'Wings in unfamiliar spot

8-4 win over Coplay is first time Woodlawn has won series opener.

By Ted Meixell
Special to The Morning Call

 

Jeremy Arner may be young. And he may be in only his first year as the Tri-County League's Woodlawn (nee Tri-City) Fleetwings player/manager.

He possesses enough baseball wisdom, however, to take nothing for granted following Saturday's 8-4 win over the Coplay Reds (nee Serpents) at Scherersville in the opening game of the TriCo's championship series.

He need only remind himself – and his team – of their own recent history, as well as Coplay's, in the playoff semis.

''We're not used to being in this position,'' said Arner, whose third-inning two-out, two-run single gave the fourth-seeded Fleetwings (30-14-1) a lead they'd not relinquish. ''We don't know what it's like to win the first game of a playoff series. We lost the opening game in both the quarterfinals and semis.

''And [Coplay] was two down to Limeport and came back to win three straight in the semis. So, obviously, they're capable of doing that again. We're happy, of course, but we're a long way from home.''

The Fleetwings got a complete game performance from lefty Matt Wiltrout (6-4), who had a five-hitter and an 8-1 lead thanks to Tommy Williams' 400-foot, three-run home run to center in the top of the seventh inning before yielding four hits and three runs in the bottom of the frame.

When he needed a big pitch, Wiltrout relied heavily upon his overhand curve with some changeups mixed in.

"I just don't have a good enough fastball to live just with it in this league,'' he said.

Asked to compare this performance with others this season, Wiltrout, one of five Emmaus grads in the 'Wings lineup, said, ''About the same as a couple others. I don't shut people out; I generally give up two or three [runs], you know, quality starts. But this win was huge because it's the finals, and it's the first time I've ever pitched against Coplay, this being my first year in Tri-County.''

Veteran Dave Toth singled in a first-inning run for Woodlawn and Justin Godusky's single in the fourth accounted for two more. Brandon Leslie singled in runs for No. 3 seed Coplay (30-13-1) in the first and seventh.

''Today, everybody contributed [offensively],'' Arner said. You couldn't single anyone out. And Tommy's homer was really the sealer, especially after we loaded the bases in the sixth with nobody out and couldn't score, and when they got three in the bottom of the seventh.

''Funny, Tommy and Matt Godusky have each hit two [homers] in the playoffs, after we hit only two the whole regular season.''

All but one Woodlawn starter scored a run and the one who didn't — Justin Godusky — drove in two. Scott Garger and Arner each had two hits.

Leslie and John Curreri each had three hits for the Reds.

Coplay skipper Shawn Andrews agreed that history shows his team can rebound, beginning with Game 2 at Scherersville Field No. 1 at 4:30 today. And he liked its three-run seventh-inning outburst as a momentum builder.

''Coming from two down in the semis gives us confidence that we know we can,'' he said. ''But it's not something you want to make a habit of, especially not against a good team.''


Woodlawn  102 200 3 — 8 10 1

Coplay        100 000 3 — 4 10 1


Matt Wiltrout (W, 6-4) and Jeremy Arner; Jose Medina (L, 6-2) and Caleb Calarco. HR - W: Tom Williams (7th, 2 on).

Ted Meixell is a freelance writer and a retired Morning Call sports writer.

From The Morning Call -- August 13, 2006

Copyright © 2006, The Morning Call