Tomasko's star blast propels BML over Trico

The Banko's veteran hits a 3-run homer in the first and P.J. Yoder goes 3-for-3.


By Ted Meixell
Of The Morning Call

 

The Blue Mountain League came out smoking Friday night at Limeport's Fegely Stadium, survived two late-game scares and held on for a 13-8 victory over the Tri-County League in their annual all- star game.

Most of the early muscle was provided by one guy -- Banko's Fred Tomasko, who's been in so many BML-TCL jousts that he's lost track -- and another -- Northampton's P.J. Yoder, appearing in his very first.

The veteran Tomasko, one of the most feared power hitters in local adult amateur baseball for more than a decade, showed why and, in the process, gave the BML a quick 3-0 lead.

With Yoder (double) and Banko's Tom Stoudt (single) aboard in the first inning, Tomasko found a slider from Lehigh Township's Dylan Dando to his liking and drove it over the left-field fence.

Yoder will carry a 1.000 batting average into his next all-star appearance. He whacked two doubles and a triple in three at-bats, scored twice and drove in three.

After starting the three-run first, Yoder, who spent a few years in the Mets organization and last season with the Allentown Ambassadors, polished off the three-run second.

Following a single by Northampton's Shawn Hughes, two walks and a trio of wild pitches accounted for one run. Yoder greeted reliever Jason Sigley of Limeport and drove in the other two with a scorching triple to right-center.

Just to make sure, Yoder doubled in a run in another three-run rumble in the fifth. Tom Stoudt doubled in the other two.

Tomasko remembered he's been in the BML since 1983, but not how many all-star games he's been in. He did recall, however, that he hasn't starred in many -- and that he had "probably" never homered in one.

"I'm not sure," he said, seeming rather bashful, "but I don't think I've hit any before. I have no idea why, but I usually don't do very well in these games. I guess that's why I feel so good about this one.

"It was actually a pretty good pitch, a slider down. I hit it on the end of the bat, but luckily I got it over the fence."

Yoder was happy with his performance -- and why on earth not. But he was even more pleased with how the BML team came together.

"It's fun playing with all these guys you've always played against," he said. "I didn't expect us to get along so well, but the camaraderie was great. Everyone was on the same page. We all wanted to win."

Meanwhile, Ed Boyce (Northampton), Nate Stannard (Catasauqua) and Ryan Waelchli (Bethleon) held the TCL without a hit through the first three innings. And Black Sox center fielder Mark Washburn led off the bottom of the third with a solo homer to up the BML lead to 7-0.

The TCL broke through for an unearned run in the fourth. Gabelsville's Jeff Evans got it started with a single and Lehigh Township's Dan Roth singled him in.

TCL got another in the fifth on a walk, Glenn Kushma's double and Bill Fatzinger's sacrifice fly and then made things very interesting, scoring four times in the seventh -- two were unearned, the result of four BML errors -- and loading the bases to bring the tying run to the plate with one out.

But Banko's lefty Bob Brown got dangerous Jim Brezack of Sports Page to hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Andy Simock of Catty - - and Simock and Martins Creek's Joe Ragozino turned a nifty 4-6-3 double play to end the rally.

Northern Yankee Brian Buchman's two-run double highlighted the spurt.

The BML got one back in the seventh on Simock's RBI single, but Trico again got the tying run to the plate in the eighth.

Three walks, a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by South Whitehall Serpents Chuck Mondschein and Rob Gontkosky plated two runs, but hard-balling Bethlehem Township lefty Jeff Wagner fanned Jordan Creek's Frank Johnson to stop the bleeding.

The Blue Mountain Boys matched that two-spot -- and created a final score identical to that of Tuesday's Major League All-Star Game -- in the bottom of the eighth. Nate Snoke of Andretti bounced a single through the middle for the two runs.

Hellertown's Scott Bolasky pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to end it. Boyce got the win, Dando the loss.



ted.meixell@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- July 11, 1998

Copyright © 1998, The Morning Call