1969 District 10 Champions

“Bellefonte made the big defensive play at the right spot. That’s the best team we faced in the playoffs.  We’d get something started but a great defensive play took away our momentum.” – Manager Russ Wills of Clearfield 

“A friend of mine always used to say a team that can’t be beat, won’t be beat.” – Manager Harold Rossman of Bellefonte 

McDonald, D (1969, July 15). Tri-County, Bellefonte Little League Win. Centre Daily Times, p14. 

Tri-County, Bellefonte Little Leaguers Win

By Doug McDonald, Times Sports Editor

Two 12 year-old right-handers – Gary Drapcho and Spike Miller – hurled shutouts as Bellefonte and Tri-County registered Little League All-Star victories last night.

Bellefone, playing at HRB-Singer Field, beat State College Suburban, 1968 District 10 champion, 2-0.  Tri-County defeated Pleasant Gap at Warriors Mark, 1-0.  In other Southern Tier action last night, Four Leaf edged Philipsburg, 6-5.

In Northern Tier results, Brookville edged Brockway, 5-4; Punxsutawney overwhelmed Reynoldsville, 20-2, Bradford Americans trounced Ridgway, 19-1, and Bradford Nationals shaded Fox Township, 1-0.

Drapcho, whose uncle, Ed, was a standout southpaw hurler at Penn State and in the minor league about 10 years ago, chalked up 13 strikeouts.

Bellefonte, a 4-1 loser to Suburban last July, scored two runs off Rick Swanger in the fourth.  Charlie Schrope beat out a bunt and raced all the way to third on a single by Dan Shuey and an error.  Singles by Tom Eckley and Dave Alterio scored Schrope and Shuey, respectively, and Bellefonte had gained revenge for last year’s setback at Webster Field.

“The boys played real well,” Manager Harold (Pickle) Rossman of Bellefonte said.  “We only had about three good practices last week because of the weather.  We went over all phases of the game – Running, hitting and throwing.  When it rained last week, we had skull sessions.  We discussed different bunt and fake-bunt situations.  I thought our bunting was good tonight, and we got the hits when we needed them.”

Asked if he reminded the team of last year’s loss to Suburban, Rossman nodded his head and said , “Yes.  You try anything to get the boys ready.  Last year, I thought our defense was pretty good but there’s not much you can do to stop a home run.”

Suburban belted two homers at Bellefonte last year and never lost until Latrobe beat Manager Jake Jocoby’s team at Freeport in the next-to-last game before the State semifinals.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Drapcho, the proud parents of Bellefonte’s winning pitcher, said Gary spends lots of time throwing at a target in their backyard.

“He plays some kind of game,” Frank Drapcho said, “where he throws the ball at the target.  He talks to himself while he’s playing but it sure has helped his control.  Ed has worked with him.  He gives you all that motion with the arms and legs and it’s hard to pick up the ball.”

Mrs. Frank Drapcho said she used to get mad at Gary because he insisted on playing ball in the yard.

“He has worn a big hole in the grass,” she said last night. “He broke several windows, too.  But it was all worth it tonight.”

Miller, meanwhile, tossed a two-hitter as Manger Jim Jones team beat Pleasant Gap with a run in the second.

A two-bagger by Allen Barto, an infield out and two errors resulted  in a run and allowed Tri-County to advance to the second round of the Southern Tier playoffs.

Don Mulfinger doubled with two down in the third and stole third but Miller retired Rick Smalley on a long fly to center.  Losing pitcher Dan Traxler gave up a first-inning single to Miller for Tri-County’s other hit.  Tri-County also had two baserunners in the fifth but back to back force plays at third bailed Traxler out of trouble.

State College Nittany Valley will travel to Warriors Mark tomorrow night to meet and Tri-County and Mountain Top will entertain Bellefonte.  Semifinal action is set for Friday at 6 p.m.  Box score:

Nittany Valley, Bellefonte to Square Off. (1969, July 17). Centre Daily Times, p26. 

Nittany Valley, Bellefonte to Square Off

McMurtrie Pitches 4-Hit Shutout at Mountain Top

By RON BRACKEN, Times Sports Writer

The fact that the Bellefonte Lions finished somewhere near the middle in the final Bellefonte Little League is, in itself, insignificant.  Normally, pitchers with 5-4 records on average teams are also doomed to anonymity.  But when the time came to select the all-star roster, someone felt that Harry McMurtrie was better than the average 5-4 pitcher.

