Indiana Gazette from Indiana, Pennsylvania • 16

The Indiana Gazette Friday, August 7, 1987 Page 14 Another new twist added to strange but true series 4 "HjLL-fr? But the ball was misplayed and the first run of the game was home. Rob Fello then walked to force in another run and it was 2-4, VT. The Big Red Machine refused to let that faze them, though, as they looked much more together as a team as compared to Wednesday. They grabbed the lead in their half of the first without benefit of a hit. With one out and runners on second and third after two walks and a wild pitch, Rick Hay hit an RBI ground ball to third that saw Mark Mittelhauser slide in under the tag at home to make it 2-1.

One out later, with Aaron Luzier at the plate, a passed ball let another run come home. On the play, the throw back to the plate from the backstop hit Luzier's arm as he crossed home plale and bounced out near first which allowed Ray to score the lead run. Once the first inning was finally over, there were five total runs on only one hit. Six more innings like that one and several players would have been too old to be eligible for the rest of the series. The teams traded leads and ties In such a giving fashion the rest of the way that it made one think of Christmas.

First, YT tied it at three in the third, then the Legion took the lead back in its half of the inning. Again In the fourth, It was tied, 4-4, on two walks, one hit and an error. But the battle raged on. "We're not done yet," Legion coach Don Fritz said. "We're scrapping, we're fighting and not giving up at Continued on page 15 By ANDY HAWK Gazette Sports Intern In (he fourth game of the wackiest playoff series in a long time, there were walks, tons of them, hits, few of them, and errors in buckets.

You could say the game had a bit of everything; except a final score. Young Township and Indiana Legion fought through seven slow-motion innings only to end up in a 6-6 dead lock when darkness prevailed. The game will be finished this evening at IUP at 5:45. Game five, if necessary, will be played at West Lebanon Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The series has provided fans and players alike with enough stress to give the cardiologist profession a big boost; and the aspirin industry too.

It has gone from blowout to close game to blowout and back again in the four days since the series has begun. This game, if described in football terms, would have seen both teams fumble away a touchdown and then miss the extra point. Nobody could hold a lead, or even look like they wanted to. The fans were treated to an overabundance of walks, 17. It got weirder from there.

The crazy stuff didn't even wait until the second inning this time, it came in the first. With one out and the bases loaded on two walks and a single, Young Township's J.T. Yard came up and hit a sharp grounder to third off the Legion's Rich Cocovich for what could have been an inning-ending double play. "VS. mmm- Indiana Legion pitcher Rich Cocovich uses some body Enafish to help auide one of his pitches, toward home plate.

Cocovich didn't get a decision Thursday night as the legion and Young Township played to a 6-6 tie after seven innings. (Gazette photo by Campisano) Hotel holds off West Lebanon Stumbling Pirates fall to Expos, 6-3 PITTSBURGH (AP) Sometimes little things help win baseball games. Just ask Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Al Pedrique, whose loose shoelace played a part in Pittsburgh's 6-3 LH1 -y, 1 By all accounts, this game was already a scriptwriter's dream. Still, the drama wasn't over yet. In the bottom of the sixth, Marty Maschak drilled a three-run homer to draw WL even.

And then, just when it looked like the momentum was going to side with the home team, up stepped Tylinski to lead off the top of the seventh. Pounded for eight hits by WL hitters, he gained a measure of revenge as he deposited a Brad Hobaugh delivery over the fence to put the -Hotel ahead for Continued on page 17 Pufutt'y 10 Schall 3b 3-140. Larson it 34-2-2. T. Thompson lb 3-1 -1-3.

TyHnjtcr p-M-7-2. r. Thompson 2-1-0-C. Lev 3b 4-10, Zimmerman cl 3-1-1-3. Miller pr-M I-0-O-O.

Kumohrtv rf 2-0-1-3. Neal oh 1-0-0-0. Cunn'ngtiam rf 0-0-0-0. Wrmtr ll J-l-o-O- Tola ft 27-1 0-7-10. Wart Lebanon ff ZtrtheW Itt 3-1-0-1, Okopal 3-1-1-3, RietwnH 3b 1-0-0-0.

Fu'ron e( -0-1 4. Haslwr 3-2-1-0, Merriman 2b 1-0-1-0, Maschak 2b 1-2-1-3. Rupert rl 4-2-2-1. Clawson If 1-1-1-2. McDowell O-Q-C-fl.

