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Gilbertsville trims Coplay
6-4
Gilbert and Fox slug home runs.
By Gary R. Blockus
Of The Morning Call
A
pair of two-run homers in the third inning proved to be the decisive hits as
Gilbertsville nipped host Coplay 6-4 in a Tri- County League battle of
division leaders at Balliet Stadium last night.
South leader Gilberstville picked up two-run homers in the third from Scott
Gilbert and Neil Fox to edge North-leading Coplay. Coplay (14-3) remained in
first place in its division after Limeport lost to Upper Perkiomen 8-5.
Gilbertsville started the game with an opportunistic run, but Coplay rallied
for two in the bottom of the first.
Gilbertsville began the first with Bill Sassaman safe on a short- hopping
infield single. Sassaman stole second, was sacrificed to third and scored on
a passed ball.
Coplay looked sure to rally when leadoff hitter John Marushok singled to
right, but that threat ended when he was out stealing second. Randy Remaly
followed with a walk, and Jeff Erie succeeded him at the plate by pasting a
3-2 pitch over the 345-foot sign in centerfield for a 2-1 lead.
Gilbertsville regained its offensive composure in the third, thanks to a
pair of two-run homers, its only hits of the frame in batting through the
order.
Brian Gilbert drew a lead walk, the first of four walks issued in the third
by Steve Weidner. Weidner stuck out Sassaman, but Scott Gilbert cracked a
deep shot into the fenceless abyss of rightfield for a two-run homer and a
3-2 lead.
Jim
Bergeman drew another walk, followed by another strikeout, but catcher Neil
Fox found a Weidner pitch much to his liking and punched it over the fence
in left-center for a 5-2 lead.
Coplay narrowed the Gilbertsville lead to one in the fifth after a good
defensive frame. Gilbertsville got men at first and third on a pair of
infield singles, but a strikeout and a high pop to second ended the threat.
The
host team took advantage in the bottom of the inning when Chuck Mondschein
andMarushok drew back-to-back walks for men at first and second. After one
out, Jeff Erie belted a two-run double to right- center to cut the gap to
5-4, but was out trying to take third.
Gilbertsville pushed across its final run in the seventh. Scott Gilbert led
off the inning with a single to center. He stole second, was sacrificed to
third, then crossed the plate on a passed ball, the second Gilbertsville run
to score on a passed ball.
*
Mike Svanson's three-run homer keyed keyed a five-run second as Upper
Perkiomen defeated Limeport 8-5 last night in the Tri-County League.
Besides Svanson, teammate Pete Hoff had a first-inning solo homer while Tom
Cichocki went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Bob Graber was 2-for-3 with
two RBI.
For
Limeport, now 13-4, Bill Fatzinger had two of his team's nine hits and
scored twice while catcher Tom Levy had two hits and two RBI.
* Old Zionsville's Bill Moyer, Gene Kauffman and Bryan Bray singled in runs
in the top of the ninth, snapping a 3-3 tie and lifting Old Zionsville to an
8-4 Tri-County League victory over the Allentown Angels.
From The Morning Call --
June 26, 1986
Copyright
© 1986,
The Morning Call
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