Limeport ties Tri-Co series with S. Whitehall

Bulls pitcher Glenn Kushma stands his ground in a playoff slugfest.


By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

As one of the best hitters in the Tri-County League, Limeport's Glenn Kushma generally enjoys slugfests like the one his Bulls had going Friday night against South Whitehall.

But since he was pitching, Kushma was more concerned about getting knocked out rather than knocking a few out of the park.

In the end, Kushma was left standing on the mound and Limeport stood even in its best-of-5 semifinal series after pulling out an 8-7 win at the Cedarbrook Sports Complex.

The series, now knotted at one win apiece, resumes at 7:30 Sunday night at Limeport. Game 4 will be played Monday at Cedarbrook.

Kushma was touched for seven runs on nine hits through four innings.

But just when it looked as if the Bulls and Serpents were going to get the jump on football season and put up a 20-14 final score, Kushma settled down. So did his counterpart, Jud Frank.

Kushma blanked South Whitehall on just one hit over the last three innings. Frank nearly matched Kushma over the fifth, sixth and seventh, but a misplayed ball in center resulted in a leadoff double by Josh Williams in the sixth that eventually led to the winning run.

"I wanted to suck it up and stay in there because we're hurting in the pitching department," said Kushma, an Emmaus High and Allentown College grad. "I didn't worry about our offense tonight because I knew we were going to score runs. I was just worried about holding them down. I hate pitching against them because everybody in that lineup hits. What do you throw these guys?"

Kushma's manager, Billy Fatzinger, had a suggestion.

"He was throwing all fastballs to all fastball hitters," Fatzinger said. "I said to him, `Make them hit something that bends.' That seemed to work."

Kushma was in trouble in the fifth when two walks and a single loaded the bases with two out. But he got Frank, the No. 3 hitter in the South Whitehall order, on a tapper back to the mound.

From there, it was smooth sailing as he retired the last six in a row.

"Glenn was a spot starter and a strong reliever for us all season," Fatzinger said. "He's a gamer. Whatever it takes to win, he's up for it."

Kushma, who batted .519 in the Tri-Co regular season, had a relatively quiet night at the plate with just one hit. That one hit was a two-run double in the first.

Leadoff man Williams, who looked like a kid who played in a sandbox at night's end, keyed the attack with three hits and three runs scored, and Kevin Kershner added three hits. Jeff Sabo had two hits and two RBIs as Limeport seized leads of 4-0 and 7-3 only to see South Whitehall surge back each time.

A drop at second on a sure force out and possible double play paved the way for the Serpents' four runs in the fourth that tied it at 7-7. Jim Emerick's two-run single was the frame's biggest blow.

But after that, South Whitehall (22-15) couldn't come up with a clutch hit as it left two on base in the fourth and three in the fifth.

Limeport's top of the order did come through in the clutch to push across the game-winner in the sixth. After Williams' legged out a double on the misplay in center, Kershner followed with a hit that moved Williams to third. With one out, Glenn Bubser hit a sacrifice fly to right that plated Williams with the series equalizer.

"We're going for our third title in a row, and there's a lot of pressure on us," Fatzinger said. "People expect a lot of us, and we expect a lot from ourselves. If we don't get to the finals, we'd be heartbroken."

Fatzinger, whose team is 29-7, will send Jason Sigley to the mound in Game 3 Sunday, while South Whitehall will likely counter with Randy Baer.



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- August 8, 1998

Copyright © 1998, The Morning Call