The Young baseball team is becoming more schooled in championship celebrations than the Cubs or White Sox.
Last season Wrigley Field played host for the Dolphins’ city championship victory. Tuesday they defended the title at U.S. Cellular Field with a 2-1 victory over Lake View.
“We were all dreaming about it,” Young starting pitcher Joe Frahm said. “It’s every kid’s dream to play on a big-league field like this.”
Frahm improved to 6-0 with a complete-game victory. He scattered six hits and struck out seven Wildcats, keeping them off the scoreboard for the last six innings after allowing a first-inning run.
Lake View (20-10) took a 1-0 lead when starting pitcher Deion Geiger singled to left to bring home Carlos Ruiz. Young (29-4) threatened to erase the deficit several times, putting the leadoff man on base in each of the first six innings Geiger pitched.
In the top of the fifth, it finally caught up with him. Designated hitter Jack Cinoman reached on a single. Vallmer Jordan attempted to sacrifice him to second base with a bunt, but Geiger’s attempt to throw out the lead runner ended up in center field, putting runners on second and third.
Then, with one out, Geiger (5-2) balked with Cinoman breaking toward home on a fake squeeze play, tying the game 1-1. Jordan later scored what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch.
“I faked down the line, and [Geiger] and made a mistake,” Cinoman said of the play that led to the tying run.
Young’s victory spoiled Lake View’s bid for its first city title in any sport in more than 30 years. The Wildcats captured the city baseball championship in their last title game appearance in 1977.
Young is still alive in the Class 4A state tournament. The Dolphins face Oak Park in the Neuqua Valley sectional semifinal Thursday.
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mlynch@tribune.com
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