1979 District Tournament

Bellefonte L.L. Lists All-Stars (1979, July 5). Centre Daily Times, p30. 

Bellefonte L.L. Lists All-Stars

The Bellefonte Little League announced its all-stars for the 1979 season recently. The all-stars will play their first game against Suburban at Webster Field in Bellefonte on Wednesday, July, 18, at 6 p.m. The Opposition team will be announced later.

Team members include: Ralph Hillard, Lee McDonnell, Mark Watson and Ed Adams from Mid-State Bank. Toby Capparelle, Robert Roan, and Mat Roberts, Plum Drugs; Roger McClure, Todd Taylor and James Zelenky, Bellefonte Lions; Steve Donnelly and Thad Eisenhower, Undines; Michael Reiter and Marc McMullin, Knights of Columbus.

Team alternates are Chris Ebeling, Mid-State; David Reese and Tom Crawford, Krout Pontiac and Bryan Hosterman, Bellefonte Lions.

Wenig, R. (1979, July 19). Suburban Nips Bellefonte, 5-4.. Centre Daily Times, p1. 

Suburban Nips Bellefonte, 5-4

By RON WENIG Times Staff Writer

There is little room for error when the State College Suburban and Bellefonte all-star Little League teams clash in post season play.

Last year, the result was a 1-0 nail-biting victory for Bellefonte. But last night, Suburban got some measure of revenge - although the nails were still being bitten - as it squeaked its way to a 5-4 come-from behind victory at the Bellefonte Little League field.

Suburban drew first blood in the top of the second inning when Pat Kindlin, a lanky first baseman who towered over both his teammates and opponents, crashed a long drive off pitcher Matt Roberts that cleared the centerfield fence and rebounded off a car windshield in the parking lot.

But Bellefonte came right back in its half of the inning as it sent eight men to the plate and erupted for three runs off State College pitcher Darin Brown. Ralph Hillard got the inning started by singling up the middle and going to second when the ball got past the centerfielder. After a popout, Hillard moved to third on an infield single by Ed Adams. He later scored when State College shortstop Dave Montressor dropped the ball on a force play at second.

Bellefonte subsequently loaded the bases with two men out, thanks to a bloop single to left by Roger McClure. It set the stage for Todd Taylor, who ripped a double to the centerfield wall, scoring two men and giving his team a 3-1 lead.

" I was a little concerned," recalled Suburban manager Lou Marrara about Bellefonte's early lead. "But, I had faith in the kids. They had been having excellent practices all week and I knew that, even with a few mistakes in the beginning, we could recover."

Suburban once again used the long ball to regain the lead in the fourth inning. After a single by Jim Bernlohr and a walk to Brown put runners on first and third, Montressor stepped to the plate and cracked a sinking liner to left. Bellefonte leftfielder Mike Reiter ran back to the fence and leaped, but the ball just eluded his grasp and dropped over the wall for a three run homer.

"Our heaviest hitters today were also the heaviest hitters during the regular season," said Marrara, who was pleased, but not overly surprised by his teams power. "Those kids have been doing it all year and they just came through today."

However, the Suburban lead was to be short-lived. In the bottom of the fourth, singles by Toby Capparelle and McClure put runners on first and third with two outs. A perfect double steal allowed McClure to come home with the tying run, knotting the game at 4-4.

There was no scoring in the fifth, but in the top of the sixth inning, Roberts found himself facing the toughest part of the State College batting order. In a battle of pitcher versus pitcher, Brown hit a squibber down the first base line that Roberts was unable to handle, putting the go-ahead run on base with Montressor coming to the plate. After Brown advanced to second on a wild pitch, Montressor hit a deep drive to center. The ball was caught but Brown tagged and went to third.

Bellefonte wasn't out of the inning yet. Up stepped Kindlin, who already had a homer and a single to his credit, and pressure began to mount. Kindlin then proceeded to hit his weakest shot of the game, a high bouncer to the shortstop. It was enough. The throw home was late and Suburban had its fifth run of the game and a victory.

The box score: