HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD
Tarara tosses 4-hitter to lead CALL to state final
JOHNSTON — Maybe Cumberland American Major Division all-star Charlie Tarara was thinking of buying his father, CALL coach Tony Tarara, a couple pairs of socks, or a bottle of cologne, or even a necktie for his birthday.
Instead, Tarara gave his dad a better gift on the baseball diamond. On the same day his father turned 41 years old, the younger Tarara pitched and hit Cumberland American past District 1 champion Cranston Western and into Thursday’s state final at Mazzulla Field.
Tarara worked around some jitters – and three hits – in the opening two innings to toss 5.2 innings of shutout baseball. At the plate, Tarara drove in the game-winning run with a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the third inning in a satisfying 2-0 victory.
“Today was my birthday and this was the best birthday present these guys could give me,” Tony Tarara said. “I’ll tell you right now, that is the best gift I’ve ever received. Maybe a grandkid someday, but I don’t think he could give me anything better than what he gave this team today.”
Unlike last season when the Cumberland American all-stars had to work their way out of the losers’ bracket to win the 11-year-old state title, Tarara and his coaching staff now have three days to get their team ready for Thursday’s state final against either Cranston Western or South Kingstown.
Jack LaRose, who hit his second mammoth home run in as many days, will start the title game with Tarara available to throw in the ifnecessary contest on Friday.
“This year, we are not taking anything for granted – I’m going to tell you that right now,” Tarara said. “They’re going to work hard and we’re going to do our bullpen sessions to get these kids’ arms ready to go. They’re going to field like we’ve never fielded before because this team (Cranston Western) is going to come back.”
Cranston Western, which crushed District 2 champion Riverside in the winners’ bracket semifinal Saturday afternoon, had a couple of chances to dent Tarara before he settled into the contest. The District 1 champions put a pair of runners on base with two outs in the first, but Tarara struck out Sam Lucas on three pitches.
One inning later, the first two Cranston West batters singled, but Tarara struck out Nick Masse, forced Nick Williams to hit into a fielder’s choice and struck out leadoff hitter Marcus Chung.
Tarara said he has an unusual way of dealing with pressure with runners on base. The 12-year-old righty sings the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa,” in his head to settle his nerves. Tarara said he started listening to the song when he heard it in the movie “Hardball.”
“I just focused on the glove and shout out to the Notorious B.I.G. because his song helps me relax when I’m on the mound,” Charlie Tarara said. “I just tried to block out everything they where doing and I just tried to focus in on the glove (of catcher J.J. Sanzi).”
Cranston Western fireballer Perry Gaudreau set down the first six batters, but he ran into trouble in the third inning when Dante Figueira reached to start the inning on an error. Another Gaudreau mistake on a ball hit by Andrew Ray put two runners on base with no outs.
After a fielder’s choice cut down the go-ahead run at third, leadoff hitter Scotty Penney walked to load the bases for Tarara with one out. Tarara hit into a fielder’s choice to score Ray for the game-winning run.
“I just tried to poke it over the pitcher’s head to get a force at second and score the run,” Tarara said. “I have a lot of faith in this group of kids.”
CALL doubled its lead in the next inning when LaRose launched the first pitch he saw from Gaudreau over the center-field fence.
Cranston Western threatened in the fifth inning when the 2015 state champions put two runners on base with two outs for Gaudreau. Gaudreau had already flown out twice to right field, but this time he hit a hard grounder to third. Figueira made a great play to force out Nick Masse at third to end the threat.
“We played great defense and we had great pitching, but this is all about heart,” Tony Tarara said. “It takes a lot of heart. It takes a network of coaches around the whole town and the community gets us to where we are. I have the best mentor in Coach (2014 CALL coach and Mount hockey coach Dave) Belisle along with Coach (North Cumberland coach Steve) Cardoso.
“Those guys have been to the Little League World Series. They have helped me with how to keep the kids energetic and keep them hydrated. This is great. This is a big deal.”