Curren oh 1-00. Turk 0 10-0. rtoMuabp 10-0. Half pn 10-0- Totals 3A--8-. Punu'y 313 002 1 10 1 WartLabanon 121 003 0 9 8 3 23 Ofcopjl, Clawion, Larson.

HR Materia. Larson, T.Ttamp&an, Tylinski. Tvlinskl 7 X. 11 BB. Hobauah 3 JC 1 good," Montreal manager Buck-Rodgers said.

"I don't know if Reus, chel can pitch any better than Jones did." Bobby Bonilla had given the Pirates a 3-2 lead with his 10th home run. It came in the sixth inning against starter Floyd You mans. The Expos scored a pair of un-. earned runs against Reuschel in the first. Tire inning started when left-' fielder Barry Bonds dropped Timj Raines fly ball for a two-base errors -Tim Wallach had an RBI single and Herm Winningham hit a sacrifice fly.

The Pirates tied the game in the second. R.J. Reynolds' infield grounder and Mike LaValliere's sacrifice fly followed a single by Sid Bream and a Bonilla' double. Youmans was the National-League's pitcher of the month fori July but lost his first start of Rodgers thought Thursday's game represented a significant improvement. "He was throwing strikes again, and that was the biggest thing," Rodgers said.

The series against the Pirates continues tonight with Bob Sebra, fill, pitching for the Expos against Bob Walk, 2-1. WHAT HAVE WE HERE? Umpires Charlie Williams, left, and John Kibler inspect the bat of the New York Mets Howard Johnson during Thursday night's game in New York. That was just the start of the controversy last night in New York. See story, page 1 5. (AP Loserphoto) Close calls are becoming a way of life for West Lebanon and the Punxs'y Hotel.

For the third straight night, the two teams battled to a one-run decision in the Indiana County League playoffs. For the second night in a row, the Hotel emerged with the win, taking Thursday night's game, 10-9- The Hotel now owns a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-five series which shifts to Punxs'y tonight. In last night's other game, the BlairsvUIe Colts and Sportsmen dueled to a 5-5 tie in eight innings. That series is tied at one game apiece. Thatlseries will resume tonight as well, inGraceton.

Punxs'y 10, West Lebanon 9 WEST LEBANON It was open season on pitchers as both teams went to work with the lumber. The Hotel's No. 3, 4, and 5 hitters, Fred Larson, Tommy Thompson and Don Tylinski, continued their assault on WL pitching last night, accounting for five of the Hotel's seven hits. That trio got off the mark in a hurry. In the lop of the first, lead-off hitter Terry Schall walked and Larson reached on an error.

Thompson then unloaded with a homer to put the Hotel in front, 3-0. West Lebanon got one run.back in its turn in the bottom of the first, but the Hotelmen got another marker in the second. West Lebanon finally gained some ground in the bottom of the stanza with a pair of runs to narrow the Hotel lead to 4-3. Back came Punxs'y, scoring three times in the third. Larson got the rally started with a double.

Tylinski, who picked up the win, singled him home. Later in the inning, Jay Humphrey and Tom Zimmerman contributed RBI singles. West Lebanon stayed close with three runs in its half. Key blows in the frame came from Dave Rupert, who singled, and Rod Clawsoa, who poked a double. Finally, the pitchers managed to show some kind of control over the hitters as neither team scored for the next two innings.

However, in the top of the sixth, Larson surprised WL with a two-run homer to put the Hotel ahead, 9-6. Stingers, Lions out of tourney loss to tne Montreal Expos on Thursday night. Pedrique tripped on his shoelace and couldn't make a throw on a ball hit by Mitch Webster, ft was instrumental in the Expos rallying for two runs and taking the lead. "It's embarrassing, Pedrique said. "My shoelaces aren't that long but it won't happen again." The speed of Tim Raines and the hustle of Andres Galarraga also helped the Expos win their third straight game.

Raines led off the winning rally by drawing a walk from reliever Jim Gott, 1-1. He stole second, his 27th consecutive successful attempt, then moved to third on Webster's hit. One out later, Galarraga hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double play ball. But the Expos' 6-foot-3, 230-pound first baseman just beat second baseman Johnny Ray's relay throw. soon as 1 hit it, I said to myself, 'Oh no, I better hustle," Galarraga said.

