Coplay dumps Angels 5-1 in Tri-County

By Jack Lapos
Of The Morning Call


So far Coplay has won only five of its first dozen games in the Tri-County League, but Manager Dick Hamscher is not complaining.

After his team topped the Allentown Angels 5-1 yesterday in Scherersville, the 50-year-old Hamscher declared he really is "quite pleased" with the way things have been going in this, Coplay's first season in the 12-team circuit.

The victory lifted Coplay out of the cellar into fifth place in the North Division as the Angels took over the basement. The Angels now have lost nine of 14 contests.

Hamscher, who has had a long and distinguished career in baseball including service in the old Washington Senators farm system, is optimistic with 15 games still to go.

"I think we will wind up either in second or third place," the skipper stated. "Except for Limeport A.A., which certainly is in a class by itself, the teams are just about equal in our division."

A look at the current standings points out Hamscher knows what he's talking about. After Limeport with its gaudy 10-2 record come North Parkland 8-5, Salisbury 7-5 and Bethlehem Township 5-6. All of this means Coplay currently is only two and a half games out of second place.

Yesterday's Limeport A.A. at North Parkland scheduled contest never did get played because the umpires were not on hand at game time.

Getting back to the subject of Coplay, Hamscher said "you must remember we have the youngest club in the entire league."

He said he was particularly pleased with the performance of pitcher Aaron Miller yesterday. The former Whitehall High and Coplay Legion righthander wound up with the win as he boosted his record to 2-0.

Miller gave up no runs and six hits while fanning five and walking five during his five and two-thirds innings on the mound. He had to leave the game because of an injury suffered when Dud Fritzinger bounced a single off his thigh. The injury is not believed serious.

Lefthander Lou Falco finished up, surrendering one run, three hits and no walks while striking out one in his one and a third inning stint. So he got the save.

Ray Ganser, the Angels' manager, was the starting and losing pitcher. He's now 2-3. The southpaw went six frames, giving up two runs and seven hits while fanning five and issuing one walk. Righthander Keith Meyers finished up, surrendering three runs and three hits with no strikeouts or walks in his one inning.

Ganser's team has not given him much backing lately as far as hitting is concerned. Only last week he lost a three-hitter to Bethlehem Township 1-0. The run was unearned.

"Our guys just aren't coming through with runners on base," Ganser lamented. "Besides, in this game we made some dumb mistakes. We just can't seem to do anything right when we play at home." Ganser pointed out the Angels have scored only a total of three runs in three straight losses in Scherersville.

Leading Coplay at bat were Randy Remaly, Jim Emerick and Dan Baranek, all with two hits. Tops for the Angels were Greg Plessl and Fritzinger, each with two hits. There were only two extra-base blows - doubles by the Angels' Yogi Krasley and Plessl.

The contest was scoreless until the beginning of the fourth when Bill Pugh singled, went to second on an error and came home on a Mark Bonshak single. Then Coplay made it 2-0 in the fifth when Chuck Mondschein walked, went to second on an error and tallied on a Baranek single.

A three-run seventh put Coplay out of reach. Remaly, Chuck Mondschein and Emerick singled and all wound up scoring on a wild pitch and pair of errors.

The Angels' lone run came in the bottom of the seventh. With nobody out, Plessl doubled and pinch hitter Rick Whitman singled him home. Falco then got out of the jam, eventually closing the game by getting Steve Reiland to pop out to first baseman Pugh.



  

From The Morning Call -- June 21, 1984

Copyright © 1984, The Morning Call