Waelchli gets ICC Pirates offense going to tie series

His homer, double and single help fashion a 4-3 win over Limeport.


By Tim Shoemaker
Special to The Morning Call

 

ICC Pirates designated hitter Chad Waelchli said he was disappointed Limeport player/manager Chad Arnold took himself out of Sunday night's Tri-County League playoff game at Bethlehem Township Park.

And why not? Waelchli had a double and home run in two at-bats against Arnold, a left-hander who held the rest of the ICC lineup to 3-for-22.

But the way Waelchli was swinging the bat, it didn't matter who was pitching in the seventh.

Waelchli tied with an RBI single the game off reliever Pat Toner, then scored the winning run on Chad Stecker's long single to give the Pirates a 4-3 win which tied the best-of-three series at a game apiece.

The deciding game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight at Limeport. The winner advances to the semifinals against regular-season champion Gabelsville.

Glenn Kushma hit a two-run home run to left-center to give Limeport (26-12) a 3-2 lead after six innings. Toner relieved Arnold in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a one-out double to Cory Schneck. Len Melton, running for Schneck, scored on Waelchli's third hit.

Waelchli went to second on the late throw to home, then scored on Stecker's hit to right, which might have been a double if the game hadn't ended.

ICC (24-14) had lost to Limeport four straight times, including Saturday's opening playoff game.

"Arnold, he's a tough pitcher," Waelchli said. "He has great stuff. Luckily, he gave me a couple pitches I could hit. I wanted to face him again. I was picking up his arm angles well, more than I usually do to lefties.

"But as coach [John] Schreiner from Emmaus High School says, "Whoever's pitching, the ball still has to cross the plate.' It doesn't matter. I like facing whomever. But I like facing [Arnold], because he challenges me."

"Hopefully, the momentum will switch in our favor," Pirates manager Mike Brosious said. "It's a one-game playoff. It's do or die now. we always got bad breaks against them. Maybe today, the home run bouncing off the top of the fence, will start to change things."

Arnold and ICC starter Ryan Lindley were dominant for four innings in the 90-plus degree heat. Limeport got a run in the fifth when Jon Vito tripled in Christian Bensing with two outs.

Limeport       002 012 0 -- 3  7  0

ICC Pirates   000 020 2 -- 4  8  1


Arnold, Toner (7) and Vito. Lindley and Ruff. HR -- Kushma (L), Waelchli (ICC).

Tim Shoemaker is a freelance writer.

From The Morning Call -- July 29, 2002

Copyright © 2002, The Morning Call