1981 District Tournament

"Like I said last week, sometimes losing can help a team to play better. We knew we had our backs to the wall and that we had to play our best ball to stay alive. This is the best we've played so far. We know the pitching is there, but we got the hitting and solid defense and overall we played good heads-up ball." - Bellefonte Coach Jim Shaffer after eliminating Suburban from the tournament. 

Lewistown Stuns Bellefonte. (1981, July 14). Centre Daily Times, p14. 

Lewistown Stuns Bellefonte

Lewistown squeezed four runs out of three hits to surprise Bellefonte 4-2 in seven innings yesterday in District 5 Little League action yesterday at Webster Field.

Bellefonte will travel to the loser of the Tri-County-Suburban game tomorrow. Lewistown plays Nittany Valley today at 6 p.m.

The victors pushed two runs across in the fifth inning on two walks and two errors to knot the score. Starting pitcher Brian Grenoble walked Scot Snook and lead-off hitter Mel Parker before coach Jim Shaffer inserted Joe Kresovich in relief.

Grenoble had fanned nine in four innings and allowed only one hit – a high bouncing single between first and second in the fourth. Kresovich fanned shortstop Rick Lockett, but then wildpitched the runners up. A dropped fly ball in center field allowed one run to score and an errant throw on a steal allowed Parker to cross with the tying tally.

Kresovich then struck out cleanup hitter Steve Poche and Brian Hesketh and fanned the side in the sixth, but got himself in trouble in the seventh by issuing a walk to ninth man Snook. A wildpitch moveed him to second and then after Parker was retired on a come-backer, Rick Lockett ripped an RBI double to right center and with two outs Steve Poche slammed another run-scoring two-bagger.

The Bellefonte All-Stars scored once in the second and again in the fourth, despite collecting seven hits. Brian Ishler singled before Andy Jabco brought him in with a double off the base of the wall in left centerfield in the second inning. Jabco moved to third on a passed ball, but was left stranded by three infield pop outs.

Another potential rally was squelched in the third when, with Joe Roberts on third and Eric Bjalme on first, Lewistown cut down both runners on an attempted double steal. Catcher Jeff Price fired to pitcher Doug Walters who threw to shortstop Lockett who tagged Bjalme and then nailed Roberts at the plate.

“We weren’t expecting them to defense the steal like that and we got shot down at both ends,” said Bellefonte coach Jim Shaffer.

Bellefonte did get a run across in the fourth when Kresovich and Andy Jabco reached on errors before consecutive singles by Todd Brown and Mike Alterio. But Lewistown’s crafty Walters weasled out of the bases-loaded jam with a strikeout and grounder to short.

In the sixth inning Bellefonte threatened with runners at second and third and none away, but Walters struck out the side.

“We hit the ball hard and to all fields – but we didn’t hit enough,” said Shaffer.

Bellefonte, Pleasant Gap, Mountain Top Capture Wins. (1981, July 16). Centre Daily Times, p20. 

Bellefonte, Pleasant Gap, Mountain Top Capture Wins

Bellefonte 10 tri-county 3

Brian Ishler hurled a one-hit gem with 13 strikeouts in leading Bellefonte to a 10-0 whitewash of Tri-County in last night’s action of the District 5 Little League playoffs at Bellefonte.

The double elimination playoffs saw Bellefonte even its slate at 1-1, while Tri-County was eliminated from further play.

Ishler walked no one and surrendered a third inning base hit by losing hurler Brian Mountz to spoil his gem.

Backing Ishler on the hill were the booming basts of Joe Kresovich and Brian Grenoble, each collecting a home run and a base rap in the winning nine-hit attack. Kresovich drove in three runs while Grenoble knocked in a pair.

Bellefonte erupted for three runs in the third and four more in the fourth to put the finishing touches on Tri-County. The big blow was Kresovich’s three-run shot i n the third to get the winners untracked. Grenoble slugged a solo home run in the sixth.

Bellefonte faces Pleasant Gap, which beat Lewistown last night.

Bellefonte Wins, Mountain Top Bows. (1981, July 17). Centre Daily Times, p17. 

