1970 District Tournament

"We don't have the hitting or the pitching we had last year, but the kids battled all the way." - Harold Rossman - McDonald, D. (1970, July 21). Bellefonte All-Stars Win. Centre Daily Times, p14.

Little Leaguers Busy. (1970, July 16). Centre Daily Times, p22. 

Little Leaguers Busy

Bellefonte Nips Tri-County

Two evenly matched Little League All-Star teams – Bellefonte and Tri-County – waged quite a battle at rainy Webster Field last night.

Bellefonte, held hitless until the sixth inning, tied the score and eventually defeated Manger Ron Zimmerman’s team in the eighth, 2-1. It was the District 10 playoff opener for both teams.

The victory put the defending district champions opposite State College Suburban at Webster Field tomorrow night.

In other Southern Tier action last night Osceola Mills beat Moshannon Valley, 6-0. The State College Nittany Valley at Mountain Top was rained out and was rescheduled for today at 6 p.m.

Two Northern Tier games were staged last night. Curwensville defeated Punxsutawney in seven innings, 4-3, and DuBois belted Reynoldsville, 13-0. Rain wiped out the other two contests.

Mike Price, who played for Port Matilda during the regular campaign, had a no-hitter through five innings. Mike Faulkner led off the last of the sixth with a clean single to right. Bellefonte followers started to whoop it up while Tri-County fans encouraged Price to bear down. A two-base error and Glen Fisher’s single enabled Manager Harold Rossman’s team to tie the score. Price fanned the next three batters and the well-played game moved into extra innings.

Tri-County, it should be pointed out, threatened in the sixth after Mike Stevens yielded back-to-back singles to Jimmy Jones and Richard Turner. Rossman called in Jim Musser from the first base and the hard-throwing lefty proceeded to strike out the next seven batters he faced. He retired the last men on infield grounders.

Bellefonte won the game for Musser on a walk, an error, a delayed double steal and Fisher’s second straight run producing hit.

Rossman, a veteran manager, caught Tri-County asleep in the eighth. With runners on first and second, the third baseman was playing the bunt. Faulkner broke for the unguarded bag and beat the throw. Musser meanwhile, chugged into second.

Car horns blared when Fisher drove in Faulkner with the winning run.

“We don’t have the hitting or the pitching we had last year,” Rossman said after the game. “But the kids battled all the way. Price was a pretty darned good pitcher.”

Tri-County, which also draws its players from Huston Township, Warriors Mark, Matternville and Bald Eagle, scored in the third with two out. A single by Jimmy Baughman, a walk and Turner’s double made it 1-0. After that, the only base runners for Tri-County were Jones and Turner in the sixth.

TIDBITS: The game was stopped for about 10 minutes because of rain after Tri-County batted in the second…Last night’s collection amounted to 46.90…The catchers and first basemen combined for all but four putouts in last night’s game at Webster Field.

The box score:

Bracken, R. (1970, July 18). Bellefonte Comes Back To Nip Suburban, 7-6. Centre Daily Times, p6.

With Wild 5th Inning Rally:

Bellefonte Comes Back To Nip Suburban, 7-6

By RON BRACKEN, Times Sports Writer

Suburban’s Little League All-Stars were hitting the long ball last night but Bellefonte’s All-Stars concentrated on hitting the little round white one and walked away with a nerve-wracking, 7-6 victory in a game played at Webster Field.

And while it may be bad to put all your eggs in one basket, you won’t catch Bellefonte Manager (Pickle) Rossman, complaining about scoring all his runs in one inning.

Because after Suburban finished bombarding Bellefonte starter Rick Drapcho for three home runs and six runs in the first two innings, Rossman’s crew came to score all seven runs in a wild fifth inning.

“I was a little worried,” said the veteran Bellefonte manager, “I don’t think our pitchers got pounded like that all year. That Suburban team has a lot of good hitters, they’re a good team.

“But I told the kids not to give up, to keep swinging because we had started to get to Sefter in the fourth inning. He seemed like he started to slow down some. He looked like he was getting tired.”

Meanwhile, Suburban Manger Bill Pennabaker was in a mild state of disbelief at the conclusion of the game.

“I still don’t believe it,” he stated quietly. “It’s just hard to believe. We knew we had good power on this team and we had good defense but I guess the pressure must have gotten to them. When we went ahead 6-0 I thought the lead might hold up.”

