East Texas one win away from Tri-County crown

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call


There's a confidence, not a cockiness, in the East Texas ranks following last night's 6-3 victory over visiting Silver Creek in the Tri-County League Championship Series.

Up two games to none in the best-of-5 final, the Longhorns would like to play hangman in Game 3 of the title series that resumes at 5:45 p.m. tomorrow in Springtown.

"I wouldn't say that we think we're in the catbird seat. That's what you said. I say we're confident," East Texas player-manager George Horn explained. "We're confident, but we don't want to be over confident.

"We're playing good ball right now. We're hitting, using the hit-and-run, stealing bases and playing well defensively. We'll relax and just go from here," he said.

Horn understands that a 2-0 series lead is no lock on the Tri-Co crown. Just last year, Silver Creek was up two games to none versus Gilbertsville and dropped three straight.

The East Texas skipper also realizes that the 25-9 and North Division winning Longhorns are in their first-ever championship.

"I don't think there's any real pressure. The guys are loose and they've beaten the best pitchers in the league two straight nights," Horn said after a 2-for-3, two RBI game. The Longhorns battered previously unbeaten (11-0) Jason Young last night.

"We're having fun. This is a talented group that just goes out and does their jobs," he said of a team made up of Allen, Dieruff, Emmaus, Kutztown and Parkland grads.

Winning hurler Dan Hayes (9-3) struggled in the first, allowing Silver Creek to fill the bases on a single, walk and error, but tossed a fly ball to close the uprising. He then faced just 18 batters until the seventh striking out three.

In the seventh, Tim Brader was called in from the pen after Hayes allowed a walk and was touched for two hits that eventually led to Silver Creek's three runs.

"It definitely was not a strong outing for me, but the guys backed me up (in the field) and hit the crap out of the ball," Hayes said. "At the end, I got a little excited and a little tired.

"I was hitting the outside corner with the fastball to get ahead ... and the ump was giving it to me ... but near the end I couldn't get that spot," he said.

Four runs in the fourth, two scores in the fifth, and some dandy fielding was enough backing for the 22-year-old right-hander out of Emmaus High.

With two gone in Round 4, Mike Merkle singled to left and Jeremy Warmkessel doubled. Horn zeroed in on a 2-2 fastball and doubled just inside the left-field line making it 2-zip. Allen product Clay Fitch reached on an error and was replaced by courtesy runner Raul Feliciano.

As Feliciano tried to take second, a one-hop throw skidded to the outfield plating Horn, and Scott Godshalk singled to make it 4-0.

Matt Moore's killer smash to third went for an error in the fifth and a wild pitch moved the runner to third. Hassan DeJesus singled to shallow left and, while caught in a rundown after being picked at first, Moore scooted home. Merkle followed with a hit and scored on an error after a Jeremy Warmkessel single for a 6-0 lead.

The 28-6 Raiders tried to scramble back with their last chance. Hayes fanned Darren Sutton for out No. 1 but gave up a walk to Terry Sutton and then a single to Jake Krock. Chris Rios' single snapped the shutout.

Brader came on with one in, two on, and one out, and allowed a two-run double before ending the outing with a strike out.

"We hope to use that last inning rally as a springboard to Friday," Silver Creek player-manager Steve Smull said. "I know we can come back. We had a two-game lead a year ago and lost ... we stopped hitting the ball.

"East Texas is playing with a lot of confidence. They're hungry and we aren't. We have to raise ourselves up," he said.



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- August 11, 1994

Copyright © 1994, The Morning Call