Last night McMurtrie stopped the Mountain Top All-Stars 4-0 on a neat four-hitter.  He walked none, struck out six and allowed only three batters to get as far as second base where they were stranded. 

“Harry is a real heady pitcher,” said Bellefonte manager Harold “Pickle” Rossman.  “He moves the ball around pretty well and he keeps his head.  He did a real fine job out there tonight.  His record in the league is a little misleading.  It would have been better but he didn’t have a whole lot of support.

“I was pleased with the way the boys played tonight.  I drilled them as long as I could Tuesday night, without having them get stale.”

Bellefonte defeated State College Sububan Monday, 2-0.  

Ed Drapcho, former Penn State star and ex-minor league hurler who is now head baseball coach at Penns Valley, was impressed with McMurtrie and his counterpart, losing pitcher John Urbanik.

“I thought both boys pitched well,” he said.  “That McMurtrie used his head and kept the ball down.  The Urbanik boy was fast but didn’t get many hits behind him and those errors also hurt him.

As things turned out, Bellefonte settled the issue in the first inning when it broke through for two runs after Urbanick struck out the first two men he faced.

Tom Eckley drew a walk, went to second on a wild pitch and scored when Dave Alterio’s single got by the center fielder.  Alterio then circled the bases, stealing second, going to third on a wild pitch and scoring on an error.

Bellefonte increased its lead to 3-0 in the third on a single by Charlie Schrope, two passed balls and an infield out.  Aterio followed with a single off the fence in center and Dan Shuey singled to put men on first and second but Urbanik bore down and struck out the next man to end the threat.

The winners scored their final run in the fifth when Gary Drapcho, the winning pitcher in Monday’s game, singled, moved to third on a pair of errors and scored on Doug Runkle’s single.  

Gene Preslovich had half of the Mountain Top’s four hits.

RB EYES:  The collection totaled $51.38.  The Mountain Top field, in its first year in its present location next to the new Mountain Top Swimming Pool, promises to be one of the finest in the area upon completion…At present it is an all dirt field…The crowd was estimated at 400 for last night’s game…Bellefonte has the bases loaded in the fifth but scored only one run…Mountain Top had only five base runners…All 10 hits in the game were singles…Bellefonte will play State College Nittany Valley at Gill Field tomorrow at 6 p.m.  The box scores:

Bellefonte Wins, 5-3. (1969, July 19). Centre Daily Times, p6. 

Bellefonte Wins, 5-3

All – Stars To Battle Clearfield

Things looked mighty bleak for the Bellefonte Little League All-Stars last night.

Nittany Valley, playing at Gill Field in State College, held a 3-1 lead after three innings.

Manager Harold (Pickle) Rossman of Bellefonte gave the boys a pep talk in the dugout.

In the fourth, they responded with a four run rally and defeated Nittany Valley, 5-3.

“A friend of mine always used to say,” Rossman explained, “a team that can’t be beat, won’t be beat.”

Rossman reminded the team of that phrase.  He also emphasized the importance of hustle.

As a result of the win, Bellefonte will play Clearfield at Webster Field Monday at 6 p.m. for the Southern tier title.  Clearfield drubbed Four Leaf last night 13-3.  Monday’s Northern Tier title game will find Bradford Americans at DuBois.  Bradford Americans beat Bradford Nationals last night, 10-1, and DuBois crushed Curwensville, 11-0.  The District 10 title game will be played Wednesday at a site to be announced later.

Gary Drapcho, who blanked State College Suburban Monday night, relieved Doug Runkle in the first inning and went the final 5 ⅓ innings for the victory.  Nittany Valley loaded the bases in the second but Drapcho retired the next three batters to protect his string of scoreless innings.

Nittany Valley took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.  Dave Haffner lined a hit to left.  Jim Langton bunted and was safe at first when the second baseman couldn’t find the handle.  Two outs later, Rob Moir smashed a hit back at Runkle.  The ball bounced off the rubber and into leftfield.  Haffner scored and the runners took second and third.  Chuck Gingrich bounced back to Runkle who bobbled the ball and threw late to first.  Both runners scored on the play.

In the second, Bellefonte got a run back.  Dave Alterio reached base on an error and moved to second on a walk.  He advanced to third on an infield out and scored on Mark Antolosky’s single to right.

