Gilbertsville Tri-Co champ

By Gary R. Blockus
Of The Morning Call


Gilbertsville showed there is no warm-up like a first inning rally as the team jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first last night en route to clinching the Tri-County League Season Championship two games to none over Coplay.

Gilbertsville took advantage of 13 walks by four different Coplay pitchers plus seven Coplay errors to win last night's game at Sam Balliet Stadium by a 13-4 count. The visitors won Wednesday's opener in the best-of-three series 7-3.

Despite the ease of victory, South Division winner Gilbertsville barely arrived on time. Game time was switched from 8:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. due to the Lehigh County Legion playoffs. The visitors arrived at 6 p.m. and had about two minutes to warm-up before the game started. Several players arrived in the bottom of the first.

"This is what the whole season is about," said a happy Brian Gilbert, co-manager of Gilbertsville along with Kevin Mackey, last night's starting pitcher. "This is the one everybody in the league shoots for."

Gilbertsville may be the season champion, but the league playoffs start Sunday. Gilbertsville (23-5) will host the survivor of this week's first round games with the lowest record. North Division winner Coplay (20-9) will host the next best team.

"This league gets really excited about this series," Mackey explained. "This is three season championships in a row. These guys (Coplay) beat us in the playoffs last year."

"We've been in the league for six years," commented Gilbert. "We've won the season or playoff title every year."

Coplay's seven errors proved costly, but even more costly was the stellar play of Gilberstville first baseman Scott Gilbert. Scott G. drove in four runs on two hits, a fielder's choice, and a sacrifice fly. An error on his RBI- single in the third allowed another run to score.

If Scott G.'s offensive play wasn't enough for player of the game, his defensive prowess surely was. Gilbertsville led 8-4 in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and the bases loaded.

Coplay designated hitter (later pitcher) Lou Falco belted a hard hit ball between first and second, but Scott G. made a diving stop and recovered to make the play, unassisted, at first.

"If the ball went through, it would have been 8-7," pointed out Brian G. in calling it the play of the game. "Those guys (Coplay) have a real good team. They never quit at all."

Gilbertsville's Bill Sassaman drew a walk to start the game, stole second, and took third on Jim Bergeman's bunt single. Scott G. hit into a fielder's choice at first to score Sassaman. Bill Erie committed a fatal error in left, dropping a very catchable shot by Jeff Evans that scored another run. Erie was quickly replaced. Successive singles byMike Kline and Keith Endy loaded the bases, and Brian G. walked to drive in the third run.

Coplay took semi-advantage of Mackey's struggling mound effort in the first for two walks before Bill Pugh nailed a run-scoring single down third base line.

Scott G., who drove in his runs in four successive trips to the plate, singled to right in the second to score Sassaman, who was safe on an error. Kline singled him in, then Endy drove in a run on a fielder's choice to make it 6-1. Scott G. singled to right in the third to score another run, and an errored throw by the right fielder to third allowed another run in, making it 8-1.

Scott G. and Kline had two hits each for the winners. Mackey was replaced by Lou Chillot in the fourth. Chillot picked up the win, pitching out of a bases-loaded jam after walking the first batter he faced. Chillot shut out Coplay the rest of the way.



  

From The Morning Call -- August 1, 1986

Copyright © 1986, The Morning Call