Woodlawn's Palos keeps Reds' bats quiet

He allows just one hit in a 1-0 eight-inning victory.

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

Thursday night's game between the Coplay Reds and the Woodlawn Fleetwings in Scherersville perfectly demonstrated the impact wooden bats have had on the Tri-County League this season.

In fact, Fleetwings pitcher Ryan Palos was nearly perfect.

Palos tossed a one-hitter, allowing only a one-out, second-inning double by the Reds' J.R. Graver in a 1-0, eight-inning Fleetwings win.

Palos, a Bethlehem Catholic and Wilkes grad, didn't allow another runner after the double, retiring the last 20 batters.

Tommy Williams made a winner out of him by legging out an infield single with two out in the bottom of the eighth to score Dan Hemberger from third.

Woodlawn improved to 20-10 with just five games left in the regular season.

The eight innings were completed in a mere hour and 40 minutes. The regulation seven went by in a brisk hour and 25 minutes.

''The pitchers love this,'' Williams said of the introduction of wood to the 10-team amateur circuit. ''It is a little different; it takes a while to get used to it. There's just a smaller sweet spot on the bat and, fortunately, I got it there on that last hit.''

With Hemberger at third after an infield hit, stolen base and wild pitch, Williams hit the ball hard up the middle.

Coplay second baseman Kyle Rhoades tried to make a back-handed stab, but could only knock it down.

The ball rolled a few feet away, and by the time Rhoades threw to first, Williams, a former Penn State football player, dove to the bag safely.

''As an athlete, you want to have the game in your hands like that,'' Williams said. ''I saw he bobbled it and I ran hard and hoped for the best.''

Coplay (16-8-1) had little hope against Palos.

The game ended so early that at least a half-hour of daylight was left. But even if the teams had played four more innings, the Reds might not have scored against Palos, who struck out just three.

''I wasn't throwing the ball by anybody, so I needed good defense and I got it,'' Palos said. ''It was one of my best outings of the season, maybe my entire Tri-Co career. My side-armed curveball was really working.''

Palos also said the wooden bats worked to his benefit.

''With my side-arm delivery, the ball rides in and jams them,'' he said. ''They still hit some balls hard that, if there were still aluminum bats, they might have gone out or at least went for extra bases.''

But home runs are a rare commodity in the Tri-Co this season. Coplay has yet to hit one. The Fleetwings have two, but just one over the fence.

The same two teams combined for 59 home runs last year, 43 by the Fleetwings.

While some will always dig the long ball, some managers love the Tri-Co's new emphasis on small-ball.

''I love this type of baseball because this is the way we always played at Lehigh Township,'' said first-year Coplay manager Shawn Andrews, who won back-to-back titles in Berlinsville in 2003 and 2004.

''This is the way baseball is supposed to be played, with more strategy, relying on pitching, defense and speed. You have more decisions to make.''

It was a move that Andrews didn't make that proved costly. He let Caleb Calarco, who had a three-hitter over seven innings, pitch to Williams with first base open, rather than go after No. 9 hitter Matt Nuhfer.

''Caleb pitched a great game,'' Andrews said. ''Caleb had struck out Tommy twice with curveballs, and I wanted him to make Tommy chase something there. It just didn't work out the way I hoped.''


Coplay Reds                  000 000 00 —   0   1  0

Woodlawn Fleetwings   000 000 01 —   1   5  0


Calarco and Graver; Palos and Arner. Notes: Fleetwings, Scott Garger 1-for-1, 2 walks.



keith.groller@mcall.com

610-820-6740

From The Morning Call -- July 14, 2006

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