Nor-Gwyn holds off Norristown in Game 2
Nor-Gwyn sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth inning and scored four runs to break a two-all tie against Norristown. Those runs proved to be enough for the No. 4 seeded Packers to beat the No. 3 seeded Diamonds, 6-4, Monday night at Hostelley Field and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Perkiomen Valley Twilight League championship series.
The home half of the fifth started with the top of NorGwyn’s lineup coming to the plate for the third time with the game tied, 2-2.
With runners on first and third and one out, Daryl Clark hit a bloop single to centerfield that somehow dropped between the centerfielder and the shortstop. Greg McDonough was content to stay at third base, but when the throw to try to force Jason Mills out at second base got away, he raced home to put the Packers ahead for good.
Jon McGlone hit a sacrifice fly to score Mills, Michael Knipe singled in Clark and Andrew Beshenich knocked in Matt Blazynski to give Nor-Gwyn a 6-2 advantage.
“We were putting some good swings on (Norristown pitcher Matt Sperling) all night,” Knipe said. “We just didn’t really get an explosive hit. We were able to string a few together in that fifth. They made a mistake on the (bloop single). It was a tough play, but they made a mistake and we were able to capitalize.”
Norristown didn’t go down without a fight.
Kyle Wenger had an RBI single in the sixth and Sperling grounded out to score a run to make it 6-4.
In the seventh, the first two batters reached base on errors. Before Brandon Cotten could get a bunt down, Nor-Gwyn pitcher Chuck Delagol picked Sean Phelan off second base. Botten grounded out to second for the second out before Matt Altieri singled to put runners on first and third and the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs. Delagol closed out the game forcing Dan Hull to ground out.
The win is Nor-Gwyn’s fifth straight after rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the semifinals against topseeded Ambler. The Packers are just one win away from their first league title since 1990.
“We feel good,” Knipe said, “but we understand that (Tuesday) is important. If we let them get back into the series, anything can happen as you can see from the previous series. We understand the importance of coming out and doing our job (Tuesday).”
Nor-Gwyn scored two quick runs on a pair of solo homers. McDonough went deep to lead off the home half of the first inning and Knipe hit a solo shot with one out in the second to make it 2-0.
“I was staying away,” Knipe, who went 3-for-3, said of the home run. “My process was going to be stay away and if he came in he was going to beat me there. Fortunately he was up, overthe-plate away and I was able to put a good swing on it and the ball fortunately carried out. I’ll take it.
“Generally speaking Matt (Sperling) has had my number throughout the years. He’s always been a really good player and I got to play with him for a year or two which was fantastic. He’s the real deal. He’s a Player of the Year candidate every year in this league. When you do get him, you have to enjoy it a little bit because it doesn’t happen very often.”
Norristown responded with two straight runs to tie the game. Lenny DelGrippo singled home Wenger in the third and Hull plated Bryan Mulhern in the fourth.
Liam Grande earned the win for Nor-Gwyn. He scattered five hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six batters to five walks and allowed three runs — two earned.
Sperling went five innings in defeat. He struck out five batters to three walks and gave up six runs — two earned — on eight hits. Nor-Gwyn 6, Norristown 4
Norristown001 102 0 — 4 Nor-Gwyn110 040 x — 6
WP: Liam Grande 5.1 IP 6 K 5 BB 5 H 3 R2ER LP: Matt Sterling 5 IP 5 K 3 BB 8 H 6 R 2ER S: Chuck Delagol 1 IP 0 K 0 BB 1 H 0 R 0ER 2B: N: Kyle Wenger. HR: NG: Greg McDonough, Michael Knipe.