Maini helps Fleetwings nail down a spot in Tri-Co finals

A 3-1 win over Silver Creek in Game 5 sets up match with Gabelsville.


By Jeff Schuler
Of The Morning Call

 

Adam Maini's first summer season ended in disappointment.

He's hoping the conclusion to the second is a little more memorable.

The senior-to-be at Emmaus quelled Silver Creek's last-gasp rally Thursday night, helping the Fleetwings to a 3-1 win in the deciding fifth game of their Tri-County League semifinal series in Scherersville.

''It's a chance to play for a championship,'' said Maini, whose Lower Macungie team lost to Lehighton in the loser's bracket finals of the Lehigh Valley Legion postseason tournament. ''I just want to win, no matter when or where I'm playing.''

The Fleetwings will begin the quest for their first Tri-Co title Saturday (at a time to be announced) when the best-of-five championship series opens at Gabelsville. It's a rematch of the 2001 title series, when the powerful Owls won their 12th and most recent crown, in five games.

''We've always been among the better teams, but we always seem to fall short,'' Fleetwings player-manager Jeremy Arner said. ''It just feels great to get back to the finals, and we're excited to meet them again.''

Maini, whom Arner has used as his closer since the end of the Legion season, got the game's final two outs on grounders after Silver Creek put the tying runs at first and second with one out in the seventh.

''I like starting, but I also like being out there when the game's on the line,'' Maini said.

He almost got the call a lot earlier after Silver Creek's Pat Hollander lined the first pitch of the second inning off the pitching elbow of Fleetwings starter Scott Bolasky, a shot that ricocheted high in the air to third base, where Nick D'Amico caught it for the out.

Maini quickly started throwing as the Fleetwings tended to Bolasky, but after a few minutes and a few warm-up tosses the veteran right hander continued, needing just five pitches to get out of the inning.

Bolasky worked two more after that, throwing 51 pitches (40 after being hit) and giving up a run on four hits before turning it over to eventual winner Dan Hemberger.

''That's the hardest ball I've ever seen hit that hit somebody,'' said Silver Creek coach Dylan Dando, whose team — which forced Game 5 with a 15-6 win Wednesday— concluded a memorable inaugural season (29-11). ''I tip my cap to him.''

''He's a bull,'' added Fleetwings assistant coach and former Tri-Co pitcher Ray Ganser. ''I knew he wouldn't want to come out.''

Arner said Bolasky

''would've finished if I let him.

''I don't think he was too happy when he came out,'' Arner said. ''But I had the arms and I didn't want to take a chance with him at 75 percent.''

Silver Creek's Nate Hritz didn't do too badly either, allowing just six hits. But one was a tying home run by Matt Godusky, who capped a nine-pitch at-bat with a booming shot over the left-field fence to lead off the fourth.

Two innings later, after a walk and a Ben Swatsky single, Godusky laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that ultimately led to the go-ahead runs, one on Tommy Williams' sacrifice fly, the other on a single by the ageless Dave Toth.

''We didn't have to tell [Godusky] to bunt,'' Arner said. ''He knew the situation called for it, and he got a great bunt down.''

''They're all disappointing when you lose,'' Dando said. ''But I'm definitely not disappointed with our season, or how we played tonight.''


Silver Creek   000 100 0 — 1 5 0

Fleetwings     000 102 x — 3 6 0


Nate Hritz and Eric Schmitt; Scott Bolasky, Dan Hemberger (5), Adam Maini (7) and Jeremy Arner. W-Hemberger. L-Hritz. Sv-Maini.



jeff.schuler@mcall.com

610-820-6781

From The Morning Call -- August 12, 2005

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