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LITTLE LEAGUE: Near-perfect game sparks win

Hamilton/Fairfield wins fifth straight, setting up rematch with West Side.

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By Jay Morrison , Staff Writer Updated 2:13 PM Sunday, July 17, 2011

HAMILTON TWP. — Hamilton/Fairfield Little League pitcher Michael Duncan came within one pitch of throwing a perfect game Saturday afternoon before Lebanon strung together back-to-back singles.

But Duncan put his disappointment aside and got the next batter to ground out to cap his team’s perfect run through the losers’ bracket of the District 9 tournament with a 13-1, four-inning victory at Testerman Park.

“I was kind of nervous out there,” Duncan admitted after an efficient 41-pitch effort. “I thought I had it. I thought that curveball was a strike.”

The curve came on a 2-2 pitch with two outs in the fourth and squarely hit catcher Drew O’Donnell’s target, but the umpire called it a ball. Then Lebanon’s Zach Barsala hit the next pitch for an infield single to break up the perfect game.

“I wanted it so bad for him,” Hamilton/Fairfield coach Doug Partlow said. “He was unreal today. It was a great game for him, and it couldn’t have happened to a better kid.”

The win was Hamilton/Fairfield’s fifth in a row since a 6-1, opening-round loss to Hamilton West Side last Sunday.

The two teams will meet again at 2 p.m. today in the tournament finals. If West Side prevails, it wins the championship and advances to the state tournament. If Hamilton/Fairfield is victorious, a winner-take-all game will be played Monday night.

“I knew we could get another shot at them,” Partlow said. “We’ve got a scrappy little team. We’re not going to overpower anybody, but we’ve got a lot of fight in us.”

Hamilton/Fairfield won four of its five games in the losers’ bracket by run rule, and the other was an 11-2 victory Friday against Loveland.

But perhaps more impressive than winning five games in six days was the way Partlow managed his pitching staff. Everyone but Duncan is available to pitch today, with left-handed staff ace Charlie Faraci expected to start.

“I thought if we could get through this and have all of those guys available, what a great thing to have happen,” Partlow said.

While all of his pitchers are available, Partlow and his son, leadoff hitter Joshua Partlow, will not be. As members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, they don’t believe in playing on Sundays.

“It’s my decision not to coach, but my sons make their own decisions,” Doug said. “I would never force that on them. They have to do it for themselves.

“We’re praying for rain,” he added.

Joshua Partlow singled and drove in a pair of runs against Lebanon. Other offensive leaders included Jared Combs (2-for-3, two doubles, three RBIs, run scored), O’Donnell (2-for-3, RBI, two runs) and Duncan (2-for-2, RBI, three runs).

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.

Little League District 9 tournament

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