Story by Frank Rizzo
CALLICOON — In a battle of eateries, the Stone Arch Inn came out on top, sweeping White Sulphur Springs Inn to capture the Delaware Valley Beer League title.
Wednesday’s clincher at the Delaware Youth Center in Callicoon was a one-sided affair. Pat Collins held White Sulphur to three hits and fanned six as Stone Arch romped 24-0.
Tuesday’s opener in the best-of-three series had been a more competitive affair. White Sulphur actually led twice before Stone Arch put the game away with a nine-run sixth inning en route to a 16-10 triumph.
On Wednesday, Stone Arch lowered the boom early on White Sulphur hurler Mike Weir. A two-run triple by Mark Yewchuk in the second and a three-run shot over the left center field fence by Andrew Yager staked the visiting team to a quick 6-0 lead.
Weir got out of a bases-loaded jam in the third when he got Brian Brustman to hit back to him, and the hurler forced Logan Grishaber at home. He then got Yewchuk looking at a third strike to limit the damage.
Stone Arch broke the game open in the top of the fourth. It sent 12 men to the plate and seven of them scored to up the lead to 13-0.
Ryan Taggart relieved Weir to start the fifth, but the guests were not kind to him either. After retiring leadoff batter Grishaber, Taggart was knocked for seven more runs, including a three-run homer by Joe Bonnaci and a two-run single by Yewchuk.
In the sixth, Stone Arch closed out the scoring via a two-run single by Andrew Yager and a two-run blast by Bonnaci.
Bonnaci paced the attack with five hits, including his two homers. Gary Hubert added two triples.
In the opener, Gary Hubert went 3-for-4 with a homer and David Hubert also went 3-for-4 to lead Stone Arch. Tim Yager added two hits.
For White Sulphur, Ken Fisk had three hits, including a double, and Joe Winski went 2-for-3 with a triple.
The victory added to the regular season title garnered by Stone Arch (15–1), whose only loss came to American Electric, 14-9, back on May 23. A week later it downed White Sulphur Inn 8-6 to start a streak of 14 straight victories, including a win in the semifinal over Thomas Electric.
Though it has been in existence for more than a decade, this was the first time that the Beer League has held a playoff.