South Whitehall, Limeport reach Tri-County semifinals

Hymans, Chad Erie power the Serpents past Upper Perk.


By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

Johnny Hymans said he really missed playing Tri-County League baseball when he sat out six seasons with a herniated disc before returning last year.

But Tuesday night at the Cedarbrook Sports Complex near Dorney Park, Hymans didn't miss a first-pitch fastball.

He sent it over the fence for a grand slam that helped his South Whitehall club blow out Upper Perk 13-7 in the third and deciding game of a Tri-Co first-round playoff series.

Hymans' slam along with two home runs and five RBIs by Chad Erie keyed a 16-hit attack as the Serpents wiped out an early 3-0 deficit and rolled into the Tri-Co semifinals. South Whitehall (25-12) hosts Limeport, a 5-0 winner over Stahley's Tuesday night, in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series Thursday night.

"It was the first pitch and a fastball and that's all I was looking for because I can't hit a curveball," said the 31-year-old Hymans, who had played with the Bethlehem Township Buccaneers and ICC Pirates before his back injury put his career on hold.

"I just closed my eyes, swung and there it went. The wind helped it. Thank you wind."

Hymans' slam was the highlight of the game-turning third inning when the Serpents erased a 3-1 Upper Perk lead and blasted their way to a 7-3 edge.

The Serpents would tack on four more in the fourth when Erie's second home run of the night was a three-run rip. He had a solo shot in the second and an RBI single in the third.

Chad, one of three Erie brothers on the Serpent roster, savored every second of his blasts and made sure Upper Perk knew it.

"To hit the ball the way I did after what happened in Sunday's game felt great," said Erie. "On Sunday, Bob Graber hit me in the head with a fastball and that started a war between the two teams that carried over to tonight. He threw right at me. There was no doubt about it. He never had control problems before. I'm just glad we pounded them with 13 runs tonight."

Even though the game became a blowout, it did have its tense moments as both player-managers -- South Whitehall's Kevin Hutter and Upper Perk's Mike Svanson -- were ejected by home plate umpire Bill Berkheimer.

Hutter still sat close enough to enjoy his team's offensive display against starter Nate Smiley, the cousin of Cleveland pitcher John Smiley, and whoever else the Chiefs put on the mound.

Every person in the Serpent lineup had at least one hit. Andy Kies, Chuck Mondschein, Jeff Erie and winning pitcher Jud Frank joined Chad Erie with at least two. Mondschein also knocked in two runs. Frank, a former Liberty High and Moravian College standout, scuffled early and late. He gave up four hits in the first two innings when the Chiefs scored three runs and yielded four runs in the seventh on three hits.

In between, however, Frank was outstanding. From the third inning through the top of the sixth, he blanked Upper Perk on one hit.

"We've got the hitting and the pitching is fine, but the defense will be the key," Hymans, a Freedom High grad, said. "We kicked the ball around early in the game and that helped Upper Perk score two runs. We can't afford to do that in the next round. If we do, we don't have a chance. If we play to our level, we'll be right in it."

"I know I'm just happy to be contributing. It's great to be playing and getting the chance to act like kids again."

Upper Perk, a perennial Tri-Co power in the 1980s, got the chance to see the playoffs again after a dismal 10-22 season a year ago. The Chiefs finished with a 21-16 mark and optimism for the future.

"Everything's lookin' up," Graber said after completing his 18th Tri-Co season. "It was a real good year with some young guys moving into the mix. Hopefully, these guys will come back again and we can add some guys from our Legion team. A couple of times last year we were really short on players. But it seems like the interest is coming back."



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- August 6, 1997

Copyright © 1997, The Morning Call