PERKY LEAGUE: Late offense lifts Lansdale over Trooper in Game 2

by ed morlock

LOWER PROVIDENCE — It took a few innings for Lansdale’s offense to get going in Game 2 of a Perkiomen Valley Twilight League quarterfinal series against Trooper Tuesday evening, but once the three-time defending champions started hitting they didn’t slow down.

The second-seeded Tigers scored 12 runs between the fifth and sixth innings, including nine runs in the top of the sixth to break a 3-3 tie, and picked up a 12-3 win over the seventh-seeded Tribe for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

“We were seeing the ball better and picking each other up at the same time,” Lansdale first baseman Adam Estrada said of the late-game offense, “and just making sure no one was feeling down. At the end of the day, these are high-intense situations, whether we’re down 10 or up 10 we just have to keep on grinding.”

Lansdale opened the sixth inning with four straight singles. The third and fourth base hits – by Jason Mills and Matt Sperling – knocked in runs to give the Tigers a 5-3 lead.

Three batters later, Estrada blew the game wide open. His three-run double to right-center field gave the Tigers a commanding 8-3 lead and knocked Trooper starting pitcher Graham Smith out of the game.

“I ended up seeing a slider that was a little high,” Estrada, who homered in Lansdale’s 5-3 Game 1 win, said. “I put a good barrel on it and shot it the other way.”

Rob Zinsmeister greeted reliever Luke LeBeau with a two-run home run. Three batters later, Frank Pollock hit a two-run homer of his own to make it 12-3.

The Tigers got contributions up and down the lineup. Seven different players scored runs and six different players tallied an RBI.

“It’s not even just the one through nine,” Estrada said. “It’s the depth that we have on the bench as well. Knowing that we have guys that are able to be there for each other. Mills (3-for-3 in Game 2, go-ahead home run in Game 1) is a great hitter, been looking forward to that because he’s been saying that he hasn’t hit a home run in a while. It was good to see him get one.”

Lansdale managed only three hits across the first four innings and trailed, 1-0, going into the top of the fifth. Mills, Sperling and Jason Kelmer opened the frame with three singles to load the bases. Bob Drozdowski tied the game with a walk before Estrada grounded into a fielder’s choice. Sperling scored on Estrada’s groundout and Kelmer raced home when Trooper tried to turn a doubleplay to give Lansdale a 3-1 lead.

Trooper’s Travis Church hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game, 3-3.

That was one of Joe Valenti’s few mistakes on the day. Lansdale’s left-hander threw a complete game, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out nine batters to one walk.

Trooper took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Sean Gledhill singled, advanced to third on Joe Shannon’s double and scored on Anthony Boselli’s groundout.

Lansdale can close out the series with a win in Game 3 Wednesday at home while Trooper looks to extend its season.