Stahley's glad Corvino remained on roster

Hurler scatters six hits in Tri-County League victory over Bethlehem Red Sox.


By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

Joe Corvino hasn't bee n around the Stahley's team in the Tri-County League very often this summer, but he may get to make up for lost time in the next several weeks.

Corvino, who has spent most of the amateur baseball season with Northampton in the Blue Mountain League, made his first start with Stahley's a good one Friday night in Scherersville as his six-hitter on the mound was instrumental in a 7-2 win over the Bethlehem Red Sox.

Corvino, a 1995 Allen High grad who will be a junior at Millersville this fall, was making just his third appearance of the year for the Mariners. His top priority has been with Northampton in the BML.

But his season there could end soon since the Giants are unlikely to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, Stahley's (19-9) is a virtual lock to nab one of the Tri-Co's seven postseason spots.

"We were sorry to lose Joe to Northampton early in the season, but he wanted to pitch in the Blue Mountain League," said Stahley's player-coach Dave Lutte. "But he still wanted to stay on our roster, too, and we're glad we kept him. It doesn't look like Northampton will make the Blue Mountain playoffs and that means we should be able to use Joe more often in our playoffs."

Corvino said his knuckle-curve was working well and he was most pleased with his control.

"I only had two walks and I didn't have many strikeouts (four), but that's fine because the defense behind me was great," Corvino said. "My catcher, Joe Teresavage, threw out four runners. That's clutch. He made my job easier."

Corvino never retired Bethlehem in order. But the Red Sox never had more than one hit in an inning either.

Stahley's got Corvino all the runs he would need in the third when an error opened the door to seven runs. Six straight Mariners delivered hits after the miscue.

Dale Weiss, Jeff Snyder, Dave Lutte, Matt Hlay and Teresavage all drove in runs. Lutte's double scored a pair.

Stahley's was held scoreless on three hits the rest of the night, but the damage was done.

"We still have six games left in the last week of the regular season and technically, we still haven't qualified for the playoffs, so there's a lot of work to do," Lutte said.

"At least we're out of that bad slump we had in the middle of the year. That was a stretch where nothing was working. But our goal all along was to be hot going into the playoffs. We'd like to win our division title because if you win the division you don't have to see Gabelsville until the playoff finals."

Lutte said many people had written off his club at the start of the year. Tony Galucy, one of the league's top hitters, has been out with an injury and Keith Brader got married and hasn't played. Plus, six Stahley's players left to help form the new Bethlehem entry.

The new Red Sox have done well for an expansion team. But at 15-15 after Friday's loss, a playoff bid may be gone.

"We've got to win our last four games and hope some things happen," said Bethlehem boss Ed Jones. "We have guys with a lot of experience, but it's tough to mesh with guys coming from all different programs. I have two guys who play for Lehigh, two from Allentown College, another from Del Val. We've got talent, but it's not always easy to immediately know how to play together. It's not like Stahley's where everybody has been together for years."

Jeff Snyder was 3-for-4 and Teresavage had two hits for Stahley's, while Jason Frederick had a pair of hits for Bethlehem.



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- July 26, 1997

Copyright © 1997, The Morning Call