By Ted Waddell
GRAHAMSVILLE — May 15, 2001 – On the eve of leaving for their senior trip to Florida and the House of the Mouse, the Bears of Tri-Valley got hammered 14-3 by Sullivan West/Jeff-Youngs-ville on Thursday.
The OCIAA Division IV baseball game started out as a pitching duel between the Bears’ Josh Lowitz and Kyle Bright for SW/J-Y, scoreless until the bottom of the third, when the home swatters went up 2-0.
Lowitz reached on a walk, going to third on a double by “Wild” Bill Gorman. Durk Pearston grounded to third for a fielder’s choice, as Lowitz was pegged out at the plate, leaving runners at first and second. James Paul doubled to center field to score two runs.
In top of the fourth frame, the Trojans exploded for 10 runs and never looked back.
Bill Reichmann led off with a single up the middle, followed by a Jim Fanning single to left. Jake Sauer-Jones put one between third and short, and the resulting error scored a run. A double by E.T. Toledo added to the rapidly mounting tally.
Next up was Ryan Schumacher, who joined the “singles scene” with a two-RBI single right up the middle. Jon Tanous was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the second time in the inning.
Justin Pinkel then smashed a base-clearing triple to put it away for the Trojans. More hits by the visitors and additional lapses on the field by the home team closed out the inning.
SW/J-Y scored again in the fifth. Reichmann led off with a double to left center. Fanning’s pop to the first baseline, was turned into an out by TV catcher Joe Carraccia who made a nice diving catch. After a walk to Sauer-Jones, Toledo’s single scored Reichmann to make it a 10-3 ballgame.
Sullivan West closed out the game with a trio of runs in the seventh after stacking the house.
“They played well,” said Tri-Valley helmsman Jim Kelly. “They hit the ball, and we didn’t field it very well… we committed at least ten errors, and we committed them at key times where we could have started some rallies.”
According to Kelly, defense has been a sore spot for the Bears this season.
On the offensive side of Monday’s outing, the home team left half a dozen runners stranded on the hot corner. Tri-Valley won the Western Sullivan League (WSL) championship for five straight years (1996-2000), and lost a six-pack of seniors to graduation last year, so this season has been a bit of a disappointment.
Returning starters Josh Lowitz, James Paul and Durk Pearston are joined by last year’s “part-timers,” Joe Carraccia, Bill Gorman and Alex Pearston.
Last week, Kelly pulled up freshman Zack Bright to fill a hole at second base.
“We need to work on a few things, but it’s kind of late in the season,” added Kelly. “We’ve been up for five years, but we’re in one of those valleys… we’re having an off year.”
This year, former Tri-Valley star catcher Kurt Scheibe (he graduated in 1991) took over from Dan Hart as SW/J-Y head coach.
The squad is made up of players from the Jeffersonville-Youngsville and Delaware Valley campuses of the new combined central school district.
“The kids are adjusting and getting along great,” said Scheibe.
His take on the 14-3 pounding of his high school alma mater?
“After they scored two in the third, it was a real nail biter, but we banged out ten runs in the top of the fourth.
“It’s always nice when you win,” he added.