Tri-Co's late-game charge overcomes BML

A 3-run 8th inning and Dennis Kinney save produce an 11-10 triumph before 700 at Limeport Stadium.


By John Jay Fox
Of The Morning Call

 

Odds had to favor the Tri-County League.

In more years than many cared to remember, Tri-Co had gone home unhappy in the annual all-star grudge match against the rival Blue Mountain League, winning just once.

The most recent spiral in the seasonal series ended in dramatic fashion Friday night before a crowd of 700 at Limeport Stadium with a 11-10 victory in a 3 hour, 20 minute extravaganza.

Three runs in the eighth, and a save by veteran Dennis Kinney (Tri-City), lifted Tri-Co to victory.

Scott Garger (Tri-City) reached on a walk and rode home behind a Glenn Bubser (Limeport) double. Bubser moved to third on an attempted pickoff and raced home on a passed ball. Jeremy Arner's (Tri-City) single up the middle plated the deciding run.

"It was 10-3, and I figured I'd just go to the plate and get some hits," said Arner, who came on in the sixth to catch and went 3-for-3 with three RBIs.

Arner is rostered in each league, but was chosen a Tri-County League All-Star.

"The first at-bat (sixth inning), I was down in the count and just hoped to hit the ball somewhere. We scored the one run there (on his triple) and got the big innings in the seventh and eighth. We just turned it around. The team got into it and the fans started to get into it. They got into it, and it was great," said the first-year player.

Before the game, Coach Kevin Hutter (South Whitehall) said that we hadn't won this game in like 15 years. "No one expected us to win. Especially to come from behind."

Arner handled the pitching staff, which did not allow a hit in the final three innings.

"I knew some of the hitters playing in both leagues, and (Tri-Co pitcher) Dave Toth has played Blue Mountain a long time. He helped me out with some pitches."

Kinney, a former Detroit Tigers and San Diego hurler, shut BML down in the ninth, facing just four batters and striking out one.

"It was our second win in I don't know how many years," Kinney, 47, said. "I just wanted to throw the ball with velocity and get ahead of the hitters. I made them hit my pitch. I like to go right at people. That's what you do in short relief."

Kinney raced down from his son's Northwestern Lehigh Knee-Hi playoff game in New Tripoli, making the all-star bout in the fifth inning with Tri-Co trailing 8-1.

"I just figured to hang out and wait to see it if got close," he said.

Tri-Co starter Eric Baran (ICC) probably had second thoughts about getting the ball for the start of the game.

After fanning leadoff hitter Joe Mies (Banko's), Baran tossed a flat 2-2 curve ball that P.J. Yoder crushed to the deepest part of the historical park. On two hops, the ball smacked against the 495- foot sign, and Yoder circled the bases for the first run of the game.

Fred Tomasko (Banko's) whacked a single to short that couldn't be handled, and one strikeout later Mark Washburn (Catty) clubbed a 380- foot triple to left center for a 2-0 cushion. Chris Saylor (Limeport, 2-for-3, RBI) added another knock to score Washburn for a 3-0 difference.

John Csencsits' (Catty, 2-for-3) third-inning stroke would have left most ballparks but was 4 feet short of Limeport's 374-foot left- center wall for a triple. He crossed the plate behind Washburn's (2-for-2, two RBIs) hot hit through short for a 4-0 cushion.

BML's Ben Willard (Roseto) scurried out of a deep hole in the third after Tri-Co scored its first run. The reliever got two quick outs, but gave up a single to Brendon Witkowski (Tri-City) and walks to Kevin Kerschner (Limeport) and Glenn Kushma (Limeport) to load the sacks. He walked Ron Gontkosky (South Whitehall) for the run, and Toth (Tri-City) grounded back to the mound for the third out.

In the fourth, BML hiked its margin to 6-1 on a pair of gifts. Wes Garcia (Banko's) crossed the plate on a dropped relay throw off a double steal. A pop-up lost in the lights let Mies scoot home.

The BML lead ballooned to 8-1 in the top of the fifth as Saylor and Craig Geiger (Bethlehem Township) scored on a Garcia (2-for-2, two RBIs) safety to the outfield.

Sacrifice flies by Kushma and Toth in the fifth plated Witkowski and Kerschner to whittle the margin to 8-3 before Scott Thomas (Martins Creek) and Nate Snoke (Lower Nazareth) each notched an RBI, making it 10-3.

Trailing 10-4 heading into the seventh, Tri-Co began its rally.

Garger walked and moved to third on two outs. He stole home, and Scott Heppenheimer (Limeport) singled before scoring on an Arner base hit. Nick Remaly (ICC) and Shawn Betz (Gabelsville) followed with singles for runs as Tri-Co closed to 10-8.



 

From The Morning Call -- July 10, 1999

Copyright © 1999, The Morning Call