Bellefonte Wins, Mountain Top Bows

Bellefonte 1, Pleasant Gap 0

Bellefonte scored a run in the second inning to defeat Manager Charlie Gate’s team last night at Pleasant Gap.

Brian Ishler’s single, two throwing errors and Mark Alterio’s ground out to third accounted for the run.

The winner was Andy Jabco, who scattered four hits. The loser was Kevin McCool, who tossed a three hitter. The loss eliminated Pleasant Gap from the District 5 double elimination tourney. Bellefonte will take a 2-1 record into tomorrow’s 6 p.m. game at Webster Field. The loser of tonight’s Suburban-Nittany Valley Little League game will provide the opposition . Manager Jim Shaffer’s Bellefonte team lost its opener to Lewiston and then beat Tri-County…

Fitzgerald, K. (1981, July 20). Bellefonte Set To Challenge Nittany Valley Little Leaguers. Centre Daily Times, p17. 

Bellefonte Set To Challenge Nittany Valley Little Leaguers

Brian Grenoble overpowered all but one Suburban batter to lead Bellefonte out of the Southern Tier’s loser’s bracket of the District 5 Little League playoffs with a 9-3 win at home Saturday.

The demonstrative win earns Bellefonte a showdown today with Nittany Valley, the tier’s winners’ bracket representative, at Webster Field.

Bellefonte would have to top Nittany Valley both today and Wednesday to claim the Southern Tier crown. A win by Nittany Valley would end post- season play for Bellefonte.

Grenoble mixed a blistering fastball with a complementary assortment of off-speed pitches to strike out 11 Suburbanites in his four hit gem. The losers punched in with three runs, courtesy of clean-up hitter Scott Hussey.

After Grenoble struck out the side in the first, Hussey led off the second with a long home run to left and then repeated with a lead-off roundtripper over the centerfield fence in the fourth.

In the fifth Steve Hussey ripped a pinch-hit single to right and Kevin Curtis drew a walk to bring up Hussey. Despite more than a few murmurs from the home faithful that the Blonde Bomber should be issued a free pass, Grenoble’s third pitch was slammed to left field for an RBI double. But the Bellefonte hurler frustrated runners at second and third with an inning-ending strikeout.

All the other offense belonged to a potent 12-hit Bellefonte attack. Losing pitcher T.J. Wentz was knocked out of the box after being hit for six runs on seven hits, three errors and a walk in the first inning.

Joe Roberts, Todd Brown, Joe Kresovich, Brian Ishler and Andy Jabco singled before the first out was made before Andy Reese’s two-run homer. Suburban got another infield groundout before the bases were filled again on a single by Brian Iadorola was caught at the plate on a delayed steal attempt to end the inning.

Todd Summers took over the mound duties for Suburban and promptly retired the meat of the Bellefonte order on strikes in the second and fanned the first batter in the fourth. But Reese singled, moved to second on a passed ball and to third on a fielder’s choice and after a walk to Iadorola scored on a double steal. A wildpitch and another walk set up yet another successful double steal scoring Iadorola.

Bellefonte picked up its ninth run of the game on Brian Ishler’s line drive homer to left to open the fourth inning.

Thus ends the post-season for the Suburban Little League All-Stars, last year’s runner-up to state champion York.

Bellefonte coach Jim Schaffer thinks his team may have benefited from its surprising 4-2 loss to Lewistown in the first round.

“Like I said last week, sometimes losing can help a team to play better,” he said. “We knew we had our backs to the wall and that we had to play our best ball to stay alive.

“This is the best we’ve played so far,” he said. We know the pitching is there, but we got the hitting and solid defense and overall we played good head-up ball.” – by Kathy Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald, K. (1981, July 22). Bellefonte No-Hits Nittany. Centre Daily Times, p18.

Bellefonte No-Hits Nittany

Bellefonte coach Jim Shaffer’s biggest concern at this juncture of the District 5 Little League playoffs is that his team might be overconfident for today’s 6 p.m. Lower Tier championship game against Nittany Valley.

Such was the ease in which Bellefonte mowed over the winner’s bracket representative 9-0 on Joe “Moose” Kresovich’s no-hitter yesterday at Webster Field.

The righhander struck out 12 and was three walks away from perfection and needed only routine plays to preserve his first no-hitter of the season.

