Ohioans push Mass. team to 0-2

Cambridge player attempts a bunt during Babe Ruth World Series Game 7
between Cambridge and Youngstown. Jeff Loughlin photo/The Patriot Ledger

By ADAM RIGLIAN
The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY – They love it here.

Youngstowners love it here so much they seemingly come back every time the Babe Ruth World Series is held here – and they play well, too.

Youngstown, Ohio, won its second straight game of this tournament Sunday night, defeating Eastern Massachusetts champion Cambridge, 5-1.

Cambridge fell to 0-2 in pool play.

“The recipe for winning is good pitching, which we’re getting; good defense, which we’re getting; and timely hitting, which we’re just not getting,” Cambridge coach Marco Giampa said. “We can’t get that critical hit.”

Cambridge opened the scoring in the second inning after Joey Kervick came home on a wild pitch after drawing a walk.

Despite the early offense, Cambridge could only muster two more hits.

“We’re just not manufacturing runs,” Giampa said. “I don’t want to take anything away from the other team’s pitching. They made the tough pitches when they had to. We’ll bounce back.”

Youngstown, the Ohio Valley Regional champions who won the title here in 2003 and also qualified for the 2005 series in Quincy, broke out offensively in the fourth inning, scoring two runs and putting themselves in front for good.

Dan Popio led off the inning with a single and was knocked home by a Giman Senchak triple. Senchak scored off of a crisply hit single by shortstop John Sansone.

Andre Jones scored on another wild pitch in the fifth and Cody Pitzo and Mark Leone added insurance runs in the sixth.

Senchak went 4 1/3 innings to earn the victory.

Adam Riglian may be reached at ariglian@ledger.com.