ICC, Lehigh Township play to a 2-2 tie

By Steve Moore
Of The Morning Call

 

It didn't take long for ICC to compile more than enough runs to put away Lehigh Township in Thursday night's opener of the Tri-County League championship series.

But did the Pirates take too long doing it?

Somehow, the long arms of Hurricane Charley missed Bryfogle Memorial Park in Berlinsville Saturday night.

The ICC Pirates and Lehigh Township Brewers played the second game of their Tri-County League championship series, and even had time to squeeze in one extra inning before they were halted by darkness, not rain.

But since neither team was able to break the 2-2 tie, even in eight innings, they will have to do it all over again today.

The Pirates, who blew away the Brewers 11-0 in Game 1, took an early 2-0 lead Saturday night before Lehigh Township scratched across two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. The Brewers missed a chance to win the game in the bottom of the eighth, stranding the winning run in scoring position.

''It's definitely much better than the previous game,'' said Lehigh Township manager Shawn Andrews. ''But we can play better, the bats have to come alive. Pitchers are going out there and making the pitches, and we need to adjust and figure out a better way to get on base.''

After going up 2-0 on a fourth-inning solo home run by Kyle Ruff and a fifth-inning sacrifice fly by Erik Ruff, the Pirates turned to ace pitcher Brett Vroman to shut the door. Vroman, who had already delivered with four innings of two-hit, shutout ball, now had a lead to work with.

But moments after being hand-delivered the lead by his teammates, Vroman took the hill in the bottom of the fifth and gave up a leadoff single to Lehigh Township's Pat Higgins before walking Andrews. After Higgins and Andrews moved up on a wild pitch, designated hitter Joe Bubba brought home Higgins with a sacrifice fly to right. John Stezenko followed with another sac fly, bringing in Kyle Rhoades, who pinch ran for Andrews.

The Brewers got their last chance in the bottom of the eighth against ICC reliever Brett Remel, and managed to put a runner into scoring position when Nick Bowen pounded a two-out double to deep right that looked for a second like it might have a chance to leave the park. Higgins then floated a high fly ball to deep right, but this time ICC's Luke Pile was there to haul it in to end the game.

''I didn't think two was going to be enough to win it tonight,'' said ICC manager Mike Brosious. ''And I knew it wouldn't be enough for them either.''

According to Tri-County rules, the game will not pick up where it left off, but will start over again at 4:30 p.m. today at Northampton High School.


ICC Pirates   000 110 00 -- 2  5  0

Lehigh Twp.  000 020 00 -- 2  6  3


ICC: Brett Vroman, Brett Remel (7) and Kyle Ruff. LT: Sean Heimpel, Brandon Leslie (7) and Shawn Andrews, Eric Schmitt. HR: Kyle Ruff (4th, 0 on).



steve.moore@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- August 15, 2004

Copyright © 2004, The Morning Call