Limeport clips ICC 8-5

Four players had two hits and Jeff Krauss gets the "W" to give the Bulls the Game 1 win.

By Josh Goodin

    LIMEPORT -- One big inning put the Limeport Bulls ahead 1-0 in their first-round Tri-County League playoff series against the ICC Pirates. The Bulls turned the game around, scoring five times in a second inning highlighted by P.J. Yoder's three-run double. Heading into the bottom half of the inning, the Bulls had trailed 2-1.

 
    The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Chad Stecker and Josh Mohlmann started the game with singles off Jeff Krauss. Stecker advanced to third base on Mohlmann's single, then raced home on A.J. Peracchia's sacrifice fly. With one out and Mohlmann on second after a stolen base, Krauss got out of trouble by getting Tony D'Amico to fly out and got Dave Stauffer looking to end the inning.

    Limeport came back to tie the game at a run apiece in the bottom half of the inning. Joe Pochron led off with a single, then took second on a throwing error by left fielder D'Amico. Two sacrifices allowed him to score; first a bunt by Nick Remaly, then a fly to center by Yoder. Rich Fenstermaker grounded back to pitcher Scott Stewart to end the inning.

    ICC pulled ahead (briefly) in the second inning, 2-1. Cory Schneck and Chad Waelchli started the inning with back-to-back singles. With Schneck at second, Kyle Ruff hit a ground ball to third baseman Kevin Kershner. In a base-running error that temporarily cost his team a run, Schneck tried to score, but was thrown out at the plate. Waelchli advanced from first to third on the play. Todd Brosious hit a ground ball to Kershner, who threw to second and forced Ruff out. The throw back to first base went out of play. Brosious wound up at second while Waelchli walked in with the go-ahead run.

    Limeport exploded to take a permanent lead in the bottom of the second. Kershner and Steve Raysley hit back-to-back singles to start things for the Bulls. Christian Bensing hit an RBI double to center to tie the game at two. Mike Pychinka walked to load the bases with no outs. Jon Michael Vito hit a ground ball to Mohlmann at third base, who threw home for the force. But the Pirates couldn't breathe any easier for long because Pochron singled and drove in Bensing to give the Bulls the lead. Stewart got Remaly to strike out for the second out, but got back in trouble again when Yoder ripped a bases-clearing double over the head of Peracchia in center field. Fenstermaker walked behind Yoder, and it looked like Stewart might be digging a deeper hole, but he struck out Kershner to end the inning.

    Krauss held the Pirates in check until Kyle Ruff hit a towering two-out, solo homerun to the cornfield behind left, cutting the Bulls' lead to 6-3. His brother Erik entered the game hitting for Brosious and ended the inning on a flyout to Yoder in right field.

    Stewart had settled down after getting roughed up in the second. He threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, while trying to let his team fight back into the game. In the fifth inning, he struck out Fenstermaker and it looked like his troubles were behind him. But Kershner singled, and Rayley doubled. Bensing struck out, leaving two men in scoring position and one out. But Stewart was struggling again, and the lefty gave up an RBI single to Mike Pychinka, and it was 7-3. The inning should've ended on the next play, but third baseman Erik Ruff booted a ground ball and Raysley scored, making it 8-3. Stewart got Pochron to ground out sharply to first to end the inning.

    ICC made one last attempt to get back into the game in the sixth inning. Dave Stauffer lead off with a single to right, but was picked off first base. Schneck followed with another single. After Waelchli popped up, Kyle Ruff walked, the only freebie allowed by Krauss. Erik Ruff one-hopped a double off the right field fence for two runs to make it 8-5. But before the Pirates could get any closer, Krauss got Stecker to strike out a second straight time to end the inning and the scoring.

    Leading the Pirates with two hits each were Mohlmann and Schneck. Kyle Ruff added two runs, and Erik Ruff two RBI. In a losing effort, Stewart struck out seven with just two walks. For the Bulls, four batters had two hits: Bensing, Kershner, Pochron, and Raysley. Kershner and Pochron also scored twice, and Yoder drove in four runs.

    The series resumes with Game 2 Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. at the Pirates' home field, Bethlehem Township Municipal Park. Expect so see Pat Toner pitching for Limeport versus Eric Baran or Ryan Lindley for the Pirates. With a win, the Pirates force a deciding Game 3 at Limeport, with a loss the series goes to the Bulls.