N. Parkland Tri-Co winner

By Jack Lapos
Of The Morning Call


The end of yesterday's Tri-County League game between North Parkland and Limeport A.A. had all the suspense of an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

North Parkland was ahead by one run with two out and two Limeport A.A. runners on base in the last of the seventh. Bill Fatzinger lifted a high fly to deep left-center. North Parkland's Mark Matejicka and Bryan Bachman both called for it near the fence as they approached the ball. Suddenly, the outfielders collided and both fell to the grass. Where was the ball? If it was on the ground, Limeport had a 6-5 victory. If it was caught, North Parkland was a 5-4 winner.

The ball was indeed caught by Matejicka. While on his back, he lifted his gloved hand high into the air to indicate it was an out.

Thus, second place North Parkland moved to within a game and a half of Limeport A.A. in the North Division. Limeport is 9-2 and North Parkland 8-4 as the teams approach the halfway point in the season.

"We both reached and I was lucky to grab it," Matejicka said as he rubbed his sore head which had made contact with Bachman's shoulder. "The ball just stuck in my glove and I knew then the catch saved the game for us."

"Whew, was I tense when I saw both call for the ball," Manager George Horn of North Parkland said with a smile. "My heart was in my throat but I was confident one of the guys would catch it.

"This was a big win for us," Horn continued. "We know we have to beat good teams like Limeport A.A. if we hope to finish first in our division and I think we will."

Manager Ishky Fatzinger said nobody is pushing the panic button even though Limeport A.A. suddenly has lost two of its past four games after building an early 7-0 record.

"We cannot let games like this get us down," Ishky noted. "I am sure we will bounce back . . . the race probably will be tight from now on . . . certainly it will be no cakewalk for anybody."

Kevin Beck was the winning pitcher. In going the distance he gave up 10 hits while fanning one and walking three. Limeport A.A., the home team, used two pitchers. Bill Sandt lasted until the fifth, when Mike Witkowski took over. Sandt surrendered 10 hits and all five runs while striking out three and issuing three walks. Witkowski was sharp in his two and two-third frames, giving up only one hit while fanning two and walking one.

Bachman led North Parkland with three hits. Dale Houser had three hits for Limeport A.A. The RBI leaders were North Parkland's Dave Oswald and Limeport A.A.'s Bob Fatzinger with two apiece. A two-run double by Oswald in the fifth inning was the blow that put North Parkland in front to stay.

Earlier, Limeport A.A. held leads of 2-1 and 4-1 before North Parkland countered with two in the fourth. Then came the decisive two- run outburst in the fifth. Horn walked. Dom Motolese singled. Matejicka sacrifice-bunted. Then came Oswald's two-base shot to left.

Limeport had an excellent chance to win it in the seventh. Dale Weiss singled. Houser singled. Witkowski sacrifice-bunted. Beck then got tough, getting Ishky Fatzinger to pop out to second on a nice over-the-shoulder catch by Oswald, and Bill Fatzinger's heart-stopping fly ball ended the contest.

* Upper Perkiomen scored six runs on five hits in the third inning of a 15-6 victory over Quakertown. The latter also committed two errors in that same frame to vault Upper Perk to victory. It was Quakertown's sixth loss in 10 games thus far while Upper Perk stands at 6-4.

Tim Fox fanned nine, walked four and gave up eight hits to notch the win while Quakertown hurler Bob Tisdale wasn't near as effective with five strikeouts and three walks and was far too generous in hits allowed.

Upper Perk's fire power came from Mike Stratton (4-for-5) who scored five times, and Bob Graber (4-for-5) who scored four times, had four RBI, a double, a triple and a two-run homer in the sixth.

* Bethlehem Township and the Allentown Angels were locked in a pitcher's duel all the way, but it was two errors in the second which led Bethlehem to the 1-0 victory yesterday.

Winner Dennis Shiner and loser Ray Ganser each fired three-hitters in the quick seven inning contest. Shiner walked two and struck out five while Ganser struck out four and walked none.

Bethlehem Township, 5-5, picked up its run in the second when John King got on base on an error. Scott Snyder followed with a single and Glenn Snyder was safe on another error allowing King home. The Angels are 4-8.



  

From The Morning Call -- June 14, 1984

Copyright © 1984, The Morning Call