Lehigh Township wins its first Tri-Co championship

Brewers win deciding Game 5 over Gabelsville on a Nicholas home run.

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

Mark Nicholas considers himself to be a good bunter, but he failed to get one down in the sixth inning of the deciding game of the Tri-County League Championship Series Thursday night.

As it turned out, missing the bunt was the best thing that could have happened to Nicholas and Lehigh Township.

Instead of a sacrifice bunt, Nicholas slammed a three-run home run that was the difference in the Brewers' 7-4 win over host Gabelsville, giving Lehigh Township its first Tri-Co title and ending the local amateur baseball season.

The improbable turn of events in the fifth and final game of the title series was fitting for the battlin' Brewers, an unlikely champ after suffering through an eight-game losing skid late in the season.

"It wasn't easy," said player-manager Shawn Andrews. "A lot of things had to go our way. We stuck together through some turmoil. There were games when we weren't even talking to each other."

But the LT bench was unanimous in cheers when Nicholas hit the deciding home run.

It came with the score tied 4-4 and after Dan Borden and Omar Torres singled to start the sixth.

"We felt we had to have a bunt and move the runners," Andrews said. "Luckily, he didn't get it down fair, and then we took it off and decided to let him put it down their throats. He hit it a long way."

Nicholas had to drive a long way just to make the game. He had to work late and didn't arrive from his job in Hellertown until 20 minutes after the game started.

"It has been an awkward situation all year because I double- roster and also play for Hellertown in the Blue Mountain League," said Nicholas, who with Ryan Amey and Borden played for both the BML Royals and TC Brewers.

"I play with this team when I can, and it's great that the other guys accept me when I'm here. I failed to get that bunt down, and I got lucky. We took the bunt off, and fortunately I got a pitch down the middle and hit it."

It opened a three-run gap, and pitcher Jeff Erschen made sure it stayed by retiring 11 of the last 12 hitters he faced after Kyle Hoffman's two-run homer with one out in the fourth. Erschen, shelled by Gabelsville late in the regular season, turned the tables by hitting the corners in a five-hitter.

Erschen gave up a two-out hit to veteran Bob Graber in the seventh. The line drive deflected off Erschen's hip.

It could have been the 41-year-old Graber's last at-bat and hit in a storied Tri-Co career. But it wasn't Erschen's last batter of the night.

"It hurt, but there was no way I was coming out," he said. "I was determined to stay out there and get the last out."

He did, getting A.J. Bohn on a fly to left, which, fittingly, Steve Unger caught for the final out. It was Unger's three-run home run in the third that erased a 2-1 deficit and gave the Brewers a 4- 2 lead.

"We just wouldn't quit," Andrews said after his team finished 26- 18 overall, 8-4 in the postseason. "We didn't quit when we lost eight in a row, and we didn't fold being down 2-1 in this series."

Gabelsville skipper Mike "Doc" Moyer was down after his 32-13 team was denied in its bid for a 14th league title.

"Maybe it was meant to be for them because 90 out of 90 times you bunt there [Nicholas' situation], and if you don't it comes back to haunt you," Moyer said. "We also didn't hit like we can. We hope to pick up a few more guys and come back again next year."


Lehigh Township  103 003 0 -- 7 12 0

Gabelsville             110 200 0 -- 4  5  1


Erschen and Schmitt; Eidle, Cabot (3) and Danner. LP: Cabot. HR: G: Irey (1st, 0 on), Hoffman (4th, 1 on). LT: Unger (3rd, 2 on); Nicholas (6th, 2 on).

keith.groller@mcall.com

610-820-6740

From The Morning Call -- August 22, 2003

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