First base umpire Dave Pallone made the call, which drew a brief argument from Pirates manager Jim Ley land. "I don't have any problems with it," Leyland said. "He called it the way he saw it. He's a good umpire." The Expos added two insurance runs In the ninth, helped by an error and Gott's wild pitch. Gott was making his third appearance with Pittsburgh since he was acquired from the San Francisco Giants on Monday.

"I was brutal," he said. "Hopefully the next time I'll have better concentration and shut them down." Pirates starter Rick Reuschel left, the game in the fourth inning after suffering a muscle spasm in his lower right back. Barry Jones relieved and held the Expos to two hits through the seventh. "You think you're getting a break by getting Reuschel out of the game but Barry Jones stuck it to us pretty l0t amkir 4 0 0 0 1 -4010 10 00 4 1 1 4 I 1 4 0 11' 3 0 3 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 "10 0 0 oo a 333 against Freemansburg. The Lehigh Valley champion touched him for two runs in the top of the first.

United got one of those runs back in its half of the first but the roof caved in when Freemansburg scored six times in the fourth. One run scored on a suicide bunt, one came home on -a balk and a third scored on an error. United never did get its bats going after that The Lions did, however, make the history books when Jodi Yaworski, who appeared as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning, became the first girl to play in the Junior Legion State Tournament Like her teammates, she didn't have much success as she went down on strikes. OtWll, .3000 I 00 0 mot 0000 BOYERTOWN The Junior Legion baseball season came to an abrupt end for both Marion Center and United Thursday as both teams bowed out of the American Junior Legion State Tournament. Marion Center lost Us second straight game, falling to West Lawn, 6-0.

On Wednesday, the Stingers lost to Boyertown, 14-1. United had won on Wednesday, edging West Lawn, 10-9. Yesterday the Lions dropped out of the double-elimination tourney with losses to Boyertown (5-1) and Freemansburg The Stingers, winners of the Indiana County North Division and run-nerup to United in the Western Regional, couldn't manufacture any runs for the second consecutive day. Against Owls hurler Mike Whitney, they collected just two hits, a double by Joe Hogan and a single by Vince Colo. Marion Center got in trouble right off the bat as the Owls roughed up starter and loser Chad Prugh for six runs in their first at bat.

The Owls used four walks, a hit batter and two hits to produce the big inning. United gave Boyertown a battle early yesterday afternoon before going under. Jeff Cook, who couldn't get out of the First inning on Wednesday against West Lawn, pitched a strong game. Unfortunately, the Lions were hard-pressed to score runs. Going into the seventh inning, the Lions trailed by just a 3-1 count.

Boyertown struck for two runs in its last turn at the plate to up the lead to 5-1. Greg Sisitki. who had tripled in the first inning, got the United seventh started with an infield single and Bruce Yard followed with another base hit. That's when reliever Kevin Fronheiser took over for Shawn Irey. Fronheiser put out the fire, getting two strikeouts and a ground out.

Left-hander Bob Vresilovic started the second game for the Lions Qama Wimfaj IK I 1-iMk Barfs. Ht-lMffl 110J- If-liMMptt-: .3 si i a 0 0 I Marfan Cent Weal Lawn 23 Hoo an. lu i i -i SB KrquM, Demvan. Cool hand, hot game carried Dixson to new heights ond in overall points in the Tri-State PGA Points Tournament in the 14-and-under age bracket. Going into Sunday's play, Dixson had been consistently shooting in the low 80s and high 70s.

His best day had been a 74. Even on his bad days, Dixson had been playing well enough to usually stay with anyone he was travelling with. "He sure cleans me anytime I play him," mumbled his father. thing," said Dixson. "I started off pretty well and I was just trying to get everything to the hole.

It just seemed like everything was falling in place." As the record shows, the ball was falling in the hole with startling regularity. That has been pretty much the story of Dlxson's golfing career, which started with lessons just short of five years ago. "My wife saw in the paper that Meadowlane was giving golf lessons for 10 weeks for something like $20," remembered Tom Dixson Mike's father. "She asked the boys Mike and his brother Tom) If they were interested in going. "I had never golfed, except here and there.

Maybe that's good, because they didn't pick up any bad habits. They started taking lessons and my oldest boy, Tom, he took to it right away. The first year, Tom dragged Mike along. Then after that first year, it just came to him." The more success he had, the more he played. Like his namesake from Life cereal fame, he definitely liked what he was getting into.

