The Brookline
Journal - August 19, 1976
Senior League All-Stars Reach
Semi-Finals
Brookline's Senior Little League
All-Stars went to the Western Semi-Final before elimination in the annual
Williamsport tournament competition.
The Seniors gave it a strong
whirl under the direction of Manager Mark Donato and Coach Dick Seiler by
blanking Bon Air-Knoxville, 2-0, in the district championship game,
erasing West Brownsville, 9-8, in a 10-inning interdistrict battle and
then bowing to King Koal of Carmichaels, 7-6, in a 9-inning Western
Regional semi-final.
Johnny Lee, a 15-year old
right-handed fireballer, pitched a 3-hitter, struck out 6 and was backed
by brilliant defensive plays as Brookline eased by Bon Air-Knoxville at
Moore Park in the district title game which required only the regulation
7 innings. Dave Healy, Mark Sciulli and Lee stroked big hits that shoved
Brookline on top. Lee was in trouble only in the sixth, when BAK
collected 2 of their three hits.
The interdistrict battle at West
Brownsville actually required two nights to complete. The teams battled
to an 8-8 tie when darkness forced a halt after 9 innings, two more than
regulation. Brookline travelled back to West Brownsville the following
night and scored the winning run in the 10th frame on Ray Benvenuti's
double, his 2nd hit of the game. Mark Sciulli slammed 3 hits, 2 of them
doubles, Dave Healy a pair of singles and Jimmy DelGreco 2
doubles.
The gutty Lee pitched all 10
innings to win his second straight game, although he had to work out of
numerous jams as he walked seven compared to the 1 pass he issued in the
opener with BAK. He fanned 5 but displayed the intestinal fortitude when
it was needed.
Manager Donato had to come back
with a 14-year old right-hander, Clint Burton, who has mastered a variety
of "junk" pitches and is developing a fastball, at Moore Park the very
next night when King Koal of Carmichaels, Pa. Came in for a Western
semi-final.
Burton retired the first eleven
batters and Brookline jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Then, for the first time
in the playoffs, the defense faltered and before it ended in 9 innings
Carmichaels had scored 6 unearned runs to record a 7-6 victory and
eliminate the Greater Pittsburgh area champions.
But Brookline had heroes galore,
particularly Bruce Buskirk, who made three sensational plays at
shortstop, turning each one into an out, plus blasting a thrilling
inside-the-park home run to deepest center field, and Ray Benvenuti,
another 14-year old with a great baseball future, who smashed a 350-foot
home run with 1 on into the trees outside the left-center
fence.
And add the name of Jimmy
DelGreco, another in the long line of sons of Bobby, the former Pirate
outfielder. Jimmy stroked 3 hits, 2 of them doubles.
Meanwhile Burton, who along with
Benvenuti will return next year, completed the full nine innings,
yielding only 5 hits and one earned run. Clint struck out five and
walked only two.
Congratulations to Manager Donato
and Coach Seiler for a job well done, particularly with three outstanding
all-stars unable to play in the final game. Andy Clark, John Boyle, and
Dino DelMastro were on vacation.

1976 Senior League
All-Stars
Kneeling: Johnny Lee, Ed Ridge, Dan Mazzie, Andy Clark, Clint Burton,
John Boyle, Dave Healy.
Standing: Coach Mark Donato, Bruce Buskirk, Dino DelMastro, Ricky
Schumacher, Brian Phillips, Jimmy DelGreco, Mark Sciulli, Coach Dick
Seiler.
Missing from
photo: Ray
Benvenuti.
* Photo provided by
Clint Burton * |