Bellefonte broke the game open with four runs in the fourth.  Dan Shuey reached second on an error.  Steve Crowley singled Shuey to third and then stole second.  Antolosky tapped back to the losing pitcher Al Dreibelbis, who threw to first, but the umpire ruled Rob Moir’s foot was off the bag.

Shuey broke for the plate but the throw was in the dirt and bounced over the catcher’s head.  Paul McCaslin lined sharply to left for a run and when the ball got by the outfielder, Antolosky scored.  Charlie Schrope lofted a fly to right and when the right-fielder slipped and fell on the slick grass, the ball fell for a double and McCaslin scored.

Bunts:  The collection was $63.41, largest in Nittany Valley history, according to Phil Gill, league president…Gary Drapcho is a Times carrier, but whenever there’s a game his dad Frank, delivers the papers…To escape the heat, Rossman scheduled practice at Webster’s Field today at 8 a.m…then later on it’s off to Parkview Heights to watch the Teener League All-Star game… Rossman couldn’t remember where Bellefonte played its next game after last night’s 5-3 victory…”We’re so used to playing on the road,” Coach Frank Peters said, “we won’t know how to react at Webster Field.”…Bellefonte won at Mountain Top Wednesday night, 4-0…Bellefonte’s strategy was apparent from the second inning on…Rossman and Peters played for a run at a time as evidenced by the number of sacrificed bunts attempted…”We felt we could peck away at their lead,” Rossman pointed out…”The boys hustled in that fourth inning.”  An afternoon rain made the going tough for both teams. Box Score:

McDonald, D (1969, July 22). Bellefonte, Bradford Nationals in Showdown. Centre Daily Times, p14. 

Bellefonte, Bradford Nationals in Showdown

By Doug McDonald Times Sports Editor

Bellefonte will battle the Bradford National Little League All-Stars for the District 10 title at Brockway tomorrow.  The game will start at 6 p.m.

Bellefonte, playing at home for the first time this season defeated Clearfield at Webster Field last night, 6-2.  The victory gives Bellefonte a 4-0 record and its best performance in post-season play since 1967.  That year, Bellefonte won four games before bowing to DuBois in the District 10 title game at Clearfield, 7-1.

Asked to give a progress report on the squad to date, Manager Harold (Pickle) Rossman of Bellefonte said, “When the playoffs started, I was concerned with the hitting.  But we’ve been doing pretty well with the bat so far.”

Last night, however, the key to Clearfield’s downfall was fancy fielding.  

Time and again, the Bellefonte defense rose to the occasion to choke off a Clearfield threat.

“Bellefonte made the big defensive play at the right spot,” was the way Manager Russ Wills of Clearfield summed it up.  “That’s the best team we faced in the playoffs.  We’d get something started but a great defensive play took away our momentum.  When we arrived at the field, I thought we were at Bellefonte has good size and a good defensive team.  I hope they do well the rest of the way.

“We had one bad inning.  Defense had been our strong point.  Before tonight, we had one passed ball.  But there was a little more pressure tonight and Bellefonte deserved to win..”

Rossman added, “We must continue making big plays from here on in.  This is where it counts.  You can be sure the other teams will be out to make the big plays.”

Bellefonte scored in the first inning on Gary Drapcho’s two-bagger, a single by Tom Eckley and an error.

Clearfield’s defense sagged in the fourth and five runs scored on three hits and four errors.  A hit batsman, a bunt single and a throwing error got the rally under way.  An error on a bunt, a single, two errors, a sacrifice fly by Dave Alterio and Dan Shuey’s single made it 6-0.  Roger Mays relieved loser Rick Kendrick and pitched one-hit ball over the last 2 ⅔ innings.

Bellefonte, which has outscored its four victims by a 17-5 margin, yielded two in the fourth on a hit batsman, a double by Doug Smith, a throwing error on an attempted pickoff play at third and another error.  Shortstop Eckley robbed Mike Stewart of a hit when he scooped up the ball behind the bag and forced the runner at second for out No. 2.  Smith’s hit was the first off Harry McMurtrie.

Second baseman Drapcho and reserve outfielder Mark Antolosky robbed the visitors of hits with good plays in the fifth.  Off-balance, Drapcho fired the ball to first to retire Tim Rosselli and Antolosky’s one-hander in right-center retired Mike Moore.  In the top of the fifth, Antolosky pinch hit for Chad Emenhizer.  Alterio also made a good stop on Glen Shirey’s grounder in the third.

