NJCAA National Team gets by, 11-10

Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens pitches to a batter from the NJCAA National Team during the Kansas Stars' game in the National Baseball Congress World Series Wednesday night. The 54-year-old went 2 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits. The Stars fell to the NJCAA Nationals, 11-10, when the juco stars rallied for 5 runs in the top of the seventh inning. (Craig Hubbard/Special to the Tribune)

WICHITA -- It was a memorable night for Fort Scott's LaRoche family at the National Baseball Congress World Series here Wednesday night.

After serving as co-architect of the Kansas Stars, a club comprised of former Major League Baseball players, Adam LaRoche and his teammates took the field Wednesday evening to face the NJCAA National Team, which eked out an 11-10 win.

Both teams were already assured of berths in the quarterfinals. The NJCAA team finished pool play 3-0 and faced the San Diego Force in Thursday's late game. The Stars played the Seattle Studs in the feature game Thursday night (see story above).

Wednesday's pregame festivities at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium featured LaRoche's 14-year-old son, Drake, throwing out the first pitch to his father.

The game opened with seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens taking the mound with his son, Koby, catching for him. In addition, Clemens wore his signature No. 21 Boston Red Sox home jersey. The Stars have been playing in either game jersies or batting practice jersies of their former teams.

After yielding back-to-to-back singles in the top of first, Clemens emerged from the inning unscathed, while striking out cleanup hitter Handsome Monica.

Already leading 2-0 in the bottom of the first, LaRoche, rocketed a Chase Burks pitch past first baseman Rhett Aplin and into right field, plating Pete Orr to put the Stars on top 3-0. The official scorer, however, didn't do LaRoche any favors, charging Aplin with an error.

After being staked to a 4-0 advantage, the 54-year-old Clemens pitched just 2 and 2/3 innings, exiting to a standing ovation with a 4-3 lead in the top of third. Clemens allowed three earned runs on five hits.

"I thought the ovation was for me," Stars coach Dave LaRoche, Adam's father who pitched in the majors for 14 seasons (1970-83) himself, said with a chuckle. "The fans have been great here the whole series. They've been awesome, and our guys have had a blast playing in front of them."

The Stars held leads of 6-3 in the fifth and 10-6 in the sixth, before the National Team pushed across five runs in the top of the seventh to take an 11-10 lead. The Stars glaring weakness Wednesday night was its bullpen, as David Purcey and Nate Robertson combined to allow 8 earned runs during the sixth and seventh innings.

With his team trailing by a run, LaRoche nearly played hero in the bottom of the eighth. Leading off the inning, LaRoche launched a Jacob Barton offering to the deepest part of the ballpark, but Mason Mallard was able to track it down just shy of the center field warning track. The game later ended with LaRoche in the on-deck circle, as Orr's infield pop-out stranded runners on first and second.

LaRoche finished 0-for-5 with a run scored.

Adam's older brother, Jeff, pitched in the top of the ninth, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Orr was 3 for 5 for the Stars while Jack Wilson was 2 for 5 and J.D. Drew went 2 for 3 with 3 runs batted in.

Alpin led the NJCAA stars with a 3-for-5, 2-RBI performance.

Dave LaRoche and Stars assistant coach Nate Robertson said the former MLB players desire to suit back up stems from the "love of the game."

"They're not getting paid to come here and do this, they just love the game," Dave LaRoche said. "This is all on their own dime. They've done things to help other teams, and whatever (money) they get out of this is going straight to charity. Our guys have been great with the opponents. Guys get on base and they talk (to the opposition). After the game, they sign autographs for guys on the other team."

LaRoche said many former MLB players miss bonding with teammates on the field, in the dugout and locker room.

"They miss the camaraderie, teasing each other and laughing together," he said. "It's been fun for me just staying out of their way and watching them enjoy this experience."

NJCAA 012 003 500 -- 11 12 2

Stars... 400 024 000 -- 10 13 0

E -- Monica, Aplin. TP -- NJCAA 1 (Gates, Biggers and Aplin).

LOB -- Kansas Stars 7, NJCAA National Team 11.

2B -- Gates, Orr, J.Nix. 3B -- Mallard. SF -- Biggers. SB -- Biggers, Granberg, Malone, Mallard. CS -- Mallard.

Burks pitched to 5 batters in the first.

HBP -- Gates (by Clemens), Granberg (by Marquis), Monica (by Clemens), Drew (by Gonnerman).

WP --Stone, Clemens, Purcey 2, Robertson.