Orioles have familiar look on the field

By Don Bostrom
Of The Morning Call


Quakertown remained hot stuff in the Tri-County League even though their pitcher, Tom Hartman, didn't have his best stuff during last night's darkness-shortened 4-2 victory over visiting North Parkland.

Hartman, who is recovering from a torn rotator cuff, scattered four hits in six innings to chalk up his second win as Quakertown moved to 5-1 in the South Division.

"I just didn't feel right out there. I don't know if it was mental or what. I just felt terrible out there and I was begging for them to hit it at somebody. They cooperated and I had a lot of lucky breaks," said Hartman, who ripped his cuff his last year in American Legion ball.

North Parkland, 4-3, scored in the first as Ted Young walked, stole second, moved to third on a bunt and scored on a Brett Simock fly.

NP's only other run came when Todd Reimert tripled and Kevin Drabic scored him on a ground out in the third.

Hartman wriggled out of two other jams with key strikeouts.

"I got them on curves both times on full counts," said Hartman, who has red-shirted the past two years at Shippensburg. "Maybe I bear down more in that situation."

Quakertown's attack was in high gear against loser Rich Correll, who collected three of his team's four hits.

Every man in the Quakertown lineup had at least one hit while Terry Keller and Steve Bauder had two singles each in the 11-hit barrage.

"We'll hit this year and score," Quakertown manager Chip Friday said. "We could have broken it open with some timely hits tonight."

A bases-loaded walk to Mike Schaffer after singles by Keller, Bauder and Scott Davis gave Quakertown a 1-1 tie in the first.

The hosts took the lead for keeps in the third. Singles by Keller and Bauder put runners at the corners with none out. Keller was thrown out at home when Bob Kile grounded to short. An error then loaded the bases. Schaffer singled in the lead run and Rod Rush grounded out to knock in what proved to be the game-winner.

Quakertown added an insurance tally in the fifth on consecutive singles by Rush, Arky Colon and Marc Butcher.

"We're off to our best start in 10 years, at least," Friday said. "Last year we were 2-4 at this point. I think we can legitimately contend with Gilbertsville and Upper Perk this year. Everybody is starting to get excited."

* Jon Yeakel hit 2-for-3, including a double and triple, and drove in four runs, leading Upper Perkiomen to an 11-0 win over the visiting Allentown Angels in a game called after six innings for darkness.

Tom Cichocki doubled in the first inning with one out and Bob Graber followed with a single. Mike Svanson then singled for the game's first run which was all winner Pete Hoff needed. Hoff hurled a four-hitter, struck out four and walked one.

Matt Duka contributed a solo home run in the third, and Rob McFarland went 2-for-2 with a double.

Upper Perk is 6-1, and Allentown is 4-3.

* Gilbertsville (4-1) pulled off a three-run seventh inning to tie visiting Bethlehem Township 7-7 in a shortened, six-inning game.

Charlie Baer led off the key seventh with a single; Bill Krall walked, and Greg Gilbert singled to load the bases. A Jim Bergeman RBI single and a Jeff Evans two-run hit tied the game.

Jeff Knipe aided the Bethlehem Township effort batting 3-for-4 and an RBI while Baer went 2-for-3.



  

From The Morning Call -- June 4, 1987

Copyright © 1987, The Morning Call