Glenview Blaze 12U wins Cooperstown tournament

The Glenview Blaze 12U team won its first National Championship on July 28, capturing first place in the prestigious Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament with a dramatic 11-10 come-from-behind victory.

The team put up five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat the Burlingame Panthers from California.

Announcers called it the best championship game they have seen in the last 10 years. Prior to the single-elimination playoff bracket, the Blaze earned a No. 3 seed by compiling a 6-1 pool play record by beating teams from Maryland, Hawaii, California and New York. The Blaze won three back-to-back playoff games to make it to the championship game.

In the championship game, the Blaze was one strike away from closing out the game in the top of the sixth when Burlingame put up five runs, highlighted by a grand slam, to put Burlingame up by four going into the bottom of the sixth.

In a storybook finish, the Blaze fought back and scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth with a three-run home run, a solo home run, a triple and an infield hit to win the game.

The team was managed in the tournament by TJ McManus and coaches Tommy Wang and Nate Klinge. The team was managed during the season by Mario Tursi and Ryan Haff.

The players on the team include Mark Atwood, Sam Christos, Braden Ferrick, Jack Gonzalez, Gavin Johnson, Miles Klinge, Charlie Krauss, Thomas McNally, Nicholas Quintas, Henry Schott, Sam Selhorst, Luke Wirtschoreck and Jonas Wang.

The Cooperstown National Championship was the third tournament championship for the Blaze 12U team this season.

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