1986 District Tournament

1986 All-Star Tournament

Sealy, B. (1986, July 8). Suburban goes 1 better, outscores Bellefonte, 11-7. Centre Daily Times, p14. 

Suburban goes 1 better, outscores Bellefonte, 11-7

By BOB SEALY For the Times

Going into last night’s State College Suburban Bellefonte District 5 Little League playoff game, Suburban Manager Web Moriarity figured his team could score at least 10 runs, a figure which should win most baseball games.

The Suburban players made Moriarity’s prediction stand up as they went one better, outscoring Bellefonte 11-7 to advance to the second round of the playoffs. The 11 runs came on 10 hits with four Suburban each collecting two hits apiece. Greg Curley, Ron Kauffman, Neil Fletcher, and winning pitcher Chris Pezanowski all stroked two hits with Curley hammering a triple, Kauffman stroking a two-run homer and Fletcher hitting a double.

“I was surprised,” Moriarity said. “I’m not surprised that we we didn’t score more but that we didn’t score sooner. Going into the game I was quite positive we could score. What we lack in pitching, we make up for in hitting.

“We got a lot of breaks, especially on that double play to Pez (a liner back to Pezanowski to kill a Bellefonte rally in the fifth),” he said, “but I give the kids a lot of credit for creating those breaks.”

Bellefonte jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the top of the first. With two out, Matt Hardy, whose three hits in the game included a double, singled up the middle and Chris Rogers followed with a home run to left for a 2-0 lead.

Suburban answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning on only one hit. Three walks and two errors in the inning helped the cause.

Bellefonte took the lead again in the second on a three-run homer by Jeremy Neidigh. Neidigh had a big night at the plate , poking two opposite-field home runs to drive in five of the seven runs.

The score stayed 5-3 until the bottom of the fourth when Suburban exploded for four runs. The runs scored on two walks, two singles, a double by Fletcher and an error by Bellefonte, one of four Bellefonte Miscues in the game.

Four runs in the fifth by Suburban put the game out of reach. Pezanowski singled to right to start the inning and went to second when the ball got away from Bellefonte right fielder Tom Martin. David Falkenstern followed with an infield single to put two on with nobody out.

Curley then smashed a triple to right to score two and send Bellefonte pitcher Hardy looking for relief help. Hardy began the game at shortstop but came in to pitch when starter Neidigh took hinself out after one inning. John Baker came in for Hardy and Kauffman drove his first pitch over the right field fence for a two-run home run and an 11-5 lead. Baker then settled down to retire the side.

A two-run homer by Neidigh made the score closer but Pezanowski got a strikeout and a groundout to end the game.

Penzanowski finished the game with seven strikeouts and six walks while giving up 10 hits. Hardy took the loss for Bellefonte.

Suburban will face Big Valley, which drew a first round bye, tomorrow night at Big Valley in Lewistown. Bellefonte must now move into the loser’s bracket and will play the loser of the A.R. Rook-Pleasant Gap game.

Bellefonte stays alive. (1986, July 12). Centre Daily Times, p10.

Bellefonte stays alive

Bellefonte’s Little League All-Star team is still alive in the District 5 playoffs.

Trailing by 3-1, Bellefonte scored three runs in the last of the sixth to eliminate Lewistown at Lewistown last night 4-3.

Bellefonte is scheduled to play at State College Suburban today at 6 p.m.

Singles by Jeremy Neidigh and Todd Hardy, a passed ball and a fielder’s choice accounted for one Bellefonte run in the sixth. Losing pitcher Mike Boyer then walked winning pitcher Travis Hendershot to load the bases and Tom Martin to force in a run. Then twith two down and Matt Shomo at the plate, the winning run scored on a passed ball.

Final totals showed Lewistown with three runs and six hits and Bellefonte four runs and three hits.

A two-out error and Chris Rogers’ double accounted for Bellefonte’s run in the first. Then Lewistown tied the score in the second and added two more in the third for a 3-1 lead.

Boyer hit a home run for Lewistown.

Rain postponed the rest of the games on last night’s District 5 schedule.

Today’s Southern Tier schedule: A.R. Rook at Big Valley (6p.m.) and Bellefonte at Suburban (6p.m.)…

Philipsburg, Suburban move up in playoffs. (1986, July 13). Centre Daily Times, p24

Philipsburg, Suburban move up in playoffs

Two showdowns were staged in the District 5 Little League playoffs last night.

In one winners’ bracket game (Northern Division), Philipsburg scored six times in the third inning and went on to beat the defending district champion Four Leaf at Woodland 7-1.

Meanwhile, at Belleville, A.R. Rook defeated Big Valley 3-1 in a battle of unbeaten southern tier all-star teams. In other action last night, State College Suburban stayed alive in the double-elimination event by eliminating visiting Bellefonte 4-3. Suburban will now entertain Big Valley tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Also, Clearfield ousted visiting Mountaintop 6-3 and Moshannon Valley eliminated Tri-County at Port Matilda 7-2. Clearfield will entertain Moshannon Valley tomorrow at 6 pm., with the winner hosting Four Leaf Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Scott Webster went the distance for Philipsburg as Manager Larry Kolbe’s team won its third straight playoff game. Andy Vaux hit a three-run homer for the visitors.

Suburban, meanwhile, broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Chris Pezanowski, the winning pitcher, doubled and scored on Brian Hommel’s two out double.

Suburban added two in the second on Chris Olmstead’s single and Tony Torsell’s home run.

Dave Falkenstern’s single and Greg Curley’s triple gave Suburban a 1-0 lead in the first.