Coplay boosts Tri-Co lead

By Mark Wogenrich
Of The Morning Call


Coplay Head Coach Lou Falco said his team is naturally slow-starting. You know, a long bus ride relaxes a squad, and it needs a few innings to warm up. Yesterday the Serpents needed three.

But they woke up in the fourth inning and stayed fresh the rest of the way in edging Quakertown 5-4 before a sparse but vocal bunch of Tri-County League fans at Quakertown Memorial Park. With the win, Coplay improved to 15-3 and opened up a one-game lead over second- place Allentown in the league's North Division. Quakertown dropped to 11-7.

"Sometimes it's hard for us to get set. We start slow, but then we get into the game," Falco said. "It just takes a while for our bats to get going."

The pitching duo of Jim Emerick and Randy Baer worked the opposite way, however, getting into jams in the fifth and sixth but pitching out of them to silence a pair of Quakertown surges. Emerick earned the win, upping his personal record to 7-0.

"Randy and Jim are, I think, the best pitchers in the league. I'd throw them against anybody," Falco said. "They just come out and do the job for us every time.

"Plus, we've got four guys injured and I can go to the bench anytime and get good performances," he continued. "This is just a great bunch of guys."

Quakertown opened the scoring in the first while Coplay was still asleep. Mike Schaffer took a leadoff walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Bob Kile's single. Losing pitcher Scott Davis kept Coplay at bay for three innings, retiring nine of the first ten batters he faced.

But Coplay's awakening occurred in the top of the fourth. Chuck Mondschein ended Davis' no-hitter with a single up the middle, and Scott Morgan ended the shutout with a towering, 360-foot home run over the left-center fence.

"I always try for a line drive to get base hits," said Morgan, who finished 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. "I just got under that one and it went."

Quakertown tied score 2-2 in the fifth as Rod Rush, who was at second following his bunt single and Don Shaw's sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored when Coplay catcher Mondschein unloaded the ball into left field. But a first-and-second rally was halted when Emerick fanned Davis to end the inning. Morgan put Coplay back on top in the sixth by slamming his second homer of the afternoon. Mark Censits and Jeff Erie followed with singles and an RBI base hit from Jeff Sodl chased Davis from the game. Tom Hartman, who replaced Davis, had a jittery start, throwing a wild pitch that allowed Erie to score. Quakertown would not roll over for Coplay, though. In the bottom of the sixth Don Shaw smacked a bases loaded single, scoring Mark Butcher and Glenn Dally to pull Quakertown to within one. That's when Falco replaced Emerick with Baer, who fanned Schaffer and Mike Katzbeck to squelch a one-out, two-on rally.

"I think I left Jim in there one pitch too many, but I'm very pleased with the job Randy came in and did," Falco said.

Quakertown threatened again in the bottom of the seventh as Davis smacked a one-out double. But by this time, Coplay was fully awake. After Butcher popped out to second for the second out, Baer whirled and fired to shortstop Randy Remaly, picking off a sleeping Davis to end the game.

"It's good to have this kind of game, especially with an ending like that," Falco said. "It keeps our guys in the game. It means they are always thinking."

UPPER PERKIOMEN 9, ALLENTOWN ANGELS 8 - Bruce Blank scored behind a Scott Baker single as the clubs went to extra innings before Upper Perk took the win.

In the ninth, Joe Ricapito reached on an error and was replaced by Blank. Todd Swenk then dropped a sacrifice bunt, Blank moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Baker's safety.

Pete Hoff, who clubbed a three-run homer in the second, was 2-for- 2 with two runs scored to pace Upper Perk (15-5). Joe Alesczyk was tops for Allentown (14-5) with a 3-for-5 effort.

NORTH PARKLAND 9, GILBERTSVILLE 7 - Dan Yannes blasted a three run homer in the sixth inning to wrap up North Parkland's 12th win yesterday.

Yannes went 3-for-4 on the day and catcher Chris Peischl went 2- for-3 to lead the way for the winners.

Host North Parkland (12-9) jumped out to a quick four run lead when George Horn and Mike Hanna hit first inning doubles. Gilbertsville (13-8) answered with a six run fifth inning that included seven base on balls.

Scott Siegfried singled, stole second, and scored the tying run on a Peischl single in the sixth inning. Tom Yankavich walked to put runners on first and second for Yannes' game-winning home run.

Winning pitcher Dave Chandler went the distance while Gilbertsville fireman Tom Troutman came in during the first inning and recorded the loss after five innings.

LIMEPORT 11, OLD ZIONSVILLE 3 - Jim Simonds fanned seven and allowed just three hits in six innings to help visiting Limeport to its 12th victory yesterday.

Limeport catcher Jack Goddess hit a bases loaded double in the opening inning and Old Zionsville never came back. Carl Solarek's two run single in the fourth inning gave Limeport the winning runs. Solarek added a three run homer in the sixth to give Limeport an eight run lead.

Goddess went 3-for-4 for the winners while Don Boehm and Rob Weston both had two hits to lea d 5-15 Old Zionsville. Bill Moyer pitched a complete game and recorded the loss.

SILVER CREEK 11, ALPHA 8 - Dan Reiman and John Ference hit back- to-back home runs to put Silver Creek ahead for good, 7-5 in the fifth inning.

Alpha came back with three runs on homers by Mike Thompson and Chuck Ciganick in the seventh inning, but the rally fell short.

Mike Kotkoski had a three-run homer for Silver Creek (9-11). Ference went 2-for-3 and Tom Boice went 2-for-4. Chris O'Connor had a home run for Alpha (5-17). He and Ciganick each went 2-for-4.



  

From The Morning Call -- July 11, 1988

Copyright © 1988, The Morning Call