Pirates cruise to Championship

Emergency starter Marty Rowan collects the 11-3 win as ICC wins 1st championship.

By Josh Goodin

    BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP -- The ICC Pirates were crowned 2002 Tri-County League Champions with a darkness-shortened 11-3 win in 4-plus innings over the favored Lehigh Township Brewers. Marty Rowan started on short notice for the Pirates and notched his first career playoff victory, scattering seven hits, striking out three, and walking none in his team's clincher. Manager Mike Brosious called him the Series MVP for taking the mound with five minutes notice after scheduled started Ryan Lindley signed with the Allentown Ambassadors about an hour or so before game time. Rowan did announce his retirement just before the start of the playoffs, so it was a storybook ending for the one-time closer.

    Lehigh Township grabbed an early 3-0 lead in the top of the second as they tried to force a Game Five. Jeremy Bartha led off with a single and stole second, then scored on the play as the errant throw took a crazy hop and skipped by the center-fielder. Omar Torres then doubled and moved to third on a Nick Bowen sacrifice. Brandon Leslie’s sac fly to right made it 2-0. Charlie Torres then singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Bryn Lindenmuth.

    ICC bounced back to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom half of the inning. Dave Stauffer got it started with a single and he advanced to third on a Cory Schneck single. Kyle Ruff hit a grounder to third, erasing Schneck at second, but Stauffer came home on the fielder’s choice. Todd Brosious “took one for the team” and then Chad Stecker singled in Ruff. Josh Mohlmann doubled in the final two runs of the frame and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, but the Pirates now had a 4-3 edge.

    The Pirates tacked on another run in the third. Josh Friebolin hit Chad Waelchli to start the inning and Friebolin was immediately lifted in favor of Geoff Kelowitz. Kelowitz allowed a single to Stauffer, then mishandled Schneck's sacrifice bunt attempt, loading the bases. Kyle Ruff hit a fly ball to left field deep enough to score Waelchli and it was 5-3 ICC.

    ICC tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning as storm clouds moved in from the west. Kelowitz struck out A.J. Peracchia to start the inning on a pitch in the dirt, but Peracchia reached first on the wild pitch. Another wild pitch put him on second, and he took third on Waelchli's ground out to first. Stauffer walked and moved to second on a third wild pitch, setting the table for Schneck, who hit a sharp ground ball down the third-base line. With the Lehigh Valley suffering through drought conditions, the ball bounced like it was on concrete all the way to the fence and two runs scored. Say goodbye to “Killer K”, enter Nick Bowen. Bowen promptly allowed a RBI single to Kyle Ruff and then walked Brosious and Stecker to load the bases, but got Mohlmann to hit a ground ball to second for the ender.

    Rowan held the Brewers in check after the second inning and he only needed to get three outs in the fifth to make the game official. He hit Lindenmuth with a pitch to start the inning. After a wild pitch advanced Lindenmuth to second, the next batter, Bill Fatzinger hit a towering fly ball to center field for the first out. But Lindenmuth was doubled up at second base for out number two. Eric Schmitt hit another fly ball, this one towards the gap in right center but Peracchia was able to get under it and make the game official for Rowan. Darkness was settling in and thunder could be heard in the distance.

 
    The Pirates were looking to add a few insurance runs to pad their lead before Lehigh Township batted again. They did so, plating three runs. Peracchia reached base on an infield error to start the fifth. He advanced on a wild pitch, and then scored on Erik Ruff's RBI single. A sacrifice moved Erik ahead 90 feet, and then “Ruffy” scored on Stauffer's third hit of the game. Schneck walked and Jeff Erschen took over for Bowen without any warm-up pitches. He did not seem to need any at first, as he struck out Kyle Ruff, but then he served up an RBI single to Brosious. After Stecker walked, the umpires called the game with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, because the darkness had reached a point where it would be impossible for Lehigh Township to score at least eight runs to tie the game. So Game 4 was in the books, and it was an 11-3 final in favor of the Pirates. Let the celebration begin, as the Pirates claimed their first Trico crown.

    No Brewer had multiple hits in this game. For the Pirates, Stauffer was 3-for-3 with three runs scored, while Stecker and Schneck (two RBI) chipped in with two hits apiece and Kyle Ruff drove in three runs. The Pirates will be presented with their championship trophy at the Tri-County League Awards Banquet on September 28 at the West End Youth Center in Allentown.