A ragtag collection of American Jewish players -- none of whom can be found on a Major League 40-man roster -- emerged as the Cinderella team of the tournament, winning each of its first four games to make a surprise run into the second round, before dropping its last two contests and being eliminated.
Along the way, Lavarnway and Co. rallied the Jewish community around the world while raising awareness of the sport in Israel.
"We got letters of support from Hebrew schools in different countries," Lavarnway said.