Limeport rallies to win, 6-4, moves within a win of title

Moon-struck baseball makes for strange play. Bulls take 2-1 series lead.


By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

Blame it on the moon.

A full moon rising above the trees at Limeport Stadium appeared just about the same time Wednesday night as some bizarre plays turned around Game 3 of the Tri-County League Championship Series.

The moon struck in the bottom of the sixth and helped the host Bulls rally for five runs and a 6-4 victory that gives them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-5 title series.

Limeport (32-5) can end the series at 5:45 tonight at Gabelsville (32-6) when no moonshine should bother the Owls.

Down 4-1, the Bulls battled back with five runs on five hits in the sixth.

But this wasn't your standard five-run rally.

First, pinch-hitter Joe Ricapito launched one of the longest RBI singles in Tri-Co playoff history to pull his team to 4-3.

Ricapito, who looks more like a WWF star or NFL lineman, made it only to first base when his drive to deep left-center fell in between two Gabelsville fielders.

Ricapito was replaced on the bases by Sean Donchez, a Saucon Valley grad entering his sophomore year at Bloomsburg.

Donchez moved to second when Joe Pochron's hard ground ball skipped past Gabelsville shortstop Greg Gilbert and into left to tie the game at 4-4.

Then came the play that would have made "Lehigh Valley SportsCenter," were there such a show.

Kevin Kershner, who tapped back to the mound with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, didn't miss out this time. He ripped a single to center. Donchez, racing around third, seemed ready to score the go-ahead run. One problem.

He fell, face first, about 15 feet shy of the plate. He would have been out, as the cliché goes, by a country mile. All Gabelsville catcher Jared Nace had to do was catch the ball and walk over and tag Donchez, who was getting a close-up view of the grass.

Another problem. The throw from center skipped past Nace to the screen, allowing Donchez to scramble to his feet and score the go-ahead run.

"I was thrilled when that ball got by him," Donchez said. "I don't know what happened. Rounding third base, I just felt myself falling to the ground. It was embarrassing. I usually only play when we're up by 15 runs or so. I'm one of the younger guys on the team, and I'm supposed to have wheels. The guys will never let me forget this."

Pochron then scored an insurance run when Nace had a pitch go off his glove, and then got knocked down as he turned into home plate umpire John Bachert while trying to retrieve it. Nace had a nasty cut on his nose, and Limeport had a 6-4 lead.

The Bulls maintained that lead, but dodged a scare in the top of the seventh. A one-out walk and Gilbert single brought Jeff Evans to the plate. Evans, one of the best hitters in Tri-Co history, ignited a three-run Owl rally in the fourth with a home run off Randy Baer.

This time Baer not only kept Evans in the park, but he got him to hit into a game-ending double play that went around the horn.

"I was just trying to hit spots, and I got him with a low fastball that he hit hard," Baer said. "What a great game. What a great series it's been."

As much as the excitement has built, Limeport would like to end it tonight.

"I've had enough," Kershner said. "We love playing here at Limeport. We haven't lost here all year, and the fans are great, always giving us a lift. But I hope we can end it in Gabelsville."

Owls' skipper Mike "Doc" Moyer said he would use Game 1 starter Shawn Betz tonight. Limeport, saving ace Chad Arnold for a possible Game 5 on Friday, will throw Pochron.


Gabelsville         000 301 0 -- 4  8  1

Limeport            100 005 x -- 6 10 1


Konnick, Graber (6) and Nace, Fox (6); Baer and Vito. HR: Gabelsville, Evans (4th, none on).



keith.groller@mcall.com

610-820-6740

From The Morning Call -- August 17, 2000

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