High school baseball: Local players have good time in rain-shortened all-star game

AKRON — The Northeast Ohio Baseball Coaches Association all-stars had more in common with the Major League heroes Wednesday than just playing in a professional stadium. Their All-Star game ended in a tie, too. But unlike the MLB All-Star Game, which ended due to a blast off the bat of Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber, it was blast from Mother Nature that brought the festivities to a halt with a heavy downpour over Canal Park followed by lightning strikes that forced the game to be called after four innings with the Red and Blue all-stars tied at 2. The Red All-Star team that featured players from Amherst, Wellington, Firelands, Elyria Catholic, Lorain and Avon Lake took an early lead, scoring both of its runs in the first inning. Elyria Catholic's Caden Petronia's single drove in Caleb Melendez and Jacob Schliesser, both members of Amherst's 2025 state runner-up team, to put Red up 2-0. Lorain's Tracy Hough started on the mound for Red, and besides allowing a second-inning single to University School's Bryce Fielding, was dominating while holding the Blue team scoreless. "It meant a lot to be here. All of the best players in Northeast Ohio are here and I was selected to play with them. I had a lot of fun playing with these talented young guys and hopefully they go a long way," said Hough, who will continue his baseball career next year at Owens Community College outside of Toledo. "I am happy I could represent Lorain one last time. I was grateful to have this one more moment in my high school career. I cherish all off the moments I've had representing the Steel City." Derek Encarnacion, Hough's Lorain teammates, was scheduled to play with him one more time on the Red team but was shifted over to the Blue Cuyahoga County League team because they were short on players. Encarnacion flew out to center when he faced Hough in the second inning. The Blue all-stars scored a pair of runs in the third inning off Firelands' Aiden Cummings. Brush's Jelani Carr led off the third with a walk, followed by a single by Maple Heights' T.J. Lee. Lorain County Mr. Baseball Johnnie Kinter, a Wellington grad who recently committed to Seton Hill, had a third-inning single for Red. Hough and Brooklyn's Aiden Starr had the other two Red hits. Elyria Catholic's Lex Lear took the mound to pitch the fifth inning for Red but only threw to two batters before rain forced the teams from the field. "It was very special, a lot of great guys were here competing today," Lear said. "I've played with Caden for a long time so being able to be out there with my high school buddy was really good." As part of the NEOBCA all-star festivities, former Elyria High School coach Curt Karpinski was awarded the Frank Gamble Distinguished Service Award. Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.