Sports

                When Perkiomen Post 184 started the American Legion baseball season with a 2-7 record, things looked rather grim.

                But the team turned things around and, when they closed out the regular season Monday night with a 6-1 win over visiting Pottstown, they finished the regular season 11-11.

                Though the outcome of Monday's game had little value to Perkiomen as they were locked into the number-eight seed heading into Thursday's opening round of the playoffs, the visitors needed a win to improve their place in the standings.

                Perkiomen wasted no time getting to Pottstown starter Geoff Volinski as Kyle Saylor singled home Dylan Umstead in the home half of the first for a 1-0 Perkiomen lead.

                In the second inning, it would be Umstead who would drive home the second run of the game, plating Steve Grover who opened the inning with a double.

                Perkiomen scored again in the third when Grover picked up his second hit of the game, a single that scored Saylor who had also singled.

                Pottstown scored their only run of the game in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by leftfielder Jeff Endy.

                In the fifth Perkiomen picked up a pair of runs as Jake Dougherty singled home Ryan Harris who had singled and Chad Force plated Saylor with a long sacrifice fly to right field to make it a 5-1 game.

                Perkiomen ended the scoring with yet another run in the sixth when Harris drove in Andrew Farris with an RBI single.

                The pitchers mound was a revolving door as head coach Ernie Quatrani tried to take advantage of the final regular season game to get his pitching staff ready for the double elimination tournament.

                Tim Mayza got the start and went two innings, striking out four of the seven batters he faced.

                Mayza was followed by Alex Moll, Devon Kerr, Farris and Saylor. The staff, by committee, allowed only the one earned run on three hits. They walked two and hit a batter while striking out eight.

                Perkiomen will travel to Hostelly Field in Nor-Gwyn to face the league's top team in the opening round.

                Perkiomen played the Hawks tough during the regular season. They lost a 3-2 decision at home and were done in by a two-run homer in the sixth inning in a 3-1 loss the second time around.

                One advantage Perkiomen may have is that the Hawks have yet to see team ace Tim Mayza. The talented lefthander will get the start Thursday.

                With games every day, pitching will be the key to success for all the teams and the Perkiomen skipper feels pretty good about his staff and the momentum his team is taking into the playoffs.

                “I think we have better pitching than most teams going in (to tournament play). We’ve used four starters just about all year and they’re all throwing well right now," said Quatrani. "We’re peeking at the right time and I think we’re in a great frame of mind moving forward."

                Win or lose, the team will play on the road Friday at a spot yet to be determined. If they can win one of their first two games, Perkiomen will play in Quakertown sometime Saturday.