Limeport repeats as champ in the Tri-County League

Player/Manager Billy Fatzinger drives in 2 runs as Bulls oust Gabelsville.

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

Billy Fatzinger may have played his final Tri-County League baseball game Sunday night, which would end a family tradition that began with his father, Ishky, some 23 seasons ago.

If, indeed, it was the Fatzinger finale at Limeport Stadium, Billy went out the way anyone would want to exit -- as a champion.

Fatzinger, Limeport's player-manager, drove in two runs and Josh Williams unfurled an impressive five-hitter as the Bulls edged Gabelsville 3-1 to clinch their second straight Tri-Co championship.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Fatzinger as fireworks were shot off and Queen's "We are the Champions!" blared over the P.A. system.

"I'm considering moving to Florida. I have a lot of family there. But whether I stay or go, I told the guys to keep the nucleus together. I want this to be the next dynasty."

In becoming the first Tri-Co team other than the storied Gilbertsville/Gabelsville franchise to win back-to-back league crowns since Upper Perk did in 1979 and '80, Limeport won the best-of-five series three games to one.

The Bulls (30-13) rebounded from a controversial tie Friday with two straight wins behind stellar pitching performances. Dennis Kinney stopped the Owls 4-0 with a four-hitter in Saturday's Game 3 Part II. Sunday night, Williams was nearly as dominant.

"I wish my arm would hurt like Josh's," Fatzinger said. "We haven't used him in the playoffs as a pitcher because he said his arm was hurting."

Williams had hurt Gabelsville throughout the series with his bat and he added two more hits Sunday. His single in the third inning followed a basehit by Johnny Rodriguez and paved the way to a two-run uprising which erased a 1-0 deficit.

The go-ahead run scored on Fatzinger's two-out double to the wall in left-center.

The Bulls made it 3-1 in the fifth when Kevin Kershner doubled, Glenn Kushma singled and Kershner crossed on Fatzinger's fielder's choice grounder to second.

That was all Williams needed.

"I haven't pitched since the last game of the regular season against Center Valley," Williams said after striking out six and walking two. "I've been having arm trouble and then we ran into a situation where we didn't have any catchers, so I went back there and caught. I felt all right. I was hitting my spots."

Williams thought he was going to be an Allentown Ambassador this summer. He was the local independent team's first signee, but he never played an inning before leaving and rejoining the Bulls.

"I have no comment on that," Williams said. "I'm happy here. We don't know what's going to happen with Billy Fatzinger, but I'll probably be back if Limeport has a team. As long as I'm having fun, I'll play."

Had the Championship Series awarded an MVP, Williams would have won it, but he quickly said, "This was a team effort. We all played well and stuck together throughout the season."

Gabelsville's only run off Williams came in the second when Greg Miller led off with a double, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Josh Hartline's groundout to second.

"We weren't surprised to see Josh, even though we kept hearing about him having a sore arm," said Gabelsville manager Mike "Doc" Moyer. "He had some good pop on the ball. He wasn't overpowering; we just weren't hitting the ball the last two nights and they did.

"Bob Drumbore pitched well for us. Pitching wasn't the problem."

Gabelsville finished with a regular season-best 30-4 mark and went 33-7 overall, but Moyer said it still was a letdown to "not finish the job."

The Owls, still the most successful Tri-Co franchise over the past 14 seasons, will be back next year.

"I'll come back as long as all my guys come back ... and my wife lets me," Moyer said.



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- August 18, 1997

Copyright © 1997, The Morning Call