Pine Forge wins Tri- County League title
Indians explode for 12 runs in second consecutive victory over Boyertown Black
PINE FORGE » A day before they squared off for the Tri- County Senior Babe Ruth Championship game the players on Pine Forge and Boyertown Black’s roster hung out together.
“They were all at my house last night hanging out for the fourth of July,” Boyertown Black first baseman Justin Butler said.
With a large portion of players on both squads going to Boyertown Area High School and two sets of siblings on either side, both groups are very familiar with each other off the field.
On the field, the two teams have gotten to know each other pretty well. Tuesday was the fifth meeting between the squads this year.
Boyertown Black won the first two contests, but Pine Forge grabbed the next two meetings, including a victory last Friday that sent the Bruins to the tournament’s losers’ bracket.
A four- run fourth inning helped Pine Forge win the championship and take the edge in the season series with a 12- 1, six- inning win on Tuesday.
“In the last few weeks, we’ve seen them about three or four times,” Indians assistant coach Andy Duffy said. “These guys are all friends, they like playing against each other. But sometimes it’s hard to get up for a game. ... But once we get going, it gets cooking.”
Pine Forge held a 2- 1 lead heading into the fourth inning. Boyertown Black pitcher Ryan Meir had given up a couple hits in the first three innings, but limited the damage up to that point.
Indians right fielder Aaron Kratz started the inning off with a walk and center fielder John DeMartino followed with a single. When catcher Tom Randall sacrificed both runners over it looked like Pine Forge might be content with adding a run or two to its lead in the inning.
Then came an RBI single by pitcher Nate K line, which was followed by RBI singles from Seth Endy and Mitch Pinder. Left fielder Ryan Jacobs, who was 2- for- 4 with two RBI in the contest, finished the damage with an RBI double.
“There’s usually an inning or two where we click and everyone starts hitting the ball hard,” said DeMartino, who went 2- for- 2 with a run scored. “Even our outs tonight were hit hard.”
Meir was able to work through five innings and into the sixth. He was replaced by Nyk Rusin in the middle of a six- run sixth inning that ended with a grand slam into the trees in center field by Pine Forge extra hitter Nick Chroscinski.
Meir’s counterpart, Kline, was sharp for Pine Forge. After two errors in the first inning helped Bruins left fielder Fred Aaciano knock in Sam Longacre ( younger brother of Pine Forge’s Ben Longacre) for the game’s first run, Kline shut out Boyertown Black the rest of the way.
Kline struckout seven batters in five innings of work before David Terry took over for him in the sixth. Kline’s only blemish after the first was a double by Sam Longacre in the top of the third.
“We’re all pretty confident just making plays for ( Kline),” said Endy, who went 2- for- 2 and scored four runs, “He can throw it by them and do everything.”
Both Boyertown Black and Pine Forge, along with Twin Valley will represent the league at Douglass Township Building for the Pennsylvania Senior Babe Ruth state tournament, which starts on Thursday.
The Bruins hope they can get some revenge on the Indians there.
“We were shooting for first in the beginning of the season,” Boyertown Black center fielder Noah Weller said. “We came up short, but it’s not over yet.”
“In states we’ll see these guys again,” Aaciano added. “Hopefully we can get them.”
NOTES » Pine Forge outscored opponents 42- 4 during the playoffs. ... Boyertown Black went 3- 2 in the tournament. During its two games against Pine Forge, the Bruins scored one run each. They averaged nine runs in all other contests. ... Endy, DeMartino and Jacobs were among five Pine Forge players withmulti- hit games. Third baseman Jordan Shustack went 2- for- 4 with an RBI and run scored, and Pinder went 2- for- 4 with a run and two RBI.