CALL only focused on Thursday night
District 4 champions can clinch spot in Bristol with victory over Western
CUMBERLAND — Don’t tell Cumberland American Little League Major Division all-star coach Tony Tarara his team is a heavy favorite to win the state title and advance to Bristol, Conn. for New Englands.
Even though what Cranston Western is trying to do has only been accomplished once in the last seven years and five times – four by Lincoln Little League – in the last 20 seasons, Tarara knows Western is well equipped to beat the District 4 champions over the next two nights to keep CALL from winning back-toback titles. Why? Because CALL did it last season to Warwick North in the 11year-old state final.
“They have some momentum after winning Tuesday, which is exactly what we had last year,” Tarara said Wednesday morning. “We knew exactly what we were getting into with the championship game and we were rolling. We need to shut them down right away because we don’t want to get to a Game 2. We want to get it done on Thursday.”
Tarara is well aware of what veteran Cranston Western coach Gary Bucci is telling his kids just 24 hours before the biggest game of their young lives because it was the same speech he gave his squad nearly a year ago in Wickford.
“I’m sure he’s telling his kids that everyone’s underestimating them and they’ve been underestimated the whole tournament,” Tarara said. “When I say that we were the underdogs last year, I don’t think anyone gave us a chance. Nobody knew anything about our team until we won districts. We shocked everyone and won states.”
Bucci, who coached Cranston Western out of the losers’ bracket to a state title and eventually a trip to Williamsport in 2015, made a decision prior to the start of the tournament that gives Cumberland American a potential advantage going into tonight’s contest, which is slated to start at 6:30 p.m.
Instead of starting ace fireballer Perry Gaudreau in the tournament opener Saturday against District 2 champion Riverside, Bucci went with Jake Snowling, who Tarara called the District 1 champion’s No. 3 starter. The move paid off on Saturday, but Gaudreau was outpitched by Charlie Tarara in Sunday’s 2-0 CALL victory.
While Bucci will have his ace for Friday’s if-necessary game, Cranston Western is going to have to beat 11year-old Jack LaRose Thursday. All LaRose has done this postseason is go 4-0 in five starts, including a nohitter in Saturday’s 2-0 win over South Kingstown.
“Jack’s recipe is good for any team that we play,” Tarara said. “Quite frankly, he doesn’t give you the same look every time. The reason my son was so effective on Sunday was because he never gave them the same pitch in the same location twice in a row. He hit his spots and always mixed in his curveball.
“You just have to keep them guessing. These kids are so good – Cranston and our team – you give them the same pitch twice, the second one is going out.”
Not only has he been dominant on the mound, but LaRose has been CALL’s main source of offense in Johnston. He belted a two-run home run to produce the only runs in Saturday’s win and he hit a solo home run in the fourth inning against Gaudreau to double his team’s lead.
The only other run came on an RBI ground out by Tarara. Tony Tarara, however, believes, District 4 championship game hero Scotty Penney, catcher J.J. Sanzi, Joey Cote, Andrew Mastin and Andrew Ray could all play a role in hitting CALL to a victory tonight.
Western advanced to the title game by overcoming a 6-0 deficit in a 10-9 victory over South Kingstown Tuesday night. Chris Piscione hit a grand slam in a five-run fifth inning to erase a 9-5 deficit. Colby Kuzman also hit a home run.
“There aren’t nerves. There’s anticipation,” Tarara said. “They can’t wait to get on the field. They’re not cocky. They’re absolutely working on all the little things they need to work on. They’re going into this like there’s no tomorrow. We’re going at it full bore. We’re going with Jack and do what we can to take this game and not extend it to Friday. If it goes to Friday, anything can happen – Murphy’s Law.”
A win Thursday would return CALL to Bristol for the third time since 2011, while Cranston Western is trying to reach Bristol for the fifth time since 2005.