Angels use big 6th to down Quakertown 5-1 in Tri-Co

By Bob Lipsky
Of The Morning Call


It took a while, but the Allentown Angels' bats did come alive last night.

Quakertown's Joe Milling breezed through the first five innings, but the Angels finally got Milling's number in the sixth, erupting for five runs. Angels' hurler Tim Brader notched two of his 10 strikeouts in the seventh to wrap up a 5-1 win in the opener of the Tri-County League semifinal playoff series.

The victory gives the Angels a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series with Game Two to be played at 6 tonight in Quakertown. A third game, if necessary, is scheduled for tomorrow at Allentown.

"It makes you feel real good," said Angels' manager Ray Ganser of his one-game lead. "We still have three or four pitchers who can throw so we're not hurting on pitching. We needed this one. Maybe it will get us going."

Quakertown, however, has no intention of giving up.

"We can definitely come back," Steve Pearlstein said. "We've got the guns. Not many teams can hold us to one run. There's no reason we can't take two from them."

Leadoff hitter Tony Galucy started the Angels' sixth-inning rally with a walk. He scored on a double to center by Dale Weiss (2-for-3) to tie the game, 1-1.

On Weiss's shot, the ball took one hop and got lodged in the fence and the Quakertown players argued that the hit should be a ground- rule double. Since centerfielder Rod Rush was able to play the ball easily out of the fence, the umpires allowed Galucy to score.

Joe Aleszczyk then dropped a bunt down the first base line to move Weiss to third. Cleanup hitter Mookie Smith ripped a double to left- center to plate Weiss with the game-winner.

But Milling wasn't out of trouble yet; Jeff Snyder worked a walk to keep the inning going. First baseman Dave Chapman then cleared the bases with a three-run homer to put the game out of reach.

"We hit the ball well against Gilbertsville but it didn't really drop," Chapman said. "Hopefully we'll start hitting. We really haven't hit all year like we have the last few years. We have as good a lineup as we ever did but we're just having an off year. We've been surviving on our pitching."

Agreed Ganser, "Runs haven't been coming easy. I used to think the last couple years that we were an offensive club but this year getting runs has been tough. I'm just glad they broke out and did something here."

Through the first five innings, the Angels didn't look like they would break the scoring column at all. Milling controlled the game through the middle innings, retiring 12 of 14 batters in one stretch. Until the sixth, Milling allowed just three hits.

Meanwhile, Quakertown had several chances to score in the early innings and used back-to-back hits to take a 1-0 lead in the second. Mike Schaeffer stroked a one-out single to get Quakertown started. He went to second on a wild pitch and scored when Kevin Kershner singled to center.

Steve Bauder walked but Brader settled down to strike out Rush and catcher Greg Watring picked a runner off first to end the threat. Quakertown got a runner to third in the next two innings but Brader got a strikeout or a pop up to get out of the jams.

Brader seemed to get better as the game went on. He found a groove for the last three innings, setting down nine of the last 10, four by strikeout. And when the Angels' got their bats moving, Brader had all the runs he needed.

GILBERTSVILLE 7, UPPER PERKIOMEN 7 -- Visiting Gilbertsville's comeback drive halted in deadlock in this Tri-County playoff series.

The game will be replayed 5:45 p.m. today at Upper Perk. Gilbertsville leads the series 1-0 after winning game one on Tuesday.

Upper Perk scored six runs during an opening inning rally that included a two-run triple by Scott Baker.

Gilbertsville tied the game for good with three runs in the top of the fourth. Greg Gilbert had a two run homer in the inning.

After 14 runs had been scored in three and a half innings, no one else crossed the plate for the rest of the game.



  

From The Morning Call -- August 9, 1991

Copyright © 1990, The Morning Call