After ending last season with a pair of playoff forfeits, Perkiomen's American Legion baseball team has returned with a healthy roster and a new manager.
Rick Rossiter is leading a roster of 17 players. He said he expects the players to
.jpg) |
Boyertown's Randy Wynings leaps over Perkiomen cat-
cher Brayden Adam to score a run during the first inning
on Friday, June 7.
|
remain until the season is complete.
"I'm grateful for their dedication," Rossiter said.
The team includes several members of the Upper Perkiomen baseball team that qualified for the District One 4A playoffs for the second straight year. It features multiple recent graduates, including Brandon Godshall, Drew Graf, Kyle Mazzie, Braden Rieg, Evan Sands and Jack Schramm.
"I think they wanted the opportunity to play together one last time," the new manager said.
Last weekend, missing four players due to illness and vacation, the Indians suffered a 5-4 non-league loss to Boyertown. The team committed four errors that led to three unearned runs and ended the game with the potential go-ahead run in scoring position on Friday, June 7.
"This performance was a little disappointing," Rossiter said.
The new manager didn't have much of a learning curve. He previously coached most of the players as a high school assistant under Frank Mercon or during the summer as the Upper Perk Kiwanis Youth Legion manager. Last season, Rossiter led the Braves to the state title.
"It's very easy coaching them," said Rossiter who succeeds Mike Fitzgerald, who is currently managing the Quakertown Blazers, a college wooden bat team. "They know my system."
Post 184, which ended last season without enough players to compete in the Bux-Mont League playoffs, opened its season with victories against league rivals. They defeated Souderton, 10-4, on June 3. The following day, Mazzie homered in a 12-4 victory over Plumstead.
At Bear Stadium, Post 184 (2-1 league, 2-2 overall) squandered a chance to at least force extra innings or go ahead. Down 5-3, its initial three hitters reached base in the top of the seventh.
Pinch hitter Sammy Zematis opened the inning with a single to left and stole second base. A misplay of Jordin Dice's ground ball put runners at the corners. Mazzie drove in Zematis with an infield hit to get them within one and Dice advanced to third.
Mazzie, the potential go-ahead run, stole second with one out to get himself into scoring position. However, Christian Tonini worked out of trouble, inducing two infield pop-ups to clinch the victory for the Bears.
Tonini went the distance on the mound. He allowed just one earned run and six hits.
Jon Lewis absorbed the mound loss in relief after permitting a pair of two-out runs.
Randy Wynings delivered a two-run double in the sixth inning to snap a 3-3 tie for Boyertown.
Lewis retired the initial two hitters in the bottom of the sixth before allowing a single and a walk. Wynings chased home both runners with a hit to the left-center field gap.
Godshall, Perkiomen's starter, did not allow an earned run over five innings. He scattered four hits and struck out four.
"Brandon pitched very well," Rossiter said. "It's the most he's thrown all season,"
Perkiomen scored three unearned runs in the first inning. Sands, who reached on an error, stole second and third before crossing the plate on Drew Graf's hit. Schramm followed with a two-run double, plating Brayden Adam and Graf to go ahead 3-0.
Boyertown responded with two unearned runs in the bottom of the first. Three Indians miscues allowed them to score.
Wynings scored the game-tying run after reaching on an infield error leading off the fifth inning. He was sacrificed to second, stole third and scored on an infield hit by Matt Smith.
According to Rossiter, the team hopes to schedule 25 games before the league playoffs. He said the return of two franchises increases the number of Bux-Mont teams to nine.
On Monday, Perkiomen lost 10-1 to Quakertown in the league. Mazzie drove in the team's only run against the state-champion Blue Jays. He worked a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth inning.