With one out in the first Suburban’s Dave Nelson reached base via an error. A single by Jeff Wilson moved him to second but Drapcho got Mark Hinish on a strikeout. However, Sefter worked the count to 3-2 then rifled a shot over the fence in right centerfield fence giving himself a three run cushion to work on.

Again, with one out, Suburban mounted a rally in the second inning. Sandy Burwell singled and Jim Houck followed with a blast over the rightfield fence making it 5-0. Mike Warner, the next man up, jumped on Drapcho’s first pitch and it was 6-0 as the ball carried far beyond the fence in dead centerfield. Rossman brought in Bob Dalena in an effort to silence the Suburban bats and he was successful, getting Nelson on a pop fly and fanning Wilson to end the inning.

Sefter began having trouble in the fourth when he had to work his way out of a bases loaded one-out situation. He did it by striking out Mike Stevens and getting Mark Antolosky on a fielder’s choice.

But the game Bellefonte unit was not to be denied in the fifth.

Dave Houser opened the inning by getting aboard via an error. A single by Jim Musser was followed by a double by Glenn Fisher which scored Houser. Following an infield out an error allowed Musser to score from third and a single by Drapcho scored Fisher. After Sefter struck out the next man he walked Mike Stevens to load the bases and issued another free pass to Antolosky forcing in another run. Houser followed by hitting a double which took a bad hop past the rightfielder and rolled clear to the fence while three Bellefonte runs poured across. Houser tried to score on a single by Musser but was thrown out at the plate on a perfect throw by Nelson.

But Mike Faulkner, who relieved Dalena, still had to pitch his way out of trouble in the sixth to insure Bellefonte’s spot in Monday’s game against Nittany Valley, a 5-0 winner over Pleasant Gap.

Faulkner, who broke up Mike Price’s no-hitter in Wednesday’s game against Tri-County, got two quick outs in the sixth before Houck blooped a single over shortstop. He issued a walk to Mike Warner, putting men on first and second but he bore down and struck out Nelson to end the game.

“I just told him he had two outs and if they were going to win it, make them win it with a hit and not a walk,” said Rossman of his conference with Faulkner, “I just wanted him to use his head.”

Houser, Musser and Drapcho had two hits each for Bellefonte while Houck was the only two-hit man for Suburban.

The box score:

McDonald, D. (1970, July 21). Bellefonte All-Stars Win. Centre Daily Times, p14. 

Bellefonte All-Stars Win

By DOUG McDONALD, Times Sports Editor

Shades of 1958.

Manager Harold (Pickle) Rossman of the Bellefonte Little League All-Star team couldn’t help but recall a play that occurred 12 years ago with one that happened in last night’s game at Webster Field.

The year was 1958. The scene was Hy Turkin Field, Staten Island, N.Y. And the occasion was the Eastern Regional tourney.

Bellefonte won the State Championship at Williamsport that year and qualified for the regionals. In the first round, Darien, Conn., beat Bellefonte, 4-3, on a home run in the sixth.

“I can still see Barry Burger in center field,” Rossman recalled last night. “One of the Darien players hit a home run. The ball just barely cleared the fence, Burger figured he’d play the ball as it caromed off the fence. The ball just nicked the top of the fence and fell in for the homer.”

Now, all Bellefonte Little League All-Star outfielders are instructed to drift back to the fence if they have a chance to catch the ball.

Jim Shuey, Bellefonte left fielder, caught Tom Sallade’s long drive at the fence last night, preventing a two-run homer, and preserving a 2-0 victory for Rossman’s team over the Nittany Valley All-Stars.

Sallade, a lefty, poked a long drive to the opposite field shortly after Nate Levine doubled to lead off the sixth. Shuey made the catch. Mike Stevens retired the next two batters and Bellefonte assured itself of playing Clearfield or Philipsburg for the District 10 Southern tier championship tomorrow.

Last night’s Clearfield-at-Philipsburg game was postponed because of rain. The two teams will try again tonight, with Bellefonte visiting the winner tomorrow at 6 p.m.

“I figured Jimmy would catch it,” Rossman said, “if he’d get to the fence. Nittany Valley has a fine team. We’re coming up with the right play at the right time. The boys are hustling and they have lots of spirit.”

