Angels register a key 10-9 Tri-Co decision

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call


For awhile last night, it seemed like old times for the Allentown Angels as the long-time Tri-County League doormat blew an 8-1 lead in its game with Quakertown.

But thankfully for them, the old days are gone for the Angels as Steve Reiland demonstrated with his one-out, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning that gave new-look Allentown a 10-9 victory in a key Tri-Co matchup at Scherersville.

The come-from-behind triumph enabled the Angels (21-5) to stay within striking distance of Coplay (20-3) in the league's North Division battle. Allentown closes out its 27-game regular season slate against Coplay 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Balliet Stadium. Meanwhile, Quakertown (15-9) lost ground in its pursuit of first- place Upper Perk (17-7) in the South Division race.

"This has been a different year for us; in the past, we never would have come back after losing such a big lead," said Reiland, who has been with the Angels for 10 - mostly difficult - seasons. "This year we have developed some character. We've been coming back in games all year. It takes character to come back like we did tonight."

It also takes come clutch base hits. The Angels got four of them after hard-luck loser Bob Kile got the first out in the seventh.

With darkness setting in, Dave Lutte (4-for-4 and the game's winning pitcher), Mookie Smith and Steve Neikam all singled to load the bases for Reiland, who was 1-for-3 as he stepped into the box. Quakertown brought its infield up, aiding Reiland's chances.

"Bringing the infield in made it ideal for me," said Reiland. "It was getting dark and a little hard to see the ball. I just wanted to make contact, hoping to punch it somewhere. I got a fastball and hit it pretty good."

Once the hard-hit grounder got by Kile on the mound and into right- center, the celebration began for the Angels as Quakertown center fielder Scott Davis had no chance of getting Smith at the plate.

"The odds were definitely against us going into that last inning," said Allentown skipper Ray Ganser, whose team has never had a winning season or earned a playoff spot before this summer. "As dark as it was and with Kile throwing as hard as he was, I really didn't give us much of a chance. But strange things have been happening for us.

"Look at tonight. Mookie (Smith) hadn't looked too good in striking out his two previous at-bats, but he gets a hit in the seventh. Steve (Neikam) was put in for defense and hasn't played regularly, yet he gets a hit off a tough pitcher. And Reiland, who is mostly a pull hitter, goes to the right side for two hits tonight, including the game-winner. What a change from other years! These guys just don't quit."

If Ganser can find any fault with his club it would be that it lacks a killer instinct. After Davis' sacrifice fly (one of six RBI he had in the game) put Quakertown up 1-0 in the first, the Angels took command and seemingly were on their way to an easy "W" after building an 8-1 lead through three innings.

Herb Hemerly's leadoff double keyed a four-run second inning and Lutte began the third with a home run over the fence in right- center. Rick Rothrock's two-run triple capped the third inning to put Allentown up by seven and with Todd Downing allowing just three hits through the first four innings on the Angel mound, everything was looking rosy for Ganser's gang.

"I thought we had ourselves an easy win," said Ganser. "But sometimes when we get an early lead like that, we let up and allow the other team to come back before we get going again. Sometimes, we need a wake-up call."

The alarm went off in the fifth and sixth when Quakertown struck for eight runs - all with two out. Davis sliced four runs off the Angel lead with one swing of the bat as his grand slam in the fifth made it 8-5. Then in the sixth, Mike Schaeffer delivered an RBI- single and Kile tied it with a two-run double before Davis put his team up by one with a single to center.

"I thought we had it won," said player-manager Davis. "Kile (who relieved in the third and shut down the Angels until the seventh) did a great job; it's a shame he has to get the loss. I thought with him throwing BB's and as dark as it was, they might go 1-2-3 in the seventh. But they didn't. They really earned this one."



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- July 28, 1988

Copyright © 1988, The Morning Call