Late-inning collapses have hurt Perkiomen's American Legion baseball team

Perkiomen shortstop Charlie Haag catches a throw at second base during the team's 4-1 victory over Warrington on Jan. 9.

through its initial seven games. In each of its three losses and one tie in the Bux-Mont League, the team has blown late leads or allowed walk-off defeats.

            "It's almost like the guys expected to lose," Manager Mike Fitzgerald said.

            On Saturday night, the Indians were able to flip that script in a 4-1 league victory over Warrington at Bonekemper Field. Bryan Pijanowski recorded the final three outs in the seventh inning to record the save. Fitzgerald called it a victory they can build on.

            "I'm confident we've figured things out," said Logan Curley, who  posted a team-high three hits, scored twice, drove in two runs and stole three bases.

            Justin Wornham posted two hits for Post 184 (2-4-2 overall, 2-3-1 Bux-Mont League), which scored twice in the first inning before adding single runs in the third and fourth innings. 

            Starting pitcher Robert Guzman and Charlie Haag combined to allow just one run on seven hits in six-plus innings before Pijanowski came in the seventh inning with two runners on and no outs.

            In practice, Fitzgerald has worked to reverse the negative mindset. He said several of the players who also competed on the high school team, which absorbed multiple one-run losses, had grown to accept that outcome.

            Also, in order to improve the team's defense, the coach is requiring his infielders to take multiple ground balls at a rate faster than game speed.

            That work appeared to benefit Perkiomen against the A's. The defense supported Guzman's four shutout inning with a clean effort. In the second inning, Wornham, the third baseman, turned a ground ball into a double play to help the team work around a bases-loaded, no-out threat.

            Guzman scattered four hits over four shutout innings. 

            The unit's only defensive hiccup came in the sixth inning, when Warrington scored its only run in a single by Justin Anderosky. Wornham made an errant relay throw home on the hit, and catcher Lance Templeton dropped a foul pop. However, neither miscue played a role in the run.

            The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on three hits, only one of which left the infield. Wornham, who opened the game legging out a single, scored on Curley's swinging bunt single. Curley stole second and scored on Tim Landis' line single to left field.

            Curley played integral role in their single runs in the third and fourth innings. He led off the third with a single to left, stole second and took third on an errant throw by the Warrington catcher and scored on Landis' ground ball. One inning later, his infield hit drove home Templeton.

            According to Fitzgerald, Curley has the freedom to steal second and third base at his discresion.

            "Logan has been a terrific player for this team," Fitzgerald said of Curley, who the manager coached in the spring at Montgomery County Community College. "He has excellent speed, and knows how to read a pitcher."

            On Monday, Quakertown postponed its league game against the Indians, according to Fitzgerald.