Frank Peters Jr., Bellefonte’s coach said with a grin after the team’s third straight squeaker, “My, but that fifth inning’s been awfully good to us this month.”

How true.

Bellefonte, the defending District 10 champion, beat State College Suburban last Friday, 7-6, scoring all seven runs in the fifth.

Last night Bellefonte scored twice in the fifth to beat State College Nittany Valley.

Last Wednesday, Bellefonte edged Tri-County in extra innings 2-1, scoring in the sixth and eighth.

With one out in the fifth Matt Suhey walked Shuey. Mike Faulkner hit a sharp liner between first and second. Mike Brown, Nittany Valley’s 11 year old second baseman, dived for the ball. He recovered in time to retire Faulkner at first. Mike Stevens singled Shuey home from second. The winning pitcher moved to second on the throw from the outfield. Mark Antolosky, the only holdover from the 1969 squad, followed with another single, driving in Stevens with the final run. Up until the fifth Suhey had yielded three hits.

Nittany Valley, which advanced by beating Mountain Top and Pleasant Gap, failed to collect a hit over the first four innings. However, singles by Suhey and Dave Klekner and a hit batsman loaded the bases with two down in the fifth, but Stevens bore down and retired the next batter on on the first pitch.

In the fourth the first two Nittany Valley batters reached base safely (hits batsman and a fielders choice-error), but again Bellefonte’s defense dug in, protecting the shutout.

“We had opportunities,” Manager Ed Klekner of Nittany Valley said, “but we failed to take advantage of them.”

TIDBITS: The collection was a resounding $74.07 despite the rain which delayed the start of the game…Frank Webster, veteran Bellefonte Little League president, hopes to install lights at the field for the start of the 1971 season…”We plan to field eight teams next year and play three games a night,” he said. “I hope we can do it because more boys will be able to play ball…DuBois and Clearfield have lights now but they’re supported through recreation boards.”

The Nittany Valley All-Stars will attend the New York -Pittsburg game at Three Rivers Stadium Saturday, Aug. 8.

The box score:

McDonald, D. (1970, July 23). Bellefonte Wins. Centre Daily Times, p20.

Plays Dubios Tomorrow for Title:

Bellefonte Wins

By DOUG McDONALD Times Sports Editor

Manager Harold Rossman pitched batting practice at Clearfield last night.

The Bellefonte Little League All-Stars didn’t hit the ball well at Kurtz Memorial Field in pre-game drills or in the six-inning Southern Tier championship game that followed.

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Rossman said after Bellefonte beat Clearfield, 3-2, “but we’re not hitting. I throwing curves in batting practice and the boy’s couldn’t get any contact.”

Bellefonte managed one hit last night, a two-run homer by Glenn Fisher in the first inning. Another run in the second made it 3-0. However, a two-run home by Gary Shirey in the third cut Bellefonte’s lead to 3-2. Clearfield continued to apply the pressure the rest of the way but Bellefonte never budged and inch, especially down the stretch.

“Bellefonte never lost its poise,” Manager Ardell Shirey of Clearfield said. “Its tough to lose a one-hitter. We had several chances but we failed to capitalize. We had the right boys at bat in key situations, but we just didn’t get the big hit.”

The District 10 title game will be played at Clearfield tomorrow. DuBois will represent the Northern Tier and the game will start at 6 p.m. Bellefonte beat the Bradford Nationals for the 1969 District crown at Brockway, 5-0, on a no-hitter by Gary Drapcho.

After Bellefonte beat Tri-County in eight innings, 2-1, July 15, Rossman said the team lacked the hitting and pitching enjoyed by the 1969 squad.

Through four playoff games Bellefonte this month has outscored its opponents by a 14-9 margin. It owns three one-run decisions and one two-run victory.

“The boys are playing together,” Rossman said. “They don’t seen to get upset when the going gets a little rough.

A two-out error and Fisher’s home run to center gave Rick Drapcho, Gary’s brother, a two run cushion in the first. A walk, a fielder’s choice-error and a one-out grounder by Drapcho made it 3-0 in the second.

An error and Jeff Norris’ one-out two-bagger game Clearfield fans something to holler about in the third. However, the lead runner sailed right past a stunned third base coach. The relay from Jim Musser, to Fisher to catcher Dave Houser nailed Mike Moore with room to spare. Shirey, the next batter , promptly poked one over the fence in left center.

