Mike "Ace" Laine, Baseball 2010

Acing It
Baseball 2010

Mike "Ace" Laine grew up in Oxford Circle and graduated from Frankford High in 1987. He loves Penn State, Frankford and his family. Proud father of two girls, ages 14 and 5. Married to Tracie from South Philly, and they've been together for 18 years. Oldest daughter will be a freshman at Ryan in September. A good athlete, she plays soccer, volleyball and softball. Mike loves sports at all levels.
Mike may be reached at lanepsu@comcast.net.

APRIL 24
PUBLIC A
Washington 9, Frankford 4

A larger than normal crowd would gather around Baldwin Field for this key Division A showdown between longtime rivals FKD and WASH. The weather conditions didn't hurt either. It was a picture perfect day to play. Sr. RH Aaron Wilmer pitched a complete game, giving up 12 hits and 4 runs and was assisted by some very good defensive support to pick up a key division A win over rival Frankford, 9-4. Frankford threw So. Brandon Gonzalez, who pitched 4 innings of 3-hit ball with 2 K's, 1 walk and 0 earned runs. He also reached base 3 times and scored a run. He left the game in the 5th in favor of relief pitcher Israel Diaz. The game was tight throughout, with Washington jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the T1. SO C Dean Grande singled and scored when Aaron Wilmer singled to CF and the cutoff throw went awry. As Grande scored Wilmer bolted for second. He ran into SS Israel Diaz and the ball went flying. Diaz induced 2 consecutive ground outs to get out of the inning down 1-0. Frankford hit Wilmer hard and often in the first 2 innings but mustered only 1 run. Augusto Ortega singled to lead off but was caught stealing by Grande. The play was very close and controversial. Frankford did not go down quietly, Israel Diaz singled and Kevin Montero doubled, putting runners at second and third. Wilmer plunked his counterpart, Brandon Gonzalez, loading the bases. A sac fly by Francisco Bonilla tied the game 1-1. Gonzalez retired Washington 1-2-3 in the second . Frankford got its first 2 batters on base but Wilmer stranded them at 1st and 2nd and got the next 3 batters to fly out to get out of the inning ahead 2-1. Washington wasted a 1 out walk and went quietly to end the top 3rd. Frankford's half was not so quiet. Brandon Gonzalez started the inning by drawing a walk. Wilmer plunked Francisco Bonilla, putting runners at first and second. Gabe Cedeno grounded into a 6-4 FC, putting runners at 1st and 3rd. Hector Cerda and Fr C Abraham Moreno both hit RBI singles followed by a RBI double from Ricky Alvarez. After issuing walk to FKD leadoff hitter Augusta Ortega Wilmer got Israel Diaz to ground into a 5-2 DP to end the inning. although FKD was leading 4-1, they left 6 runners on base in the first 3 innings and you just had feeling that maybe that would come back to hurt them. Gonzalez would hit WASH 3B Tom Marano to start the 4th, but then retired the next 3 batters to take a 3 run lead into the bottom of the 4th. Frankford went down 1-2-3 in the 4th. Washington would score 4 times on 2 hits in the 5th. after retiring the 1st batter of the inning on a hard hit ball to center, Gonzalez would hit the next WASH batter and after an error and a walk the score was 4-2. Grande singled to knock in WASH's 3rd run of the game. Washington's smart thinking on the bases manufactured a run to tie the game at 4. With runners at first and third, a pitched ball squirted away from FKD C Moreno. Washington runners bolted for 2nd and home for a successful double steal to tie the game at 4. a RBI single by Mike Foley would plate Tom Marano and Washington took a 5-4 lead into the b5. Frankford battled back in the home 5th. Hector Cerda drew a 1 out walk and went to third on Abraham Moreno's 3rd single of the game. This was where the game and momentum change. Ricky Alvarez would hit a screaming liner to 3rd basemen Tom Marano who used all of his 6ft 2 frame to spear the ball then step on third to double off FKD runner Hector Cerda, who'd broken for home on the crack of the bat. It shut down a FKD rally that was supported by some loud fan support and turned the game around for the Eagles. Wilmer would get out of a base loaded jam in the sixth bringing the total number of runner LOB to 10 for the Pioneers. Washington got to relief pitcher Israel Diaz for 4 runs in the 7th to put the game @ 9-4 entering the home 7th. Frankford would go down 1-2-3 in the 7th and Wilmer picked up a complete game win for the Eagles.
MIKE "ACE" LAINE Player of the Game award goes to WASH P Aaron Wilmer. The West Chester-bound SR (to play QB) pitched out of jam after jam and finished with a total pitch count of 113 pitches with 43 balls and 70 strikes. (Thanks Randy) He also reached base 3 times and scored a run.
Special shoutout to FKD CF Augusto Ortega. He had 3 great catches in the outfield to keep FKD in the game. Also WASH 3b Tom Marano, his unassisted douple play stole all the momentum from FKD and was the turning point in the game.
WAS 12 runs 11 hits 1 error
FKD 4 runs on 12 hits 2 errors

