FAIRFIELD, Ohio and WEST CHESTER, Ohio – Pool play began to wind down in the early evening on Saturday, and while other teams were going through mathematical calculations and logic matrices to figure if their teams would advance to the championship bracket, the Indiana Irish were playing a major role in the development of those pairings.
   It was standing room only around the standings board at the 2008 11U Cincinnati Flames Summer Classic.
   The Irish led the South Dayton Sting, 3-1 entering the sixth inning, and with a 2-0 record in pool play, an Irish win meant a clear-cut bracket berth. As part of the lone six-team pool, the Irish were the only team that could finish 3-0 and not win a pool, so they would be guaranteed a No. 12 seed.
   That would then mean just four 2-1 non-pool champions would advance.
   And the first wild card tiebreaker was runs allowed. The Irish gave up just eight in their first two-and-five-sixths games. So a bad inning could have meant no luck of the Irish and no championship bracket, and opened up a spot for another fringe team.
   But pitcher Paulie Milto, who had thrown a no-hitter just two weeks earlier, finished off the Sting with a 1-2-3 sixth for a complete game victory. The Irish had to play all three of their games on Saturday.
   Milto also homered for the second time in the tournament to help the Irish offense, which was without its catcher and No. 2 hitter because of a family member’s funeral.
   “It’s elation: I’m really proud of these guys,” Irish coach Brian Hobson said. “We’ve played great defense the entire tournament.”
   Victory Baseball (11 runs allowed) could have still been the No. 16 seed anyway, but that was by no means certain. Shoetiques (nine runs allowed) seized the 15th seed.
   The No. 13 seed – the one given to the top 2-1 non-pool winner, went to St. Joe’s, which allowed just six runs. 
   The Mid-Ohio Blaze (12 runs allowed) were shut out despite posting a shutout.
   One of the most compelling teams that did not advance was the Indiana Trojans (13 runs allowed). The Trojans lost their pool opener, 2-1, then rallied to win, 9-8 over the Downriver Hawks on a two-out walk-off grand slam by Maverick Bacon. The Trojans then edged the Region Redhawks – a TBS honorable mention – 4-3 to conclude pool play, but were still left out of the bracket.
   Another TBS honorable mention, the Cincinnati Flames (15 runs allowed) were on the wrong side of the tiebreaker, as were the West Chester Sluggers (15 runs allowed), the lone ranked TBS team in the tournament at No. 14.

   It was not a walk-off, but Noah Heard hit a key grand slam for the Fairfield Chiefs in their 11-8 win over the Indiana Bandits.
   Also, Daniel Santiago broke up a one-hit shutout with his grand slam for the Homer Heat. Homer trailed, 5-0 entering the sixth, but Santiago’s blast to right-center field made it 5-4.
   One more Homer batter reached base before the New Palastine Dragons took out Brandon Jonas – who pitched an otherwise brilliant game – and recorded the final out after going to their bullpen.

   Speaking of dominant pitching, the Fairfield Chiefs got a complete-game win from Zach Hardwick. He allowed just a solo homer in a 2-1 win over the Kennesaw Cobras.
   Fairfield needed that win to have a chance to earn a playoff berth, but was still snubbed.

   Cincinnati Flames first baseman Jordan Poore hit another home run on Saturday to bring his pool play total to three after hitting two on Thursday.
   Also, Columbus Sharks catcher/third baseman Nick Conner homered twice in pool play. Both were two-run shots.

 Photo by Cathy White

New Palestine Dragons pitcher Brandon Jonas during his win over the Homer Heat. He took a one-hitter into the sixth inning.

 Photo by Cathy White

Indiana Trojans slugger Maverick Bacon leads off first base during a 4-3 win over the Region Redbirds. Earlier Saturday, Bacon hit a walk-off grand slam to beat the Downriver Hawks, 9-8.

 Photo by Cathy White

Shoetiques shortstop Cameron Towns tags a runner out during an 11-3 win over the Ohio Patriots.   

Photo by Cathy White

The first place trophy for the 2008 U11 Cincinnati Flames Summer Classic.  

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