Kresovich also starred at the plate, slamming a single and two home runs for three RBI and three runs scored. Andy Jabco doubled and pulled a home run over the rightfield fence for two RBI and two runs.

Both teams went quietly in the first inning but Bellefonte put three on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second when Kresovich ripped a single to right, moved up on a wild pitch by losing pitcher Beau Hill and scored on Mike Alterio’s double to right centerfield. Andy Reese followed with an RBI single and moved to third on error. Joe Roberts knocked him in with a grounder back to the mound.

Belelfonte padded its lead with three more runs in both the third and fourth innings. Jabco led off the third with a double and scored on Brian Ishler’s long single to the centerfield fence. Kresovich then slugged a two-run blast over the leftfield fence and Nittany Valley coach Dave Porter went to relief pitcher Rodney Lucas who put out the fire temporarily.

In the fourth Todd Brown singled with one down before Jabco slammed his two-run homer. And after another out Joe Kresovich hit a towering home run to centerfield.

Belleofnte threatend again in the fifth with three singles but Nittany Valley ended the inning with a double play when Eric Remick corralled Jabco’s fly ball in centerfield and pegged Greg Nau at the plate.

Kresovich fanned Jeff Anderson and Bayard Urban and got Mike Washington to fly out to leftfield to end the game. When the dust cleared Bellefonte had hammered out 13 hits, including three home runs and two doubles.

In the last two outings the Bellefonte offense has scored 18 runs on 25 hits and pitchers Brian Grenoble and Kresovich have fanned 23 batters and allowed only four hits.

“We feel that this team is really peaking,” said coach Jim Shaffer. Everything now is going our way. We’re hitting and everybody’s working together. But I told them that we don’t want to be overconfident. We still have to beat Nittany Valley on their field.” – by Kathy Fitzgerald.

Bellefonte Eliminates Nittany Valley on Late Home Run. (1981, July 23). Centre Daily Times, p27.

Bellefonte Eliminates Nittany Valley on Late Home Run

Bellefonte's Mike Alterio breaks into his home run trot after a solo shot in the second inning of last night's showdown with Nittany Valley.  Alterio go the usual jubliant reception from his teammates who went on to win, 11-5, in seven innings.

Brian Iadarola blasted a tiebreaking three-run home run to right-center in the top of the seventh to lead Bellefonte to an 11-6 triumph over Nittany Valley and the District 5 Southern Tier Little League championship.

The Bellefonte outfielder, who brings up the rear in a power-packed lineup, also slugged a pair of doubles, collected five RBIs and scored twice.

"This is the best this team has played all year," said coach Jim Shaffer, "They showed that under pressure they can still come back."

Bellefonte earned a trip to Lewistown for a sub-sectional game at 6 p.m. today.

Winning pitcher Brian Ishler scattered six runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out 13 but could not prevent the feisty Nittany Valley squad from making up a four-run deficit in the fifth and sixth and forcing an extra inning.

Bellefonte cashed in on Joe Roberts' speed in the first inning when he led off with a walk, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored when catcher Jeff Anderson's throw got away from third baseman Bryan Grove.

Mike Alterio led off the second with a long home run to centerfield but the home team cut the lead with a run in the bottom of the inning when Anderson hammered an infield single, moved to third on Rodney Lucas' single to centerfield and scored on a passed ball.

In the third Bellefonte picked up some temporary breathing room with three runs. Losing pitcher Chris Spielvogel issued walks to Joe Kresovich and Andy Jabco and Brian Ishler singled to center to load the bases. A walk to Alterio brought one in and Spielvogel fanned two before Iadarola doubled in a pair of runs. However, Mike Washington took the outfield relay and pegged Alterio out at the plate.

Washington led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run to centerfield to bring Nittany Valley to within three runs but Bellefonte went up by four again when Iadarola reached on a fielder's choice after after a walk, took second on a passed ball and scored when Todd Brown's fly ball was dropped in right.

The contest heated up in the bottom of the fifth when Nittany Valley scored three runs to make the score 6-5. Beau Hill led off the inning with a Texas League single to left and was erased on a fielder's choice. But Bayard Urban singled and a wildpitch moved Bryan Grove and Urban up before a walk to Washington loaded the bases.

