8-25-02 Fairview Park, Ohio
The top 2 seeded teams faced off to decide the Cleveland Roy Hobbs Baseball League Championship. The Elyria Senior Pioneers owned a 16-2 record and the BW-3 Angels posted 14 wins against 4 defeats. Mark Niemi of the Angels and John Vilevac of the Pioneers, two of the top pitchers in the league, squared off in a classic confrontation.
Vilevac opens the scoring with a single to left converting a Jason Kupcak single and stolen base into an early Pioneer lead. Vilevac extends the Pioneer advantage with a clutch, bases loaded 2 RBI single. The Angels break through in the fourth on an RBI single by Randy Kistemaker. Vilevac counters with his 4th RBI to create a 5-1 lead.
Jim Kudron leads off the 6th with a screaming triple to right and Kistemaker punches the run home with a single. The Angels add a 3rd tally to tighten the game at 5-3. Niemi shuts down the Pioneers in the bottom of the 6th and Vilevac returns the favor in the top half of the 7th.
Vilevac strokes a 2 out double to to left and Len Brodnik powers a home run to right to stretch the Pioneer lead to 7-3.
The Angels push across a run in the top of the 9th but fall short in a hard fought game 7-4.
Congratulations to the 2002 Cleveland Roy Hobbs Baseball Champions!