Soon, he and his brother, along with two or three other chums, were playing five or six times a week, mostly at the VFW. The results began to show. In each of the last two years, Dixson has had a hole-uvorte. Against top competition, his score began to drop like a snail's IQ- He played a full load of tournaments and always seemed to be hanging out near the top of the deader board. Last year, he was sec Knowing full well that inanimate objects aren't supposed to talk, one still can't help but believe the rumors that came forth from Indian Springs Road last Sunday.

According to the word on the street, the hills were cursing. The pond wasn't bubbling, it was babbling. Profanely. The frogs were croaking. That's croaking as in regurgitating.

The VFW Golf Course, the course where even the grass roots need spikes to cling to the hills, had been humbled. By a 13-year-old. Like another well-known underdog, Mike Dixson went to war without the benefit of superior numbers or a .357 magnum. He substituted a golf club for a slingshot, but did just as much damage, shooting a 5-un-der-par 66 at the VFW, just two shots off the course record. "All I heard was screaming all day long," recalled VFW club pro Bemie DiLoreto.

"Everyone was talking about Mike Dixson being five under. It was like the shot heard around the world." If not the world, certainly Indiana County. Dixson challenged one of the most unforgiving golf courses in the area and won hands down. He finished the first day of the VFW Club Championships leading the Junior Division by eight strokes. In the process, he came up just short of Sam Ferraro's club record 64.

That's not just the Junior club record, but the club record for everyone, man, woman or beast. "I was kind of trying to go for every both No. 8 and No. 9. He finished the front half of the course with a 33 and registered the same score on the back nine.

The final breakdown read seven birdies, two bogeys and nine pars. Halfway through the round, Tom got to a phone and called home. His message was short and to the point He advised both ma and pa to get to the course. Usually, the elder Dixons are on hand to watch their sons golf. On this day they were absent because they were throwing a birthday party for their daughter.

It didn't take long, however, for the cake and ice cream to be put in the freezer and for the whole kit and caboodle to load up the car and take off for the golf course where they would trail Mike over the last few holes. This would turn out to be more torture for the parents than the participant. Next to officiating a shouting match between your wife and mother-in-law, there's nothing quite so nerve-wracking as following a golfer around the course. In case you haven't noticed, anti-perspirant Sure never does any of its "Never let them see you sweat" promos from a golf gallery. "Hell yes I was nervous," said Tom Sr.

"But my oldest boy, he was a nervous wreck." If Tom Jr. was nervous, he didn't let it disrupt his game. He would finish the day with a 76. In between shots, he shook his head and told his father, "I'm playing well and Mike's smoking me." For his part, Mike was an icicle. On this day, there would be no meltdown.

"I was real cool, I wasn't nervous," he offered. "I was playing with a couple of kids I usually play with Tom, Randy Clay and Jim Blair." "He was just as comfortable as could be," laughed DiLoreto. "His brother was more excited. All he (Mikel did was bend over and pick the ball out of the hole. It was great." That was one of the mildest adjectives used to describe Dixson 's effort.

Before long, word of bis feat was making the rounds from course to course. By Monday, he had reached celebrity status. "As somebody said at work, there's a lot of luck Involved in a hole-in-one" said Tom Sr. "Anyone can get one on a par-3 course. To go out and play that consistently for ll boles, no one can believe it." By the time the score sinks in, it will be time for Dixson to play again.

The VFW Club Championships continue tomorrow and Sunday. This will be Dixson's first encore performance. He doesn't seem the least bit ruffled. "That's what I want to do," he replied, when asked about the pressure of living up to the sizzling 66. "I'm not going to go out and say, i'm playing just as well or I'm a couple of shots behind.1 I'm just going to play as well as 1 can and hope I shoot it again." Words of wisdom from the mouth of a child.

But as all of Indiana now knows, it was the child who led them all last Sunday. By AL KING Gazette Sports Writer "He hits the ball real straight off the tee," explained DiLoreto, a former IUP duffer who has tutored Dixson on the finer parts of the game. "His short game is fantastic. And he has a super altitude." It was the combination of those three qualities that brought the VFW course to its knees. Dixson began play Sunday on a tear.

He hit a momentary snag on the fifth and sixth holes, which both ended with bogeys, hut instead of coming apart at the seams, he got tougher than a nickel hamburger. After settling for.oar at No. 7, he birdied.