Nor-Gwyn forces Game 4 with Lansdale
Packers bats prevail in continuation of Game 3
Nor-Gwyn worked its way into the lead midway through, with Matt Blazynski turning the screws, Matt Sperling kept Lansdale’s impressive lineup in check, and Michael Knipe’s majestic, seventh-inning grand slam provided the coup de grace.
The Packers — especially their bats — still have plenty of life, the defending champions’ 9-2 victory over the Tigers Wednesday night forcing a Game Four Thursday evening at Hostelley Field.
“We needed that one,” said Blazynski, who went 2-for-2 with a walk, a run and three RBI’s. “Feels good to get on the board.”
The fourth-seeded Packers — Perky finalists the past two years — look to even the series on Thursday. Top-seeded Lansdale is trying to break through to the finals for the first time since 2008.
Third-seeded Ambler awaits the winner.
“Nobody ever wants to have that last game of the season,” said Blazynski, who was on the receiving end of Sperling’s five-plus innings of work. “You always wanna have that opportunity to come back tomorrow.
“It was a little bit of desperation because it’s win or go home. Games like that are just fun.”
Channeling his inner John “Hannibal” Smith, Blazynski added: “It’s nice when a plan comes together.”
PACKERS GO IN FRONT » Lansdale brought a 1-0 lead into Wednesday, courtesy of Rob Zinsmeister’s solo homer on Tuesday before the rain came.
Nor-Gwyn went up 2-1 in the third, an RBI single up the middle by Jason Mills and a sac fly by Blazynski doing the damage. The Tigers evened things at two apiece in the bottom half, when a line-drive shot by Kyle Wenger
brought in Rick Gorrell (double).
Then the Packers went ahead for good.
Sperling drew a walk to start the fifth, and Dave Tatoian’s one-out double gave the Pack runners on second and third. On came Blazynski.
“With the infield in, and having a catcher’s perspective as far as what pitches are gonna be called, I was just trying to keep my hands inside the ball and work through it,” said Blazynski, who was able to supply the key hit against the Tigers’ Logan Willans. “I wanted to give myself the maximum contact zone and if the ball goes the other way, so be it.”
Blazynski’s clutch single hugged the inside of the first-base line, bouncing clean through to allow Sperling and Tatoian to race home for a 4-2 NorGwyn advantage.
The Packers padded their lead in the seventh when Sperling walked and later scored on a fielder’s choice, then inflated it further on Knipe’s grand slam, making it 9-2.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY » NorGwn battled back from an 0-2 hole in last year’s semifinals against Ambler and hopes to be making a similar push.
“We’ve been in this situation many times,” Packers manager Tony “Pep” DiBricida said. “The first two games, we didn’t look like a championship team. We played awful. When we get pushed to the brink, we wake up. And that’s what we did.
“Clutch hitting. And Blaze set the tone. He had three RBI’s on the first four runs, and then we just got a perfect spot, perfect pitch with Michael. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going and force a Game Five.”