MILLS DOMINATES, PACKERS ADVANCE
Right-hander throws complete-game shutout to send Nor-Gwyn to finals
AMBLER » A serendipitous traffic jam and the unfailing right arm of Jason Mills both played their part in a thrilling 2-0 victory for Nor-Gwyn Thursday night, as the Packers earned a return-trip ticket to the Perky League Finals.
Mills was not supposed to pitch in Game Five against defending champion Ambler, but 20 minutes before game time...
“Well (projected starter) Dave (Gibson) decided he didn’t wanna show up on time,” Mills kidded afterwards. “No, I think he got stuck in traffic or couldn’t get here — 5:45 starts are tough for people who are working and Dave’s coming from the city.
“So about 20 minutes before the game, we had to make a decision. We knew it was a possibility I might throw tonight as long as I felt good.”
Ultimately, Mills seemed to be the perfect guy out there for the title-hungry Packers. The righty veteran pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits while striking out four and walking none.
The victory sends NG to the finals for the second straight year, this time to take on Norristown. Game One is scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday at Hostelley Field.
“We tried to really mix it up,”
Mills said of his pitches, which kept the Brewers off their mark all evening long at Temple University-Ambler. “They’re such a good hitting team that you really have to keep them off balance.”
Nor-Gwyn punched ahead 1-0 in the first.
The Packers loaded the bases, with leadoff Bob Filler drawing a walk, Dave Tatoian knocking a single to center, and Mills was hit by a pitch.
A sac fly to center by Daryl Clark scored Filler to put the Packers in front.
“All day — I’m sitting there eating breakfast, lunch, on the way to the game — I’m thinking we have to score in the first inning,” said Packers longtime manager Tony “Pep” DiBricida. “We had to score in the first and we did.”
Mills sat the Brewers down in order in the bottom half and retired the first two batters in the second. Pete Moore smacked a double to left but Mills kept right on, getting Casey Saverio to get under one and fly out to center.
Andy Noga, too, settled in nicely, retiring the Packers in order in the second.
Nor-Gwyn got two men on in the third, including a single by Tatoian, but Noga got out of the inning to keep it a one-run game.
Mills was humming right along, retiring seven in a row between the second and fourth, and Noga did his part to keep it tight, not allowing a run in the fourth despite a one-hop double to the wall in center by Knipe.
But Nor-Gwyn got an insurance run in the seventh, and it was only fitting it was Mills who pushed it across.
Andrew Beshenich ripped a single down the third-base line, Filler’s sac bunt moved him over to second, and after a flyout to center, Mills knocked a single to the left side to bring in Beshenich and make it 2-0.
“I knew I could help myself a little bit,” Mills said. “That makes it a little bit easier going out in the seventh inning.”
True to form, Mills retired the Brewers in order in the seventh. He was expected to get some relief work Thursday but hadn’t started a game in two years.
“I’ve been a pitcher my entire life so it doesn’t matter if it’s one inning or seven innings,” the righty said. “I go out with the same mentality.”
A third straight trip to the Finals barely eluded the Brewers, who had led the semifinal series two games to none.
“Our offense went cold,” said catcher and manager Pete Moore. “We had stretches in the regular season where we were putting up 10 runs a game. And these last three games, just not a lot of hits. It was a bad time for our offense to go cold.”
Ambler’s best chance to score came in the fifth, when Chris Kersey and Moore got the inning started with backto-back singles. But Mills was a rock, striking out Casey Saverio and Eric Ruhland and then getting Brett Reynolds to ground out.
Nor-Gwyn has a shot at its first league crown since 1990.
“It’s great playing with this group of guys,” Mills said. “I want to win a Perky League Championship. I’ve been in this league 10 or 11 years now so I want it just as much as any guy on the other side or throughout this league.
“I kind of use that as motivation.” Nor-Gwyn 2, Ambler 0
Nor-Gwyn Ambler
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WP: Jason Mills (7IP, 0R, 4H, 4K, 0BB). LP: Andy Noga (7IP, 2R, 2ER, 5H, 4K, 4BB, 1HBP). 2B: NG-Michael Knipe; A-Pete Moore. Multiple hits: NG-Dave Tatoian 2-for-4; Moore 2-for-3.