Bunts: Rossman and Coach Frank Peters said all the news the past few days about the lunar landings and astronauts hasn’t distracted the Bellefonte Little Leaguers one iota…last night’s collection was $77.13…Bradford Nationals advanced to the District 10 finals by beating DuBois, 3-0…Paul McCaslin pinch hit for Eckley in the fifth and lined the ball sharply to right…Moore picked up the ball and threw to first baseman Gary Shirey for the out…In 1965 Bellefonte won three playoff games and met Clearfield for the Southern Tier title at Webster Field…A home run in the 10th inning beat Bellefonte that night, 3-2…McMurtrie, who blanked Mountain Top last Wednesday, struck out seven and gave up two hits…Mays doubled with one down in the sixth…McMurtrie rubs up the ball before each pitch.  Box Score:

McDonald, D (1969, July 24). Bellefonte Defeats Bradford. Centre Daily Times, p22.

Bellefonte Defeats Bradford

No-Hitter for Drapcho; Next Game on Saturday

By Doug McDonald Times Sports Editor

Gary Drapcho was all smiles at Brockway last night.  The game ball in one hand.  His glove and hat in the other.

Bellefonte’s Little League All-Star team had just knocked off the Bradford Nationals, 5-0, for the District 10 championship.  Drapcho pitched a no-hitter and Bellefonte captured its first title since 1958, the year Manager Pickle Rossman’s team won the State Little League crown.

The victory put Bellefonte’s record at 5-0 and opposite the District 12 champion in the sub-section playoffs, at South Williamsport Saturday.  

Flemington (Area 2) will meet Newberry (Area 1) for the District 12 title at South Williamsport today at 6 p.m.  Flemington drew a bye, then downed Jersey Shore for Area 2 honors.  Newberry, meanwhile, had to beat Loyalsock (6-0), Brandon (18-0) and Montoursville (11-1) to qualify for the title game.

“This was our best game to date,” Rossman said last night.  “Our running  and bunting kept them off balance.  We like to keep the pressure on.  The more we force them to handle the ball the better it is.”

Drapcho, who is 3-0 in postseason play, got into a jam with one down in the fifth.  An error and a walk put runners on first and second.

Rossman called Drapcho over and discussed the situation.

“I told him to forget the men on base and just throw strikes,” said the Bellefonte manager.  

Gary obeyed orders.  He got Mike Raybuck and Tim McCord on strikes.  In the sixth, he walked two but an infield out and a strikeout, No. 11, ended the threat.

Drapcho, who throws a fast ball, curve and an occasional knuckler, asked his dad, Frank, if he could stay up late Tuesday night.  He told his dad he couldn’t sleep.

“He went to bed about 12:30 and slept until about 11 a.m.,” his dad said last night.  “He took it pretty easy during the day.  He always likes to play a little catch with his brother Rick (age 11) the day of the game.  I just hope the substitute carriers did their work.”  Gary is a Times carrier, but on the day of a game, Mr. Drapcho has to deliver the papers.  However, Gary’s dad had to leave early yesterday afternoon for Brockway so he had to find paper delivery relief.

Bellefonte scored twice in the first inning on Tom Eckley’s two-out double, a single by Dave Alterio, an error and a passed ball.

An error, a sacrifice and singles by Tim Thompson and Chad Emenhizer made it 3-0 in the second.

In the fourth, losing pitcher Mike Manning  yielded two more runs.

“Right from the start,” Manager Bob Prentice of Bradford, “you could tell Bellefonte was well-coached.  I couldn’t find too many weaknesses.  They made all the plays.  You could tell they had confidence, too.  Had we played a better game defensively, I still don’t know if we could have won.  We worked quite a bit on the bunt defense but it didn’t help.  I hope they do well the rest of the way.  They could go a long way.

