Whitestone native Terzo, who is heading to North Florida Community College, hit two three-run home runs, leading the Cardinals to an 11-5 victory over Harley Davidson. The Cardinals defeated Brad Clapp, a potential future top-round draft choice with a 94-mph fastball. Anthony Smith struck out eight of the nine batters he faced in the tournament opener against the Rocky Mountain (Colo.) Baseball Academy.
Bowers paced the offense, scoring 10 runs and hitting over .450. Belfiore delivered five clutch RBIs, Andrew Chunn had a game-winning single, and Charlie Foster Jr. delivered a crucial complete game victory over Playa Vista in the single elimination round while pitching with a heel spur.
Magic numbers: Foster topped at 91 mph, Smith at 90 mph and Honeyman at 89 mph. The surprise of the tournament was Cardinals junior RHP Tom Koehler’s (New Rochelle High School) clocking in at 92 mph.
The Cardinals will hold tryouts for all players 16 and under. The Long Island Cardinals will hold their annual tryout at Benjamin Cardozo High School for all players age 13 (born after Aug. 1, 1990) through 16 (not turning 17 before Aug. 1, 2004). The tryout will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24. Players should wear baseball attire and bring their own bats, gloves and spikes. For more information, contact Rich Kashdan at 646-523-8972.
