Marlboro’s ‘awesome’ run highlight of Eastern Regional
Junior League stars
win twice to
make final four
JEFF HUNTLEY Ryan Glasberg pitches for Marlboro in an Aug. 5 game against Maryland.
The Marlboro Junior League All-Stars crashed their own party last week. Instead of playing the congenial host at the Junior League Eastern Region Tournament and quietly stepping aside, the Marlboro stars sent shock waves through the region tournament by winning two games and advancing to the Final Four.
"It’s been awesome," said Marlboro’s Jeff Frommer. "We never thought we’d go this far.
"It was a total team effort," he added. "We had more heart than the other teams. We played our hardest while they thought that as the host team they’d walk over us. We sent two teams home."
This is the second straight year that the Marlboro Little League Complex has hosted the Eastern Regional for the Junior League (ages 13-14). As the host site, Marlboro gets to put its team in the eight-team field.
JEFF HUNTLEY Marlboro’s Howard Dobshinsky gets set to slap a tag on Maryland’s Tim Smith during their teams’ Aug. 5 game in Marlboro. Maryland went on to win the game 7-3, but Marlboro’s run in the Junior League Eastern Region Tournament was just beginning.
Last summer, Marlboro went out like a good host is supposed to in two games, but not this time around. Instead, they stayed around long enough to send two state championship teams, Georgetown, Del., and Swampscott, Mass. (the New England representative), packing unexpectedly early.
Marlboro manager Craig Knox was impressed.
"These guys played up and above expectations," he said. "I thought we had a pretty good team going in, but never expected this. It was a fun ride."
Marlboro drew Maryland state champion Elkton in the first round on Aug. 5 and lost 7-3. The news here wasn’t the loss, but rather how competitive Marlboro had been. A three-run fourth inning, sparked by Chris Hecht’s RBI single, had the hosts up 3-1 early. It was a 3-2 lead going into the sixth inning before Elkton struck.
Knox saw that game as key to Marlboro’s unexpected run.
"That game showed our guys that we can play these teams, that we weren’t outclassed," he said.
They would prove that the next day (Aug. 6) against Georgetown pulling off the first stunner of the tournament, 8-4.
Howard Dobshinsky was steady on the mound going the distance. Marlboro gave him a 3-0 lead on the first as Frommer doubled in a pair of runs. Kyle Dunleavy’s two-run home run in the fourth pushed the lead to 6-0.
"Once they realized that they can play with these teams and then got a win, their confidence grew," said Knox. "I thought when we played Delaware that the kids were still a little uncertain. After that win, when they took the field against Swampscott and Norwich they knew they could win. They were so psyched up."
Marlboro’s amazing journey continued against Swampscott, a team that had been to the region last year. Swampscott won its opening round game against Delaware, 10-0, and had high expectations. The Massachusetts champions were derailed, 7-5, in a game that took two days to complete, thanks to two long home runs.
After Swampscott had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Marlboro answered with Ryan Glasberg’s booming two-run home run over the right centerfield fence.
Swampscott countered with three in the top of the sixth for a 4-2 lead.
But Marlboro was not fazed by the outburst and would strike for five big runs in their half of the second. An error and a balk scored two runs and then Frommer drilled a three-run blast over the centerfield fence that put Marlboro up 7-4.
Marlboro’s fireworks on the field were matched in the skies and, with two out in the bottom of the second, that game was stopped by the lightning and rain storm that blew in. The storm shut down the power at the complex and the game started at 3 p.m. the next day.
What a difference a day made. After the teams had combined for 11 runs in less than two full innings, when play was resumed, there would be just one run scored, by Swampscott in the top of the third, for the rest of the game.
Frommer pitched into the sixth to get the win and Glasberg relieved him and picked up the save. Marlboro’s defense was sharp, turning critical double plays behind both Frommer and Glasberg. Swampscott’s last best shot may have been in the sixth. A lead-off walk set the table, but an outstanding running catch near the left field line by Jack Donateli took away an extra base hit. That was followed by a 4-6-3 double play that took the heart out of Swampscott, whose Michael Hyde had held Marlboro to just one hit in his four innings of pitching.
That 7-5 upset put Marlboro on cloud nine and they waited to see who they would play that night, the winner of the Norwich, Conn. – Brandon, Pa., game. That was a back-and-forth slugfest won by Norwich, 11-9, with two runs in the last of the sixth.
While Marlboro had the benefit of three hours rest, it did not have the luxury of fresh pitching.
"We ran out of pitchers," said Knox. "You have to play to win the game you are playing at the time. I had to use Glasberg against Massachusetts and I knew we’d be short of pitchers for the next game.
"We ran into a really good team," he added. "They played very well. Their pitcher (Mike Hanks) was very tough. He was throwing all of his pitches for strikes."
Added to Hanks’ two-hit pitching, Norwich proved to be a very versatile team. They combined aggressive base-running with power to turn back Marlboro 13-0.
Andrew Carignan led the 13-hit attack with a pair of monster home runs, a two-run blast in the first and a towering three-run shot that put the game away in the sixth. The catcher had six RBI on the night.
The 13-0 loss was not the best way for Marlboro’s run to end, but it didn’t spoil the clamor the hosts had made.
"Our accomplishments were amazing," said Knox. "I’m very glad for the kids. This run enabled them to walk away from here realizing they were a good team."
The Marlboro Junior League All-Stars were: Dobshinsky, Donateli, Dunleavy, Frommer, Glasberg, Christopher Hecht, Craig Knox Jr., Danny Landau, Shawn Malysz, Matt Manochio and Chris Mazza.
Dan Manochio was the coach.

