AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL: Underdogs bring home title

Las Vegas Wildcats rally for victory against older team

You just can't measure heart.

Playing an older, more experienced team that happened to be the defending tournament champions and had home field advantage, the Las Vegas Wildcats dug down and found a way to beat St. George, Utah, 4-3, in the championship game of the American Legion 18-and-Under Firecracker Elite Tournament at Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City on July 4.

Just two outs away from losing to St. George, which boasts four players from Dixie College's top-10 junior college squad, the Wildcats staged a rally that would bring the title back to Las Vegas.

With the Wildcats trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning and one out, Johnny Stack singled for Las Vegas. Keoni Biernes followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Biernes then stole second when the pitcher faked a pick-off throw to third base, putting both runners in scoring position. Bryan Renfrow promptly laced a single down the right-field line scoring Stack and Biernes.

"I made up mind right away to send him (Biernes) as soon as I saw the ball go to the outfield," said Wildcats Assistant Manager Gino DiMaria, who was coaching third base at the time. "I was almost running as fast as he was as I sent him home."

The Wildcats received solid pitching in the game, with Stack and Bryce Massanari combining for the victory. Throughout the tournament, Las Vegas played solid defense, allowing only 17 runs (2.4 per game) in the seven games.

Renfrow and Massanari were named co-MVPs of the championship game. Massanari, who was a star catcher for Centennial High School this past season, was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2004 Major League Baseball Amateur draft last month.

In the first game of the weekend tournament, the Wildcats defeated Murray, Utah, 6-4. Las Vegas suffered its only loss of the tourney in the next game, an 8-5 setback to Alameda, Calif.

The Wildcats bounced back with a 6-2 win over Cottonwood, Utah in the following game to regain their momentum. In the fourth game the Wildcats shut down the Viewmont Vikings, 3-1, and then followed with another close win over Riverton, Utah, 2-1.

In one of the most important games of the tournament, Las Vegas upset 14-time Utah American Legion State Champions T-Ville Legion, 5-1, which sent the Wildcats to the championship game against the bigger, older and more experienced St. George squad.

"People were saying we would lose by the 10-run rule against St. George and that we absolutely had no chance," DiMaria said. "That really helped to motivate us to get up for the game."

Another huge motivating factor for the Wildcats, whose fans were outnumbered in Salt Lake City by about 60 to six, was the health of their head coach, Izzy DiMaria.

"My father has cancer," DiMaria said. "The team knew that and wanted to really give him something great to remember. They really rallied and came together around that, (and) the fact they were younger and considered big underdogs and the reality that this was there chance to make their mark.

"I'm so proud of these kids. It's one of those moments you will never forget."

Besides Massanari and Stack on the mound in the title game, the Wildcats' P.J. Fisher -- who is headed to Miami-Dade Junior College in Florida -- and Trace Grant also helped stifle the opponents in Salt Lake City.

Tim Mott and Renfrow were named co-MVPs of the entire tournament for the outstanding performances.

"It was really an exciting way to end the weekend and the tournament," said Bryan Renfrow's mother, Wanda. "Coach Izzy (DiMaria) was so emotional he could hardly speak. He had tears welling up in his eyes."


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