Salisbury reaches the Tri-Co playoffs

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call


Because of its cozy dimensions, the Salisbury High School baseball field is not Tom Golden's favorite place to pitch.

But Golden, pitching for the Salisbury entry in the Tri-County League, did not let the nearby fences get to him last night as he surrendered just one home run and scattered eight hits as his team held on for a 5-4 victory over the Allentown Angels in a game played to decide third place in the Tri-Co's North Division and the league's final playoff spot.

Salisbury, now 14-14 overall, will begin a best-of-three series at Upper Perk tonight.

Golden was hardly overpowering in notching his seventh win in 12 decisions. In fact, he only recorded two strikeouts all night. But the lanky righthander was effective when he had to be.

He left two men on base in three different innings, including the seventh when the Angels rallied for two runs and had the tying and go- ahead runners aboard before Golden gotYogi Edwards on a fielder's choice grounder to end the game.

"I really don't like to pitch here because of the short fences," said Golden, a Bethlehem Catholic High product. "The short fences have hurt me a lot over the course of the season. But I always felt in control tonight. The one home run (hit by the Angels' Bill McCurley in the fourth) was a really hit hard and would've gotten out of most places.

"I tried to throw strikes to make sure they hit their way on and I tried to keep the ball low. The last couple of innings it seemed I would get two strikes on the hitter, but I had trouble getting the third one."

But Golden and Salisbury survived thanks in part to a 10-hit offensive attack which kept the team on top throughout the game.

Salisbury jumped ahead with two runs in the bottom of the first. Don Kelly and Ed Kropf opened the game with singles and after two were out, Kelly scored on Joe Ernst's single to left and Kropf raced home on Bob Sopko's infield hit to deep short.

The Angels picked up a run in the third when Steve Reiland doubled and scored on Jeff Duke's groundout, but Salisbury regained the two- run cushion in the bottom half of the inning when Larry Miller singled, stole second, moved to third on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch.

Each team had a home run in the fourth inning as McCurley's blast to left in the top half of the inning was matched by Kropf's shot to right-center in the bottom half which kept Salisbury on top 4-2.

Salisbury then pushed across what would prove to be the game- winning run in the sixth when Kelly singled, was sacrificed to second, moved to third on an error and scored on Dave Unger's sacrifice fly.

The Angels gave it one last shot in the seventh. With one out Jeff Duke beat out an infield hit, Bill Moyer, Jr., walked and after twowere out, Rick Wittman and McCurley delivered run-scoring singles through the middle. Before Edwards, the No.5 man in the Angel order came to the plate, Salisbury manager Dave Snyder walked to the mound.

"I asked him what the heck he was doing, giving up hits on 0-2 counts," recalled Snyder. "But I wasn't going to take him out. He worked hard all game and it was his to win or lose."

Golden won it when Edwards rapped a fastball to shortstop Kropf who threw to second baseman Joe Ernst just in time to get the force and end the game.

"We had the people we wanted up there in the seventh," said Angel manager, Bill Moyer, Sr., whose club ended its season at 13-15. "But Golden always had the 'out' pitch when he needed it. He wouldn't allow us to get the big hit at the right time.

"But I was quite proud of the way we battled back, not only tonight but all season. About a week ago it didn't appear as though we had a chance to make the playoffs and it took a win over Coplay (the North Division champ) on Sunday just to us get here.

"These guys just enjoy the game and kept battling to the end. We'll be back next year."



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- July 31, 1985

Copyright © 1985, The Morning Call