Gilbertsville's Chillot chills Limeport 4-2

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call


Gilbertsville's Lew Chillot had his Tri-County League baseball career interrupted several years ago when he moved to Lancaster.

Unfortunately for Limeport, Chillot only moved to Lancaster, Pa., and not Lancaster, Calif., because Chillot is still close enough to pitch for the Rangers and torment their foes as he did last night in shutting down Limeport 4-2 in Game 3 of the Tri-Co Championship Series.

Chillot's crafty five-hitter at the Rangers' Gabelsville A.A. Field gave Gilbertsville a two games to one lead in the best-of-five series. The Rangers (30-7) can wrap up their third league crown in four years and eighth title in 12 seasons with a win in Game 4 at 7:30 tonight at Limeport Stadium.

Should the Bulls keep the series alive and force Game 5, it would be played back at Gabelsville 5 p.m. tomorrow.

"Before tonight, I was hoping we didn't have to come back down here," said Limeport player-manager Billy Fatzinger. "Now, I can't wait to come back here. I just hope we get the chance.

"Lew just pitched a great game. He and I have been friends a long time and I told him it's like watching Tommy John out there. He gets craftier every year. He struck a blow for the 30-and-over crowd. I just wish it wasn't against us."

The 33-year-old Chillot, a lefthander, is in his second go-around in the Tri-Co. He pitched from 1980 to '88 and then returned last year.

"I know this league and how it works," Chillot said. "I grew up around here, but I moved out to Lancaster for my job. My parents still live around here and me coming back to pitch gives them a chance to see their grandkids. I come back on the weekends and whenever I can to help these guys out. It's fun coming back."

Chillot had fun early. He had a one-hit shutout through four innings as Gilbertsville built a 4-0 lead. In the fifth, the Bulls made a charge. Joe Fatzinger tripled to right-center and Glenn Bubser followed with a home run to left.

"I tried to keep the ball off-speed," said Chillot, a Shippensburg University product, who struck out three and walked three. "I think they were starting to sit on the off-speed stuff. So, after the home run, Neil Fox (the catcher) and I got together and said we had to get some fastballs in there. I don't throw the ball hard, I just try to spot the ball and keep them off-stride."

Chillot worked around a one-out double to Glenn Kushma in the sixth and then a walk and two-out single by Jim Schaffer tensed things up in the seventh with leadoff man Josh Williams coming to the plate.

Williams, who singled in the first and lined sharply to right in the fifth, rapped into a fielder's choice grounder to short to end it.

"I got him with a straight change," Chillot said. "He's a good hitter, but he got out in front a little bit. I wish this one was for the title-clincher, but at least I helped get the guys a 2-1 lead, and hopefully they can steal one in Limeport and close it out."

Limeport will come back with ace lefty Dennis Kinney, the Game 1 loser, tonight. Last night, Gilbertsville managed just seven hits against Jack Undercuffler and Rob Schultz, but made the most of them.

A bunt hit by Josh Hartline and a throwing error led to a run in the first. Greg Gilbert was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second, while Brian Miller and Hartline doubled in runs in the fourth. Miller and Hartline were the only Rangers with more than one hit.

"We bunched a couple of hits and a couple of walks and that was enough tonight, thanks to the job that Lew did for us," said Gilbertsville player-manager Mike "Doc" Moyer, whose team has been without slugger Bob Drumbore throughout the playoffs due to a pulled rib cage muscle. "Now, we want to finish it off."

Billy Fatzinger just hopes his team's bats come alive to keep the Bull season -- a shining 30-10 so far -- afloat until Sunday.

"I don't know what it is ... to an extent, it's their pitching, but we are not hitting right now," he said. "I hope we bring the lumber out in Game 4 and start ripping, myself included. We're coming back with Dennis, so if they beat us, they'll be beating our best."



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- August 12, 1995

Copyright © 1995, The Morning Call