Ishler fanned cleanup hitter Anderson but Rodney Lucas delivered a clutch double to the centerfield fence to clear the bases.

But Bellefonte could not end the game in regulation before Eric Remick crossed with the tying run after reaching on an infield error and scoring when Beau Hill single with two out to left and Andy Jabco's throw to third got by Brian Grenoble.

Andy Reese led off the seventh with a walk and all hands were safe on Brian Grenoble's bunt before Iadarola belted the dramatic game-winning homer. Mike Washington relieved Spielvogel and gave up two more runs on a single by Roberts, Todd Browns triple and Joe Kresovich's sacrifice fly.

Washington retired the next two batters, but Ishler retired the Nittany Valley side in order to end the game in the bottom of the inning.

Carlson, J. (1981, July 28). Bellefonte Rolls Over Four-Leaf Clover. Centre Daily Times, p14. 

Bellefonte Rolls Over Four-Leaf Clover

The only possible negative thought that could have entered the minds of the Bellefonte Little League players, coaches and fans last night was if disposing of a four-leaf clover might be a bad omen.

In winning the District 5 title at Lewistown with an 8-0 shutout of Four-Leaf Clover, the Northern Tier champion, Bellefonte disposed of team with the lucky name in just over an hour.

The speedy game was brought about by the two-hit pitching of Brian Kresovich, the lanky right-hander with an overpowering, tailing fastball and a sneaky off speed pitch. However, the two-hitter was not the average two-hitter.

First of all, Kresovich struck out the first seven Four-Leaf batters, retired 14 in a row, struck out a total of 15 and yielded just two bleeders through the right side. In fact, on Bruce Craig's bouncer past second, Bellefonte rightfielder Brian Iadarola nearly nailed Craig at first with a fine peg to first sacker Andy Jabco. The other hit was an infield hit by Four-Leaf leftfielder Dick Glace, and that , too, was a close call.

Bellefonte, which advances to a Sectional playoff format involving four teams Aug 6 and 7 at Nittany Valley, jumped on Four-Leaf starter A. J. Coval for seven runs in the second inning.

Coval, the Four-Leaf ace, was hit hard by the Bellefonte batters. Andy Jabco singled, Mike Alterio walked and Jabco scored when Coval threw wide of third base on a force attempt.

Brian Kresovich helped himself with a solid two-run single to deep left-center and Iadarola plated another with a base rap through the box. Another error, a sacrifice fly by Joe Kresovich, a two-run single by Brian Ishler and the third error of the inning gave Bellefonte more than enough runs.

Kresovich sailed quickly through the Four-Leaf lineup and his mates game him the eight run in the fourth when Todd Brown reached on an error, advanced on a ground out and scored on Four-Leaf's fifth miscue of the game.

Jabco and Brian Kresovich paced the eight-hit attack with two each.

After he assumed his position in a team picture and watched his squad race down the third base line making the District 5 banner fly in the breeze, manager Jim Shaffer reflected on the contest.

"No way did I think we'd win this easily," Shaffer stated, prior to being told Kresovich garnered 15 strikeouts. "Brian is one of a kind," he continued. "The one thing about Brian is that he is a team ballplayer. His secret to success is that he is able to move the ball around. One will be inside, one outside, one high and one low.

"And even though he doesn't throw a lot of off-speed stuff, his fastball is moving."

Shaffer said his team's hitting prowess came after a lot of hard work, and had that work not been done, Shaffer said, "we wouldn't hit the ball as well as we did."

Shaffer and his talented squad have an eight-day wait, plenty of time to work on hitting, pitching and fielding for the Sectional playoffs next week.

That even gives them time to look for some four-leaf clovers, unlike the ones they disposed of last night. - By Jim Carlson.

Gildea,D (1981, August 7). Disappointment Bellefonte Title Hopes Quelled. Centre Daily Times, p16.

Disappointment Bellefonte Title Hopes Quelled

Montoursville ended Bellefonte's ambitions of a trip to the state Little League championship tournament yesterday with a 9-3 win in the opening game of the Section 2 Tournament.

