Lake County Defenders take first in Backyard Bash

Submitted by Tom Jones

The Lake Villa Defenders captured first place in the Brookfield (Wis.) Backyard Bash Summer Tournament recently.

The Defenders began the tournament Saturday afternoon, opening up with a loss (8-6) against BOSS (Milwaukee). The team regrouped and played the second game of a doubleheader against the Wauwatosa Trojans. The Defenders came out more focused than ever and played flawless baseball, beating the Trojans 10-0.

Gary Mang, manager of the Defenders, said, “Our pitchers did a phenomenal job in setting the tone for this game. Davin Gleason, Sonny Mentone and Joe Kendzierski did a great job with their pitch location and our defense did the rest.”

The Defenders played a triple header Sunday and not only battled some tough opponents, but also had to battle the rainy weather. The Defenders dominated at the plate, scoring a total of 34 runs in a 3-game clash, while holding their opponents to only one run all day. The Defenders faced the Bulldogs from Brookfield, Wis.; the Nomads from Milwaukee; and the Storm from Oak Creek, Wis.

“This is a great achievement for our team,” said Tom Jones, coach for the Lake Villa Defenders. “The players were anxious to play, and after a nearly two-hour rain delay, the players were pumped and ready to display their skills.

“The staff at Wirth Park did an outstanding job of getting the fields in playing condition after the rain.”

The game against Brookfield was closely contested. The Bulldogs were a solid team, but clutch hitting put the Defenders in the win column. Ricky Allen had a two-run single late in the game to give the Defenders some breathing room.

A double by Sonny Mentone in the fifth inning put the game away 5-0, sending the Defenders into the semifinal game.

The Defenders then faced the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Nomads. The Defenders started their hitting barrage by sending 17 batters to the plate and scoring 9 times in the first two innings, highlighted by clutch singles from Joe Kendzierski, Tommy Jones, Davin Gleason and Garrett Mang.

The power shots were provided by Ryan Kelley (triple), Jalen Powe (triple) and Liam Thrawl (2 doubles, 1 triple). The Defenders sent 10 batters to the plate in the fourth inning, scoring 5 more runs and putting the game out of reach, winning 18-1.

The offensive display was admirable; but the pitching exhibition put on by Davin Gleason and Ricky Allen was also notable. This dominating victory catapulted the Defenders into the championship game to face the Oak Creek Storm team.

This was a particularly challenging game, as the players were playing in their third consecutive game on Sunday, with little rest between games.

“We had to refocus our players before the game. It was a long day and the kids played hard up to that point. We didn’t want them to lose their focus after two well-played games,” Coach Jones said.

The players stood to the challenge and persevered. The Defenders sent five batters to the plate in the first inning, getting on the board first, scoring one run. The phenomenal pitching exhibition continued, with Davin Gleason and Sonny Mentone combining for five innings of shutout baseball.

The Defenders’ bats remained hot as balls flew through Brookfield’s “back yard,” highlighted by two bases-clearing triples by Liam Thrawl. The hit streak continued with two doubles by Davin Gleason and singles by CJ Wiechert, Jalen Powe and Matt Mason.

The game was put out of reach when the Defenders scored 3 more runs in the fifth inning, winning the game 11-0 and taking first place in the Brookfield Backyard Bash Summer Tournament.

“When you look at it, scoring 50 runs and allowing only 9 runs during the tournament is a huge achievement at this level,” the Defenders manager said. “We are very proud of our players and their team accomplishment.”

Just before this tournament, the Defenders were notified that they finished the season in first place in their travel league (Mid Suburban Baseball League), Elite Bracket, East Division. This is the third first-place finish for the Defenders in tournament play this year.

“And now with the first place finish in league play, this has been a dream come true for many players on the team and an example of what comes from hard work and dedication,” Jones said.

For more information about the team or to sponsor a player, visit www.lakevilladefenders.com.

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