Bellefonte, which had only one base runner after the second, changed pitchers in the fifth after Moore opened the inning with a single, Musser, a gum chewing lefty, eventually pitched out of a bases-loaded jam, retiring Ron Park, the son of the Clearfield High wrestling coach, on a long fly to right. Drapcho made a fine catch near the foul line.

In the sixth, a single and a double put runners on second and third with one down. However, Musser got the next two batters on strikes. 

TIDBITS: Bellefonte beat Clearfield, 6-2, at Webster Field for the 1969 Southern Tier crown…And in 1965, Clearfield won at Bellefonte in the 10th, 3-2. for similar honors…Tomorrows game at Clearfield will be a rematch of the 1967 District 10 championship game…In that one DuBois beat the County Seaters, 7-1…The collection last night was 45.05…Mike Mitskavich, Blair Collins and Louis Fachney combined to pitch a one-hitter for DuBois at Bradford American last night…Collins surrendered that hit in the sixth…He hurled the second through the 10th and fanned 16 batters…All together the DuBois trio fanned 18…The winning run came on a homer by Mike McKee in the 11th…A year ago, Bradford National beat DuBois for the Northern Tier crown, 3-0…Dubois has outscored four opponents by a 33-0 margin this month…Clearfield has six 11-years on its 1970 All-Star team…State College Suburban beat Dubois in the 1968 district championship game at Clearfield, 2-1…DuBois was the defending titlist that year…The final batter in last night’s game wore No. 13 on the back of his Clearfield uniform…Would you believe the following four-game DuBois pitching statistics: 50 strikeouts and seven hits…The box score: 

McDonald, D. (1970, July 25). DuBois Regains Crown. Centre Daily Times, p6.

DuBois Regains Crown

By DOUG McDONALD, Times Sports Editor

The Bellefonte Little League All-Star Express ran out of steam at Clearfield’s Kurtz Memorial Field last night.

DuBois scored three times in the last of the fifth to beat Bellefonte in the District 10 championship game, 3-1. DuBois will now face the District 12 representative one week from today. The site will be announced after the District 12 title is determined.

“We won a lot more game than I expected,” Manager Harold Rossman of Bellefonte said after the game. “But we’ll be back. Including the alternates, we should have seven boys back next season.”

Lou Sackandy, manager of the victorious DuBois squad, said Bellefonte was the toughest team his boys faced en route to the title, including the Bradford Americans.

“What impressed me most of all was their hustle,” he said. “We didn’t have much of a scouting report on Bellefonte. We did know all their scores and we figured they depended more on pitching and defense than offense.

“Our kids finally realized they had their work cut out when it was Bellefonte 1, DuBois 0 in the fifth. They were confident they could get some hits. Finally, they did it in the fifth.”

Sackandy revealed the makeup of his team after the game.

“You won’t believe this,” he said, “but we have 12 pitchers and two catchers. That’s one thing we have – plenty of pitchers.”

Going into the game, DuBois had scored 33 runs and yielded none.

Bellefonte snapped that streak in the second. In the first Mark Antolosky and Dave Houser singled off Bruce Nesbitt but the DuBois right-hander settled down and retired the next three batters.

John Shuey walked to start the second for Bellefonte. A wild pitch, a two-out infield hit by Mike Stevens and a throwing error put the Countians in from 1-0 and DuBois behind for the first time in about 31 innings.

In the third Houser singled and raced to third following Jim Musser’s double to the fence in center. Manager Sackandy called in Bill McKee to pitch. He promptly struck out the side. Another hit would have Bellefonte a tremendous psychological lift in the third.. McKee, who homered in the 11th to beat Bradford Americans Wednesday, 1-0, allowed two base runners the rest or the way – a walk in the fourth and another free pass in the fifth.

Mike Stevens was sailing along with a no-hitter through four innings. In fact, after walking the leadoff batter, Stevens retired 12 in a row before Nesbitt singled sharply to center to start the fifth.

A strikeout, a walk, a single by Ken Schaffer, an infield out and an error followed and the momentum switched in DuBois’ favor.

LEFTOVERS: The collection last night amounted to $62.74…The Clearfield Little League provided the umpires for the title game…DuBois last won the crown in 1967…Bellefonte, the defending champ, scored 15 runs and gave up 12 in the playoffs…The sectional tourney for this part of the state will be held at Springdale.

The box score: