Johnson's first HR is worth the wait

His three-run shot lifts Jordan Creek over Limeport in the Tri-County playoffs.


By Tim Shoemaker
Special to The Morning Call

 

Frank Johnson hit more than 20 combined home runs for Jordan Creek in 1999 and 2000.

But the 1999 Tri-County League MVP hadn't hit any yet this season, in part because he only played nine games for the Gators before Sunday evening's playoff game against Limeport.

His first home run of 2001 was worth the wait for Jordan Creek.

Johnson hit a three-run home run well beyond the left field fence in the sixth inning that gave the Gators the runs they needed to pull out a 6-4 win and force a third game in the quarterfinal series.

Game 3 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Limeport. The winner will play either Tri-City or the Northern Yankees in the semifinals.

Tony Toth reached on an error to start the bottom of the sixth in a 3-3 game, and Shawn Cadden followed with a walk. Johnson took a curveball from Limeport reliever Chris Parsell and dumped it into center field of a softball game at an adjacent field at the Scherersville complex.

"I have never seen this pitcher before," said Johnson, who also had two singles and four RBIs. "He [Parsell] threw me a curveball. That's the kind of pitch I hit well. We know that with good hitting, pitching and defense, we can compete with anybody."

Jordan Creek (15-20) isn't playing like a No. 6 seed. The Gators blew a 9-4 lead in Saturday night's first game and lost in extra innings, 10-9.

"In all honesty, this series should be over," Limeport manager Scott Heppenheimer said. "They should have won [Saturday] night. They should be moving on. We're lucky to still be playing. We're lucky to be in a Game 3."

No. 3 seed Limeport (27-8) out-hit Jordan Creek 12-10, but got few hits in the clutch off Gators pitcher Ryan White, a Muhlenberg College player.

Pat Lane doubled and scored on Chad Arnold's single in the second, Pete Remaly hit a two-run home run in the third, and Jim Schaffer hit a run-scoring single in the seventh to account for the Bulls' runs.

White pitched in and out of trouble all game. He surrendered at least one hit in every inning except the sixth, when he hit leadoff batter Nick Remaly, who was subsequently thrown out trying to steal.

White's gut-check innings were the fourth and fifth. He left two runners stranded in the fourth and three in the fifth.

"He [White] was a middle reliever at Muhlenberg, so he's never pitched more than three or four innings a game," Jordan Creek manager Dave Snyder said. "Most of the season, he's been a five-inning pitcher. So when we got into the sixth inning, we were wondering if he had anything left. He hadn't pitched in 10 days, so he was rested."

Heppenheimer said Pat Toner will be his starting pitcher on Tuesday. Because of injuries and vacations, Snyder said he didn't know who will pitch for Jordan Creek.

White helped the Gators avoid deja vu in the seventh. With the memory of the five-run blown lead the night before and a recent 6-5 collapse to Gabelsville in which Jordan Creek led 5-1 fresh in their minds, White allowed Schaffer's RBI single with two outs.

He ended the game by getting John Michael Vito to ground out to shortstop Julio Lebron.

"I was just hoping he would get through it," Snyder said. "Our problem is consistency. We can play with the top teams in the league on some nights, but we can't do it consistently."


Limeport            012 000 1 -- 4 12 2

Jordan Creek     001 023 x -- 6 10 0


Baer, Parsell (5) and Vito. White (W, 3-3) and Lopez. L -- Parsell. HR -- L: P. Remaly (3rd, 1 on). JC: Johnson (6th, 2 on).



Tim Shoemaker is a freelance writer.

From The Morning Call -- July 30, 2001

Copyright © 2001, The Morning Call