APRIL 17
NON-LEAGUE
La Salle 14, Frankford 2 (5 inn.)
Let me start off by saying BRRRRRRRRR. 59 degrees at game time but with the wind chill it had to be 40-45. At beautiful LaSalle High School, the Explorers made fast work of the young Pioneer team. Frankford put 2 runners on base with 1 out in the 1st inning but La Salle pitcher Brennan Woods got a strikeout and flyball to end the inning. La Salle opened the scoring in the bottom of the inning when SR TJ Burgmann doubled home So. Tyler Kozeniewski, who had earlier singled. Frankford came back to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the 2nd. Woods was a little shaky in the inning, hitting 1 batter and issuing 2 walks. A double by starting pitcher Hector Cerda knocked in 2 runs, giving the Pioneers a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the 2nd. No sooner did I say to myself this would be a nice little win for Frankford than did the Explorers break it open. Seniors John Sczepanski and Ian Whalen started the inning with back-to- back singles. Dan Wood advanced runners to 2nd and 3rd with a groundout to 3rd baseman Kevin Montero, who threw to first for the 1st out of the inning. Cerda was called for a balk, tying the game at 2 and leaving a runner on third with 1 out. Leadoff hitter Colin Pyne grounded a ball to 3rd and Montero threw a bullet to home plate but the ball was dropped on the tag and La Salle took a 3-2 lead. after AJ Rodriguez was HBP and a double steal of 3rd and 2nd, a fielder's choice scored La Salle's 4th run. TJ Burgmann then singled for his 2nd hit and rbi of the game followed by a 2 out double from Corey Baiada made it 6-2 entering the top of the 3rd. After a lead off single by Francisco Bonilla, Frankford was set down by relief pitcher CJ Burns. La Salle got into the Frankford bullpen early in the 3rd and sent 10 batters to the plate, scoring 7 runs. The highlight of the inning was a 380-foot, 2-run homer by junior Joe Forcellini to making the score 10-2. Frankford would be set down 1-2-3 in the 4th and La Salle scored their final run of the day when Jules Arici, who had earlier singled, scored on Christian Bruno's 2-out RBI single. La Salle could have probably scored a few more runs, but Head Coach Joe Parisi was holding his runners at third. The game ended after Frankford failed to score in the 5th.
FKD 2 runs on 4 hits with 3 errors
LASALLE 14 runs on 13 hits with 2 errors
Frankford is 4-0 in the Public League and hosts Edison at Baldwin Field on Monday. Their overall record is 4-4.
ACE LAINE PLAYER OF THE GAME: La Salle's Joe Forecellini. His 2-run homer was a moon shot and put the game away for the Explorers.

APRIL 3
NON-LEAGUE
Judge 6, Frankford 1
Frankford started the scoring in the first and took a quick 1-0 lead on a RBI single by Kevin Montero. This kid is a freshman and is a giant. Judge tied the game in the bottom of the 3rd and broke it open with a 5-run 4th. Leadoff hitter Kevin Elmer highlighted the inning with a 2-run single. Frankford's outfield played very shaky defense, letting very catchable flyballs drop in for singles. For Fkd, starting pitcher Mike McGroarty (also the football QB) pitched 3 strong innings with 3 Ks before being lifted in the 4th when Judge's first 2 runners reached base. Fkd rolls into league action on Monday at Northeast with a 1-3 non league record. Frankford: 1 run on 7 hits, 1 error. Judge: 6 runs on 9 hits, 2 errors. By the way, this was the 2nd half of a doubleheader for Judge. They beat Central, 7-2, in the 1st game.
Ace Laine Player of the Game Award: Judge junior pitcher Kurt Sowa. He had 5 K's through 2 innings and finished with 9 in 5 innings of work. He also walked and singled and scored a run, and also pitched himself out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 3rd inning with a K followed by a 6-4-3 DP. (I thought Fkd's guy beat the throw to 1st; not what ump saw). One more shoutout to Judge CF Anthony D'Ambrosio. He has a gun for an arm, which he showed by throwing out a Fkd runner at the plate; that killed a Fkd rally in the 7th.