Before a large crowd at State College's Gill Field, Montoursville's Mike Mussina limited Bellefonte to three singles, while the Lycoming County team nailed three Bellefonte pitchers for 10 hits, including two home runs.

"I was surprised by the way Montoursville hit the ball." said Bellefonte manager Jim Shaffer. "I'm not used to seeing our pitchers battered that way.

"And their pitcher, Mussina, is the best I've seen in my six years in Little League."

The loss puts Bellefonte into today's consolation game (moved to a 5 p.m. start) against Latrobe, a 14-3 loser to DuBois in the first game. Montoursville and DuBois meet for the Sectional crown and a trip to the state tournament, which will be held in DuBois , Saturday at 2 p.m.

Bellefonte fell into a hole with the first two hitters Montoursville sent to the plate. Mussina led off with a single to right , and Paul Holmes followed with a home run over the center field fence 210 feet away.

Starter Joe Kresovich then yielded a double off the wall in right-center to Jeff Gyurina, who later scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 before Bellefonte had a turn at the plate.

"We got in the hole after that first inning, but the kids came back," Shaffer said. "One thing we push a lot is team pride and spirit. We have the ability to come back. We proved it before."

Bellefonte went down in order in the first, and in the second a Mussina double in the right -center gap scored Shawn Crawford. In the top of the third Montoursville boosted its lead to 5-0 at the expense of reliever Brian Grenoble. Gyurina cracked Grenoble's second pitch barely over the fence in right. Grenoble then gave up a walk before settling down to strike out the side.

Bellefonte cut the margin to 5-3 in the bottom of the third.

Grenoble led off by beating out a grounder deep to short, and Brian Iadarola and Joe Roberts were both walked to load the bases.

With one out Andy Jabco grounded to short, but the double play try failed and Grenoble scored. With runners on first and third Brian Ishler lined a single to right that plated Iadarola. Jabco later scored from third on a passed ball, and Bellefonte moved to within two.

But there was more to be heard from the bat of young Mr. Mussina in the fourth. He bounced a double off the left-center wall that scored Mike McDavis. With one out first baseman Jabco made a fine catch of a foul pop near the Bellefonte dugout, but the catcher had also moved over for the play and nobody was covering home. Mussina tagged up and scored to make it 7-3.

Bellefonte's best chance to get back in the game came in the bottom of the fifth, but the home squad left men on second and third when Mussina got two batters swinging and a third on a pop to shortstop.

"We had guys on second and third and nobody out, but the pitcher just baffled out batters," Shaffer said. "He had good control. He threw inside and out, the curve and the smoke. I can't compliment Mussina enough."

Montoursville, 6-0 in post-season play, iced the game with two runs off a third Bellefonte pitcher, Brian Ishler, in the final inning.

"Our boys tried their hardest, and that's all any manager or parent can ask," Shaffer said.

Tourney Notes - Bellefonte catcher Andy Reese was struck in the chest with a foul tip and was removed from the game and later taken to Centre Community Hospital where he was examined and released.

In the opener Steve Polohonke got the win on the hill for DuBois over Andy Cesarski. Poholonke had two hits including a homer, while teammamtes Scott Johnson and Steve Shenkle alos homered. Cesarski homered for Latrobe. - Dennis Gildea

Bellefonte LL'ers Capture Consi. (1981,August 8). Centre Daily Times, p12.

Bellefonte LL'ers Capture Consi

Bellefonte salvaged a large measure of satisfaction yesterday by defeating Latrobe 4-3 in the Section 2 Little League Tournament at State College's Gill field.

Bellefonte was knocked out of championship contention yesterday by Montoursville, 9-3. Montouresville will meet DuBois for the Sectional title today at 2 p.m.

Manager Jim Shaffer used all his players in yesterday's game. Greg Nau went the distance on the mound to earn the win over Keith Fenton.

Bellefonte hopped on Fenton for two runs in the second when Joe Kresovich singled and eventually scored on Nau's single. Nau tallied the second run when he came home on a passed ball.

The Bellefonte Stars moved their lead to 4-0 in the top of the third when Todd Brown doubled and scored on Brian Grenoble's single. Kresovich singled and Grenoble scored on another passed ball.

Latrobe has six hits to Bellefonte's five. Both teams committed five errors.