ICC Pirates use seven-run sixth to beat Limeport

Brett Kelley has three hits, three runs and three RBIs for winners.

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

First-year franchise Silver Creek traveled to Gabelsville Friday night as the first place team in the Tri-County League.

Brett Kelley has spent his summer interning at a local business called Baseball Information Solutions. It's his job to watch major league games and prepare charts and scouting reports for major and minor league clubs.

On Saturday night, Kelley would have enjoyed compiling a scouting report on himself.

The Williamsport High and Lock Haven University product made his first Tri-County League playoff game memorable by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs in leading his ICC Pirates past Limeport 10-5 at Bethlehem Township Park.

ICC (23-11) can end the best-of-three, first-round series at 7:30 tonight at Limeport Stadium.

Kelley, completing his first season in the Tri-Co, singled, stole a base and scored in the first and homered in the fifth.

But his biggest hit was a two-run single in the sixth that was part of a seven-run uprising by ICC. It erased a 5-3 deficit.

''I was just trying to hit the ball hard, make something happen,'' Kelley said. ''I'm having a lot of fun in this league. I've been playing baseball my whole life and this is the first time I've gotten to play on the same team as my brother, Nick, since he's five years older than me.''

All of the Pirates had some fun during the seven-run sixth. ICC sent 13 hitters to plate and collected seven hits, all singles, to go along with three walks — two of which came with the bases loaded.

''Limeport probably outplayed us,'' said ICC player-manager Luke Pile. ''They probably deserved to win. We at least battled. Everybody seemed to boot a ball today for us, but we came in each inning and tried to pick each other up. We just had to string something together.''

Pile, who was 4-for-4, said the game was typical ICC-Limeport

''They always give us fits,'' Pile said. ''We always seem to play them in the playoffs and they are always great battles.''

This one was played on a see-saw with the teams combining for 27 hits.

Fourth-seeded ICC took early 1-0 and 2-1 leads. No. 5 seed Limeport (20-13) used two errors to tie it in the third and went ahead on Chris Bensing's home run in the fourth.

Kelley's home run knotted it at three in the bottom of the fifth, but Limeport came right back to take the lead.

Kevin Kershner's RBI triple, on a ball that just eluded a diving attempt by ICC right fielder Todd Brosious, gave the Bulls a 4-3 lead. Shawn Brown's sacrifice fly scored Kershner to make it a two-run game entering the fateful bottom of the sixth.

Limeport's lead could have been even larger, but the Bulls failed to score in the fifth after loading the bases with no outs.

Jon Vito was out when a ball hit by Jeff Cavanaugh plunked Vito as he ran between second and third. Then, Bensing hit into an inning-ending double play with the Bulls disputing umpire Mike Applegate's ''out'' call at first base.

The Bulls also were not pleased with home plate umpire John Fleck's strike zone in the sixth inning when starter Pat Toner walked two with the bases loaded after not walking a batter through the first five innings.

''I have no comment on anything,'' Limeport manager Chris Parsell said even before being asked a question by a reporter after the game. ''I better not say something that will get me in trouble.''

Parsell, however, did have plenty to say after the game to Tri-Co league president Mike Brosious, the former ICC manager, who was in attendance.


Limeport 011 102 0 —  5  13 2

ICC         110 017 x — 10 14 3


Toner, J. Krauss (6) and M. Krauss, Shoemaker (6); Stewart, Vroman (6) and K. Ruff. W: Vroman L: Toner. HRs: Limeport, Bensing (4th, none on); ICC, B. Kelley (5th, none on).



keith.groller@mcall.com

610-820-6740

From The Morning Call -- July 31, 2005

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