Arner's home run gives Fleetwings a flight to TriCo finals

After giving up six runs in the final frame, Tri-City uses the shot for a 9-7 win.


By Tim Shoemaker
Special to The Morning Call

 

Tri-City catcher Jeremy Arner had the best seat in the house for his team's collapse Sunday night against Limeport in the Tri-County League playoffs at Scherersville.

Run by run, Arner watched a five-run lead become a one-run deficit in the top of the seventh. The bleeding stopped when Arner tagged out Limeport runner Casey Higgins on a close play at the plate for the inning's third out.

Little did Arner know he'd get the chance to add one more -- and final -- twist to a game and series full of them.

With runners on second and third with two out in the bottom of the seventh, Arner took a Kyle Kershner fastball over the right-field fence for a game-winning, three-run home run that gave Tri-City a wild 9-7 win and a 3-0 sweep in the best-of-five semifinal series.

The second-seeded Fleetwings (32-6) will face top seed and two- time defending champion Gabelsville in the best-of-five championship series, which is scheduled to begin Saturday at Gabelsville.

Limeport (28-11), the No. 3 seed, tied the game on Pat Lane's sacrifice fly and went ahead on Nick Remaly's single, which brought in courtesy runner Randy Baer with the tying run. On the same play, Arner took a perfect relay throw from second baseman Teague Fatzinger to nail Higgins and prevent the Bulls lead from getting bigger.

When Arner came up Matt Hlay on third and Paul Santay at second and two out, he said all he thought about was pushing the ball through the right side. He did that, and then some.

"I knew he was going away to not give me anything to drive," said Arner, an Emmaus product who attends Bloomsburg and moonlights with the Bethleon Blue Mountain League team. "I was looking to go that way, between first and second to give us a chance to get both guys in."

To make matters even more unbelievable, it was Arner's first home run of the year, and Tri-City's 10th win in a row.

"I give credit to them," said Limeport manager Scott Heppenheimer, who will give up the Bulls to coach the Salisbury legion team next year. "They're a good ball team. A lot of young guys, a lot of spirit. I never thought we'd get swept, that's for sure."

For five innings, it appeared as if Tri-City starter Ryan Palos (6- 0) would be his team's star of the game. Palos used his curveball and changeup to pitch out of jam after jam. He pitched out of a bases- loaded, none-out situation after Limeport had three successful bunts in a row to start the fourth. Palos got a 1-2-3 double play and a flyout to escape.

With none out in the bottom of the fifth against Bulls starter Pat Toner, Matt Marcks had a two-run single, then Dan Dillon followed with a two-run double. Santay singled in Dillon to give the Fleetwings a 5-1 lead.

Tri-City still held that lead after six. Fleetwings manager Bob Fatzinger pulled Palos because of a twinge in his arm and brought in Dillon, who retired only one of the six batters he faced while two costly errors were made.

"They told me Ryan had a twinge in his arm," Fatzinger said. "He was pitching well. That was the only reason I took him out. Dan pitched only one inning last night. I think he did throw quite a few pitches last night. I brought him back too fast. They just teed off on him."

Heppenheimer said he was flat out of pitchers after Toner left the game. Kershner did his best, and in the end, was only several feet from winning the game.

"I threw my shortstop last game," Heppenheimer said. "I threw my third baseman this game.

I thought the game was over, to be honest. Everyone was asking me if I wanted them to take a pitch [in the seventh]. But I said, "Just go ahead and hit.' That was a great comeback. These guys didn't quit. I quit. I thought the game was over. They came back."


Limeport   000 010 6 -- 7  9  0

Tri-City      100 050 3 -- 9 13 5


Toner, Kershner (5) and Vito. Palos, Dillon (7), Gunkle (7) and Arner. W -- Gunkle. L -- Kershner. HR -- L: Kushma (5th, none on). TC: Arner (7th, 2 on).



Tim Shoemaker is a freelance writer.

From The Morning Call -- August 6, 2001

Copyright © 2001, The Morning Call