Sports

Warriors Eliminated From Playoffs

Written by Dave Teufel, Correspondent Wednesday, 14 July 2010 09:32

warriors

The Warriors second baseman Eric Miller reaches for the throw to first base as he covers the base on a bunted ball in last Wednesdays game at Boyertown.

The 13 year old Jr. Legion Prep team's season came to an end last Wednesday when they suffered their second loss in the playoffs, a 7-6 defeat, at the hands of the Boyertown Bear Paws.

The team finished the regular season with a record of 8-9-1 in league play which earned them the number eight seed in the double elimination tournament. Unfortunately it meant a trip to face the league's top team, Springford, which ended their season with a record of 17-1.

Springford scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-0 lead. Springford would not score again until they put the game away in the home half of the fifth with another four spot.

Steven Shelly suffered the loss in game one but was outstanding on the hill allowing just two earned runs in his five innings of work against the potent Springford offense.

“Steven did a great job against these guys," said Warriors head coach Dave Teufel. "You need to play just about perfect baseball to beat them. They’re not seventeen and one by accident.”

Ethan Steuer scored the Warriors' lone run in the top of the sixth on a wild pitch in a game that would end 11-1.

Facing elimination the team traveled to Boyertown Wednesday to take on the Bear Paws and jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Bryce Stuart opened the game with a walk and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nate Weinstein.

In the third, the Warriors scored again when Daron Pijanowski crushed a two-out triple that plated Weinstein making the score 2-0.

Boyertown though tied the score in their half of the fourth with a pair of unearned runs. Upper Perk regained the lead in the top of the fifth when Justin Crossley drilled a two-out double that scored Weinstein who had reached on a walk making the score 3-2.

In the bottom of the fifth some shaky defense and a couple of key hits produced a four-run rally for the Bear Paws as they took a 6-3 lead into the sixth inning.

“It’s been our Achilles heel all year," said Teufel. "We’ve lost some close games to some pretty good teams because we seem to have that one rough inning every game.”

The Warriors loaded the bases in the top of the sixth but failed to score when a pop out ended the inning.

In the seventh Upper Perk would load the bases again and this time with one out, catcher Trevor Weeks stroked a bases clearing triple into the left field corner and the game was tie at six all. Weeks would be thrown out trying to score on a ground ball and the inning ended with the teams tie.

In the bottom of the seventh, Boyertown got a runner to third base with one out but Pijanowski, who had come on in relief, got the next hitter to ground out, but with two out the next batter singled to right center field plating the winning run bringing the Warriors' season to an end.

It’s Perkiomen vs. Pennridge for the Championship

Written by Dave Teufel, Correspondent Wednesday, 14 July 2010 09:29

Winner Will Advance to Regional’s

Perkiomen's Tim Mayza takes his final steps as he makes the leap for home plate in Friday night's Bux-Mont League playoff game at Doylestown. Mayza scored safely on the in-the-park home run and picked two RBI's on the hit.

The quest for a Bux-Mont tournament championship started last Thursday for Perkiomen Post 184 with a trip to Nor-Gwyn to face the number one seeded Hawks. It will end with a one game winner take all final as soon as the weather cooperates.

Last Thursday Perkiomen got a complete game pitching performance from their ace left hander Tim Mayza and defeated league champion Nor-Gwyn 2-1

Nor-Gwyn took an early 1-0 lead in the home third but the Perkiomen offense managed to plate a run in the top of the fifth when Jarrett Tornetta drove in Colin Weiss and got the game winner in the sixth when Weiss delivered an extra base hit that plated Andrew Farris.

Friday Perkiomen traveled to Doylestown to face the Tigers the leagues number four seed that had defeated Pottstown in their first round game.

Mayza who had been masterful on the mound the previous night wasted no time in sparking the Perkiomen offense. Mayza drilled a two out homerun to left centerfield to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Doylestown tied the score in the home half of the first, but Mayza broke that tie in the top of the third with his second homerun in as many at bats. This time with two aboard and Perkiomen led 4-1.

Doylestown though battled back and when Jake Poeske hit a two run homer in the home sixth the score was tie 5-5.

With the winning run ninety feet away in the home seventh Perkiomen made two defensive plays that would send the

Game into extra innings.

The first was by catcher Steve Grover. Grover stopped

a pitch that appeared headed for the backstop. The fact that Grover got his glove on the ball was incredible, how he actually caught it will forever remain a mystery but in the end Doylestown’s Ryan Pater remained ninety feet away from pay dirt.

The second actually ended the inning when a ground ball that seemed destine to reach left field was scooped up by shortstop Andre Farris who gunned the runner down at first to send the game into extra innings.

Tom Paul led off the eighth with an infield single and the small ball clinic that followed soon produced six Perkiomen runs and an 11-8 win along with a trip to the winner’s bracket finals.

Next up would be the tournaments host team Quakertown. Quakertown had advanced by beating the leagues number two seed Pennridge in their opener and disposed of Hatfield in round two.

Playing extra innings the night before may have caused Perkiomen head coach Ernie Quatrani to reevaluate his pitching rotation since he was forced to use his potential game three starter Alex Moll in relief in game two.

Quatrani turned to Kyle Saylor to start game three and what he got from the right hander was much more than anyone had hoped for.

Mayza opened the game with his third homerun of the Tournament a blast over the left center field fence and Perkiomen led 3-0.

Quakertown evened the score on a three run homerun off the bat of Tyler Coleman to make the score 3-3. The teams would trade runs in the third and from there it was all Saylor.

Quakertown wouldn’t score another run off the Perkiomen starter and when he finally ran out of gas in the ninth he walked off the hill with a 12-4 lead.

Perkiomen had tacked on single runs in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings before putting up a five spot up in the eighth, highlighted by a bases clearing double by Mayza. It was his second straight six RBI game.

Saylor picked up the win going eight and one third innings allowing just seven hits (two in the final five innings) and four earned runs. Dylan Umstead scored four times and Devon Kerr twice as the two table setters reached base a total of six times on the way to the 14-4 Perkiomen victory..

Perkiomen would fall in their Sunday night game against Hatfield by a score of 13-10 setting up the matchup with Pennridge for the Championship. Pennridge defeated Hatfield 11-2.