McCloskey sends SAA U12 to World Series

As the No. 3 batter in Springfield’s lineup, Brian McCloskey has delivered his share of big hits. None, though, had more significance than the three-run home run McCloskey belted in the fifth inning of Springfield’s 4-1 victory over Milburn-Short Hills (N.J.) in the Cal Ripken 12-year-old Major/60 Middle Atlantic Regional championship game on Aug.1 at Netherwood Park. It was a blast of historic proportions. With the win, this group of all-stars became the first team in the history of the Springfield Athletic Association to qualify for a World Series, according to Goose Gosselin, one of the committee members for the Middle Atlantic Regional.“I’m speechless,” McCloskey said. Right fielder Matt Conran, whose RBI single set the stage for McCloskey’s home run, did not have trouble putting the historic victory into words. “It’s really exciting,” he said. “Winning the regional is something we’ve talked about all year. It’s been our goal, and it feels great to be the first team to get to a World Series.”Reaching the World Series, which will be held in Wilson County, N.C., Aug. 11-19, was a bit of redemption for 10 of the 13 players on the Springfield roster. That core group failed to win a game at the 11-year-old Major/60 Middle Atlantic Regional a year ago in Tuckahoe, N.Y. “That was really disappointing,” said Springfield coach Joe Johnson, who was the coach of that team a year ago. “We went 0-4 and lost three of those games by one run. We wanted to show that we were better than that.” Springfield showed its mettle when it rallied from a 6-0 deficit for an 8-7 victory over Mount Hope, the Metro New York champion, in Saturday’s semifinals. Springfield scored all of its runs in the last four innings. It would take more late-game heroics to win the regional title. Springfield and Milburn-Short Hills were locked in a scoreless duel thanks to superb pitching performances from Springfield’s Nick O’Shea, and Charlie Carbin and Zack Hersh of Milburn-Short Hills. O’Shea and Carbin combined on a five-hitter. O’Shea went the first three innings before giving way to Carbin. He came back to get the final out after Milburn-Short Hills scored its only run and loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. O’Shea, who fanned five and surrendered two hits, got leadoff man Nick Minter to bounce out to Jim Murray at third base to end the threat and touch off a championship-caliber celebration. Carbin retired six of the first seven batters he faced before running into two-out trouble in the sixth inning. “I can’t say enough about those two guys,” Johnson said. “They were terrific. I knew I had O’Shea for four innings, but the plan wasn’t to go with him for three and Charlie for three. It was pitch-by-pitch the whole way. Charlie pitched two great innings and when he got in trouble I decided to come back with Nick.” Hersh was equally as effective. He had a four-hit shutout going until Springfield finally got to him in the fifth inning. Carbin beat out a one-out single to start the rally. Seamus McCaffrey reached base on an error and Conlan followed with an RBI single to right field to break the scoreless deadlock and bring McCloskey to the plate. One historic swing later, Springfield was on its way to the World Series. “It feels great,” said McCloskey, who also had a single in the first inning and was hit by a pitch. “To be the first team to win the regional championship and go to World Series, and do it in your hometown is unbelievable.”
SP-McClosk#2 8-4.jpgThe team hoist the Ripken Mid Atlantic Regional trophy and celebrates its upcoming trip to the World Series.