Brewers workmanlike, win 9-5

Lehigh Township pounds out 15 hits and sweep Cetronia 2-0 to advance to Semis.

By Steve Smull

    CETRONIA -– Lehigh Township scored early and often, then held off a late Longhorns charge to hang on for a 9-5 victory and sweep the best-of-three first round series 2-0.

    Bryn Lindenmuth got things rolling right from the get-go when he lined a 2-2 pitch to left-center that was misplayed into a triple to lead off the game. Steve Smull lined a shot to center that just eluded the glove of a diving Luke Bricker, and Smull scampered into second with a standup double and the Brewers had a quick 1-0 lead. After a grounder to short moved Smull to third, Steve Unger made Smull go the last 90 feet with a single to left and it was 2-0. After a strikeout and an Unger stolen base, Omar Torres dinked an RBI single down the left-field line and the Brewers led 3-0.

    But, just like in Game One, the Longhorns immediately answered the Brewers initial three-spot with a two-spot of their own. Jeremy Warmkessel hit a high chopper that bounced into left for a one-out single. After an error on a fielder’s choice attempt, Bricker ripped a two-run double to left-center to get the Longhorns within a run at 3-2.

    And, similar to Game One, the Brewers answered the Longhorns’ two-spot with more runs of their own. Brandon Leslie reached on an error to lead off the second. Charlie Torres sacrificed him to second, and then Lindenmuth ripped a single to left. Leslie had to make sure the ball went through the left side before advancing, so he was held at third, while Lindenmuth snuck into second on the throw home. Next up was Smull, who was drilled on the inside of the right wrist with an 0-2 fastball. After a very brief delay, he took first and the bases were loaded with one out for Eric Schmitt. Although the mailman does not deliver on Sunday, Schmitt does, and he laced a liner to right that scored a pair and Smull took third to make it 5-2. Unger then delivered his second RBI single in as many at-bats, and it was 6-2 Brewers. After a flyout, Omar Torres singled to load the bases, but Coll induced a ground out to end the inning and keep the Longhorns in the game. Smull then left the game with severe swelling on that wrist and Todd Greb took his place.

    Cetronia appeared as though they would answer again in their half of the second when Warmkessel led off with a drag bunt single and All-Star Chris Peters followed with a single. But Warmkessel was thrown out stealing on a close play at third and Erschen buckled down and struck out the next two batters to end any further threat.

    The Brewers all but put it away in the fourth inning. Schmitt and Unger ripped back-to-back singles through the box to chase Coll. Dave Arndt was the new pitcher and he immediately got himself into trouble by throwing to third base on Jeremy Bartha’s sacrifice bunt, and everyone was safe and the sacks were loaded with nobody out. Omar Torres walked to score Schmitt and it was 7-2 Brewers. After a strikeout and a pop-up had Arndt on the verge of getting out of the jam, Charlie Torres stepped in and ripped a two-run single to center to make it 9-2 Lehigh Township.

    Give Cetronia credit though, instead of packing up their bags and calling it a season, they fought back in the sixth. Chris Peters led off with a triple and Bricker knocked him in with a single to left. Mark Jarrell drew a walk and pinch-hitter Steve Graff hit a dribbler to short, and when the throw got away at second, everybody was safe on the fielder’s choice. Now it is bases loaded, no outs and a 9-3 score. Kyle Peters made it 9-4 with a sharp single to center. Jon Williams hit into a fielder’s choice that was not botched this time, to leave runners on the corners with the score 9-5. But a “K” and a groundout got a tiring Erschen out of the sixth with the score still 9-5.

    Nick Bowen came in to close it out in the seventh, and the Brewers had their sweep. They still do not know their semifinal-round opponent, but if Tri-City wins on Tuesday, then the Fleetwings will visit Lehigh Township on Thursday to start the best-of-five series.

    Smull went for x-rays on the damaged wrist, and there apparently is no fracture, although a radiologist will confirm this on Monday. He is obviously out for the season if there is a fracture, and if there is no fracture, his status is unknown for this week as he wears a cast-splint for the next two days.

    The big hitters for the game for Lehigh Township were Unger and Omar Torres, who were both 3-for-3 with two RBI, Lindenmuth was 3-for-5 and Schmitt was 2-for-4 with two RBI. For Cetronia, all eight of their hits came from four players:  Warmkessel, Bricker (three RBI) and Kyle Peters were all 2-for-3, while Chris Peters was 2-for-4.