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KING-Sized Effort Wins All-Star Game for the West

Tuesday, July 22
by Zach Stone and Jason Krakower
Box Score

All the stars were out tonight at Shirley Povich Field for the 2008 Cal Ripken, Sr. League All-Star game. After falling behind 4-0, the West All-Stars came all the way back to win 8-5.

Scott Schneider (Big Train/Saint Mary's (CA)) pitched a perfect inning to start the game for the West. East starter Scott Swinson (O's/Maryland) countered with a scoreless inning of his own. Swinson retired the West hitters in order, with help from rightfielder Todd Eskelin (Express/Cal State Northridge), who caught Ryan Mulligan's (Big Train/Saint Mary's (CA)) drive on the warning track up against the wall.

The East got on the board in the top of the second inning, with an unearned run. With one out in the inning, Eskelin reached first on an error. Next, Justin Wright (Big Train/Virginia Tech) allowed the first hit of the game, a sharp single to right-centerfield by Tim Reeves (Redbirds/George Washington), which advanced Eskelin to third. With two outs, Kyle Obal (Express/Temple) laced a single to right, giving the East the 1-0 lead. The inning would end there, however, as a great throw by Tommy Grandieri (Aces/Pennsylvania) nabbed Obal at second.

After a 1-2-3 inning by Nick Routt (Express/Mississippi State), the East went to work against Jaeson Hudnall (Braves/Urbana) in the top of the third. After a quick out, the rally began with an infield single from Adam Skonieczki (Redbirds/Buffalo), followed by a Gerard Hall (O's/Old Dominion) walk. Mike Celenza (Bombers/Salisbury) singled up the middle, scoring Skonieczki and moving Hall to second. A walk, RBI-groundout, and a single by Reeves plated two more runs.

Cory Toth (Orioles/Old Dominion) worked a scoreless bottom-of-the-third inning, surrendering only a walk to Michael Cipolla (Big Train/St. Mary's (CA)).

In the fourth inning, the momentum turned for the West. Cody Walden (Aces/Armstrong Atlantic) pitched a perfect top half of the inning, and then the West bats began to come alive. Back-to-back walks by Mulligan and Jordan King (Big Train/Meridian CC) were followed by another single by Danny Stienstra (Big Train/San Jose State). Despite loading the bases with nobody out, the West could not scratch a run across. East pitcher Austin Hurd (Express/Towson) fielded a grounder from John Skaggs (Aces/Wayne State) and forced Mulligan out at home for the first out, then got Luke Adkins (Big Train/Mississippi State) to ground into an inning-ending double play.

After missing the first opportunity, the West offense made sure to cash in on their next chance, in the fifth inning. Jordan Cudney (T-Bolts/Belmont Abbey) shut down the East offense, opening the door for the West to make a comeback. East reliever Jack Amidei (Bombers/Mesa State) hit the first batter of the inning, and walked the next two. An RBI-groundout and another walk pushed across a run and re-loaded the bases. King took advantage, knocking in two runs with a single to left.

The West tacked on two more runs, one on a passed ball, and the last one on a single by Skaggs, to take the lead, 5-4.

Another run-scoring single from King increased the West's lead to 6-4 in the seventh inning.

King, who went 2-3 with a walk and 3 RBIs, was named the game's MVP.

''These guys are unbelievable pitchers. They've got disgusting stuff; I was just focusing on making good swings,'' he said. ''I was just trying to sit on the fastball, and I got a fastball in on both [singles].''

The West went on to add two more runs in the eighth, with a key RBI single by Mike Lang (T-Bolts/Rutgers).

With a four run cushion heading into the ninth, the game looked safe for the West. Manager Sal Colangelo brought in Matt Hiserman, (Big Train/San Francisco). After striking out the first batter he faced, Hiserman hit two batters in a row, and then allowed a run-scoring single to Hall. With two outs, two runners on base, and his team down by three runs, Celenza stepped up to the plate against Hiserman. The Bombers' star launched a blast to deep centerfield... but it was reeled in on the warning track, ending the game.

Game notes: The crowd of 813 was a sell-out... Long-time Bombers' manager Gene Bovello was honored before the game with the ceremonial first pitch. Bovello will retire from coaching after this season, his 58th at the helm of an amateur baseball team... Despite the home team leading after eight and one half innings, the two sides played out the bottom of the ninth inning, to let some more players into the game.