Gilbertsville wins Tri-Co Seasonal Title

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call


Gilbertsville picked a good time to post its best back-to-back performances of the year. But then again, the Rangers have a knack for playing their best at the best time.

Gilbertsville nailed down the Tri-County League regular season championship last night, rapping out 18 hits in a 12-2 rout of the Allentown Angels in Scherersville to sweep the best-of-three championship series.

Jeff Evans went 4-for-5 and knocked in five runs, including a two- run home run as the Rangers won their fifth league crown in the last seven years. And Gilbertsville left no doubt as to who deserved to pop the champagne corks as the Rangers outscored the North Division champion Angels 19-2 and outhit them 29-10.

"The last two games were definitely the best two games we've had back-to-back all season; some of the guys like Evans were just incredible," said player-manager Ryan Fox, whose team improved to 24- 5 overall. "During the regular season, we never had a full squad. It was always a problem getting everybody together. I guess we showed what we can do when we have a full squad together.

"It seems we always rise to the level of the competition. They have a real good team, their pitching is solid. We just happen to have two real good games."

"Good" is not strong enough to describe Evans' series as he went 7- for-8 in the two contests with only a caught line drive in his final at-bat in the seventh last night preventing him from being perfect.

"I didn't hit the ball hard on the first three hits, but I'll take them," Evans said. "We just had a good series. It's just one of those things where everybody started to gel. We just peaked at the right time. We had a lot to prove to these guys (Allentown) because we had some good battles with them and they're a tough team.

"We had some ups and downs during the year. A couple of times we'd get three or four hits and have to squeeze out a 4-3 game. But when you get as many hits as we did tonight, it makes it a lot easier on you."

Things didn't get easy for Rangers' hurler Scott Mutter until the third inning last night. By that time, his mates had given him a 7-2 lead to protect. Mutter surrendered a run-scoring double to Dave Lutte in the first and an error allowed the Angels to add a run in the second.

After that, Allentown was held scoreless as Mutter scattered five hits and walked just one over the final five frames.

"He didn't quite have his fastball, but the defense made the plays behind him," Evans said of Mutter, who notched just three strikeouts.

"He was getting the ball up and they hit the ball hard at times," added Fox. "But even though he didn't have his best stuff, he threw strikes and that's what you need. Our pitchers (Chris Ludy tossed a thee-hitter in Game 1) gave up just two runs in two games. You can't ask for any better than that."

Mutter couldn't have asked for any more offensive support. Evans singled in runs in the first three innings, while Chris Mackey (3- for-5), Brian Gilbert (2-for-3) and Greg Gilbert (2-for-4) all chipped in RBI singles as the Rangers broke things open.

Evans powered his two-run shot in the sixth and G. Gilbert provided some icing on the championship cake with his three-run blast in the seventh. Allentown pitchers Matt Hlay, Ray Ganser and Tim Brader, a terrific trio all season, couldn't halt the Gilbertsville machine, which hopes to keep churning out basehits in the Tri-Co's post-season tournament.

"This is the title you want," said Fox. "You play all season for this one. The post-season tourney comes down to who's hot over a couple of days. Of course, we want that one, too."

So do the Angels, who want to wipe out all memory of the last two contests.



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- August 4, 1990

Copyright © 1990, The Morning Call