Ambler, Trooper postponed in 4th
Teams will resume play on Monday
LOWER PROVIDENCE » Ambler is looking to punch its ticket to the Perkiomen Valley Twilight League semifinals.
It’s just going to have to wait a little longer than expected.
The third-seeded Brewers led No. 6 Trooper, 5-0, in the bottom of the fourth inning Friday evening at Gaugler Field when lightning struck.
The teams were required to wait 30 minutes before resuming, but with the forecast showing more lightning and heavy rain, it was decided to postpone the rest of the game.
The two will resume Game 4 back at Trooper Monday at 5:45 p.m. and pickup where they left off — with Ambler, up 2-1 in the best-of-five series, leading 5-0 with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and a runner on first base.
“It definitely would have been nice to continue,” Ambler manager and pitcher Pete Moore said. “I think (the umpires) made the right call. They were saying the skies are going to open up in five minutes. I don’t think it’s going to be the greatest condition after that, so I think it’s best we come back and play in good conditions on Monday.”
Moore was throwing a gem for the Brewers before Mother Nature got involved. The right-hander threw three no-hit innings with two strikeouts and two walks. He plans to continue pitching when the game resumes Monday.
“I’m just going to relax with my family (over the weekend),” Moore, who won Game 1 on the mound for Ambler, said. “Come Monday I’ll prepare to come out and compete again. In a roundabout way if you look at it, it’s better that we started today and there’s only four innings left, which allows us to look at things a little differently than if we had to start from the beginning of the
game.
“I’ve always felt like the more I throw the better I feel,” Moore added about pitching three times in eight days and catching the other two games. “I’m sure I’ll be a little bit sore (Saturday) and Sunday maybe. I’ll be going to the beach with my family. I’ll have a catch with my son on the beach and get myself ready to go for Monday.”
Ambler’s offense did all of its damage in the second inning, where it took advantage of four hits, two errors and two walks to score five
runs.
Jim Fasano led off with a single, Matt Altieri reached on an error and Chris Hens walked to load the bases with no outs. Nobel Unger singled to score Fasano and Brett Reynolds followed with a base hit of his own to bring home Altieri and Hens, giving the Brewers a 3-0 lead.
Chris Kersey laid down a bunt single and Unger scored when the throw to first got away. Casey Saverio grounded out to score Reynolds and make it 5-0.
“Our offense has been tremendous over the last couple weeks,” Moore said. “It really has. It’s picked it up and become a strength of ours. Throughout the beginning
of the year people looked at us and thought good pitching team, but they don’t have the best offense. The past couple weeks our offense has really come around and makes it real easy to go out and pitch when guys are swinging it the way we’re swinging it now.”
Kevin Shields started on the mound for the Tribe and pitched all four innings. The left-hander allowed five runs on six hits. He struck out one batter and walked three.
The winner of this series will face the winner of No. 2 Valley Forge and No. 7 Gabelsville in the semifinals. Valley Forge leads that series, 2-0.