Gabelsville again avoids sweep

Coplay doesn't become first team to sweep Owls in finals.

	Photo by Kathleen X. Cook, The Morning Call
	COPLAY'S CALEB CALARCO slides safely back into first base as Gabelsville first baseman Gary Hessler attempts the tag. Gabelsville won the game 5-2. The Coplay Reds currently lead the Tri-County Championship Baseball Series 2-1.

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

Few people know Tri-County League baseball history better than Coplay Reds manager Steve Smull.

In his role as the Tri-Co's webmaster, Smull has gone through the archives and record books and knew that Gabelsville had never been swept in a championship playoff series.

So, perhaps Smull was the least surprised person in Limeport Stadium Tuesday night when the Owls rode the solid pitching of Shawn Betz and came alive for five late runs to post a 5-2 win over Coplay to avert a sweep and extend the best-of-five Tri-Co finals for at least one more night.

The Reds (31-5-1) are still up 2-1 and will try again to claim their second straight league title at 7 tonight back in Limeport, while the Owls (28-9-2) hope to force a fifth game on Thursday.

''They're hard to put away,'' Smull said. ''They have too much pride to go down in three straight. They're going to fight this thing to the end.''

Betz unplugged the Tri-Co's version of the ''Big Red Machine'' for six innings, tossing a four-hit shutout.

He stranded two in the first and left Mike Bortz at third after his two-out triple in the fourth.

''The key was to get ahead and avoid 3-2 counts,'' said Betz, a Tri-Co star since 1997. ''I gave them a lot of off-speed stuff to look at rather than try to groove it by them. And it's a pleasure to pitch for this defense. They've made some great plays for me in both playoff series.''

The Owls made an error in the fifth, but immediately made up for it with a double play turned by shortstop Jon Kalejta off a line drive.

That play seemed to carry over to the top of the sixth when the first three Gabelsville batters reached. A.J. Bohn was hit with a pitch and Adam Tsakonas and Betz followed with singles. Betz's hit knocked in the game's first run and another crossed on a double play.

Coplay hadn't made an error in five previous postseason games, but made three in the top of the seventh -- two on one play -- enabling the Owls to open a 5-0 cushion.

''Five postseason games and six innings tonight without an error and then boom, boom, boom,'' Smull said. ''I guess it's good to get them out of the way in one inning.''

Down 5-0, the Reds finally stirred for three hits, including RBI singles by Matt Monti and Kyle Rhoades.

Bortz (2-for-3) scored the first Coplay run by barreling over Owls player-manager Matt Danner at the plate.

Smull was concerned that the collision would ''put a burr in Gabelsville's saddle,'' but Danner had a minimal reaction to Bortz's barreling.

''I was blocking the plate and it was a play at home, so it was just part of the game,'' Danner said. ''The important thing is we won the game. Shawn is our big-game pitcher. If it's a must-win situation, he's getting the ball.''

But now the Owls are facing two more must-win contests. They will send Matt Kelly to the mound tonight against Coplay's Brian Boylan.

''These are beautiful nights in a beautiful ballpark, so why not play one more?'' Smull said. ''They took it to us tonight, so now it's our turn to return the favor.''


Gabelsville    000 002 3 -- 5 6 1

Coplay          000 000 2 -- 2 8 3


Betz and Danner; Calarco, Ringer (7) and Faust.



keith.groller@mcall.com

610-820-6740

From The Morning Call -- August 15, 2007

Copyright © 2007, The Morning Call