DIAMONDS HOLD ON, SWEEP TROOPER
Norristown’s early offense enough to win Game 3, advance to semis
LOWER PROVIDENCE » A couple good swings got Trooper back into Thursday night’s game against Norristown.
Norristown didn’t let the Tribe get the couple more it needed to win the game. A big-time pitch by Rich Cavazza in the top of the seventh retired Tribe playermanager Brian Hartsell, who had launched a three-run home run his last time up, provided a big out as the Diamonds clung to a one-run lead.
Cavazza got the next batter on a strikeout and Norristown held off Trooper’s comeback for an 8-7 win at Eagleville Park.
The win also sealed a 3-0 series win for the Diamonds in the bestof-five first round of the Perky League playoffs.
“Rich did a really good job,” Norristown manager Vince Elsier said. “It seemed like any time they got close in this series, we’re able to get an out, turn a double play, make the right pitch or score a run when we needed it.”
After Norristown surrendered a run in the top of the first, the Diamonds came back aggressive in the home half of the inning. Kyle Wegner got things started with a single and Norristown loaded the bases after a walk and Lenny Del Grippo’s pop-up fell between
a pair of defenders.
Catcher Bryan Mulhearn reversed the plot of the game when he sent a 1-1 pitch straight out for a grand slam.
“It’s important with this team to get as many runs as we can early in the game and see if we can play a little more relaxed,” Elsier said. “We still can’t let baseball teams back in it. They hit the ball. I’m not taking anything away from them. I’ve been around Trooper for almost 30 years and every team they’ve had hits the ball.”
Norristown loaded the bases again with two outs, but Tribe pitcher John Pederenko induced a pop-up to second to retire the side.
Trooper was error-prone early in the game, and a pair of misplays led to three unearned runs in the home half of the second. A bases loaded walk and hit batsman accounted for two runs and Nate Campbell had the other with an RBI groundout.
Matt Sperling drove in Brandon Cotton on an RBI single to make it 8-1 in the third. The score stayed there as Paul Spiewak kept the Tribe bats in check until the top of the fifth.
“They’re going to score their runs and we gave them the couple extra outs early so it was nice to see us able to come back and make a game of it,” Hartsell said. “It’s just hard when you start giving them extra outs.”
Sachael Sciaretta started the rally with a single and advanced around to third before Scott Young singled him home. Young went first to third on Ryan McDonald’s base hit before Hartsell came up.
The second baseman made Speiwak pay for his one mistake of the game, taking the ball to left-center for a three-run shot that made it 8-5.
“It was the same story in the first game,” Hartsell said. “That was 8-7 too and we’re one or two swings away from being up 2-1. But that’s the way it goes.”
Cavazza took over in the sixth but was hurt by an infield error that advanced two runners. Trooper took advatage with an RBI groundout and a sac fly to cut the lead down to one before the left-handed pitcher ended the frame.
An inning later, after getting McDonald to pop up, Cavazza was able to jam up Hartsell just enough to turn a big swing into a fly ball to center.
“We all know Brian just missed it, I knew it standing back here,” Elsier said. “It was a great pitch and Brian may not have been able to get all of it because of the location. Rich did a great job getting him out in that spot.”
Hartsell lauded his team’s play and felt like with a few additions for next year, the Tribe could be a top team in the league.
Norristown, the third seed, has to await the conclusion of the remaining series before it learns who it will face in the next round, which will begin next week.
“They’re going to score their runs and we gave them the couple extra outs early so it was nice to see us able to come back and make a game of it. It’s just hard when you start giving them extra outs.” — Trooper player/manager Brian Hartsell