Bunts: Bradford national was making its first appearance in the District 10 title competition…The collection amounted to $66.41…In 1958, Bellefonte defeated Mountain Top (13-1), State College Nittany Valley (1-0), Philipsburg (7-0) and Punxsutawney (1-0) en route to the district crown…Bellefonte has outscored its five opponents this season by a 26-5 margin…None of the outfielders in last night’s game made a putout…Umpires from Brookville and DuBois worked the game…Brockway was selected as the site for the title game because Bradford had played on the Clearfield and DuBois fields earlier in the tourney…Manning struck out each of the first six Bellefonte batters…The Section 2 Little League Tourney will be held at Way Field in DuBois Aug. 1-2…The section champ will advance to the state tournament at Kittanning Aug. 7-9…District’s 7, 8,9,10, 11,12, 26 and 27 from Section 2.  Other sub-section 2 games, Saturday will find District 7 champion meeting District 8’s titlist at Springdale or Freeport.  Districts 9 and 27 at Connellsville…Drapcho retired 10 in a row during one stretch…Harry McMurtrie (2-0) is scheduled to pitch for Bellefonte Saturday at Howard Lamade Field, home of the Little League World Series, Saturday at 4 p.m.

McDonald, D (1969, July 30). Newberry Blanks Bellefonte, 7-0. Centre Daily Times, p22.

Newberry Blanks Bellefonte, 7-0

2-Run Homer, Sinker Decisive:

By Doug McDonald Times Sports Editor

Newberry’s Little League All-Stars scored a decisive victory at Howard J. Lamade Field in south Williamsport last night.

It was kind of a revenge game for the District 12 champions.

A year ago, State College Suburban beat Newberry in a first-round bi-district game at Gill field in State College, 4-1.

Last night, Newberry trimmed Bellefonte at the Little League World Series field, 7-0.

The Newberry players, like Fred Heaps, their manager, are superstitious.

They’ve won five straight playoff games by a combined run total 46-2. After each game, they meet a the Harvest Moon Drive-in on Rt. 220 and chow down.

Heaps meanwhile joins the squad for the usual post-game snack, dirty socks and all.

“I’m superstitious just like the kids,” he said after the game. “We meet here after each victory. But would you believe I haven’t changed socks since the playoffs started. I’m hoping luck holds out.

“But we beat a fine team tonight, Their pitcher (Gary Drapcho) was the best we’ve faced so far. I figured we’d see him after two rain delays. He has quite a motion. He hides the ball real well and he was a little faster than what we’ve been accustomed to.”

Heaps said the home run by Mike Prowant, 5’10, 145 -pound catcher, with a man on in the second, opened the door to victory.

“That plus the fact that we held Bellefonte scoreless in the early innings gave us confidence,” Heaps pointed out. Our pitcher (Don Cohick) was pretty cool most of the way. In the second inning he came over to me and said he wasn’t nervous anymore. The home run eased some of the pressure.

“But the beauty of the whole thing has to be Cohick and Steve Karney. they just love to play ball. they’d show up for a game on Christmas Eve if you’d ask them to.”

Cohick whose sinkerball kept the Bellefonte batters off balance most of the evening, is 3-0 in tourney competition. Karney is 2-0. One plays shortstop when the other is pitching.

Cohick surrendered two hits – a single to Tom Eckley in the first and a single to Mark Antolosky in the third. Dave Alterio, who walked in the fourth, was the only other Bellefonte baserunner.

Newberry, which will meet Huntingdon in one Section 2 semifinal game at DuBois Friday (Latrobe will face Lower Valley in the other), made it 6-0 in the fifth and added an insurance run in the sixth. Key hits in the fifth were Cohick’s run-producing two-bagger and a two-run single by Randy Vaughn. Karney singled home the last run.

“When Karney and Cohick were warming up before the game,” Manger Pickle Rossman of Bellefonte said, “I was hoping they’d use Karney. He had a good fast ball. But I noticed Cohick had a sinker, I figured we might have trouble with it and it turned out we did. Had we scored a run or two at the outset, it might have been a different game. I told Gary to keep the ball low to that big catcher. He did but the boy just golfed it out of the park. I hope they do well in the sections. They have a fine team.”

BUNTS: The Bellefonte Little Leaguers were treated to a ride on the Undine fire truck and some grub at Bosco’s upon their arrival back in the County Seat last night…Two Newberry players – first baseman Steve Kreamer and Prowant – combined for all 18 putouts…Rossman used all 14 players, four more than Heaps…Jim Devlin had an 0-1 count against him in the fourth and Steve Crowley was called on to pinch hit…The names Cline, Vaughn, Cohick and Karney appeared in the 1968 Newberry box score against State College Suburban…Seven Newberry players formed half of the 1968 All-Star Roster but the league’s alternating rule with regard to managers prevented Heaps from piloting last year’s team in the playoffs…Bill Kovacic, Dan Shuey and Devlin accounted for all of Bellefonte’s putouts.. The box score: