Bears coast into Berks County final

by Don Seeley, Pottstown Mercury Sports Editor

Posted on July 17, 2006

LAURELDALE -- Maybe it was just a change of venue, who knows.. But ever since leaving Bear Stadium for the final three days of the Berks County American Legion League playoffs, Boyertown has certainly got into the swing of things.

The Bears jumped on West Lawn for eight first-inning runs Saturday night and coasted to a 14-5 victory, then punched up seven second-inning runs Sunday night and cruised by Gregg Post.

So, while it all added up to a considerable number of runs, it also meant the Bears will be lining up for the final against West Lawn tonight (7:00) back here Muhlenberg High School. Once-beaten West Lawn will have to get the best of the unbeaten Bears twice -- tonight and Tuesday -- to deny Boyertown its fourth straight Berks title and record 33rd overall.

But however the rivals’ fare, both will be in next week’s Pennsylvania Region Two Tournament because West Lawn is the host and the league gets an automatic berth.

Gregg Post (36-21) actually took a 1-0 lead Sunday night when Joe Pietrobone led off the second inning with a homer beyond the fence in left-center.

But, as they have much of this season -- and throughout their storied past -- the Bears bounced back.

And with big numbers.

The bottom of the second saw the Bears (33-4) bunch six hits around two walks and a hit-batsman for the seven runs. Brent Ruminski started the flurry with an RBI single, then Nole Saylor added a two-run double and Dan Wolfgang bounced a two-run single up the middle to cap the scoring.

Ironically, all of the damage came off of Gregg Post southpaw Americo O’Valle, who got the decision when the Keys defeated the Bears, 4-3, in last Saturday’s regular-season finale.

But that was then ..Sunday night was a completely different story.

And it never got any closer after that second-inning exchange.

Boyertown right-hander Alex Neiman (4-0), regarded as the No. 4 arm in the rotation, didn’t give up much at all after yielding the long ball to Pietrobone. Neiman would work seven innings, allowing just four hits and the single run while walking three and fanning seven.

Neiman, except for the second and fifth (when he left the bases loaded), was never really threatened, especially when retiring nine of the final 10 batters he faced.

Southpaw Todd Speilman then finished up for the Bears with two innings of one-hit, two-walk and two-strikeout relief.

The Bears did add single runs in the fifth (on Steve Bealer’s RBI bunt single); sixth (on a double-steal by Mike Schwager and Wolfgang); and eighth (on Ed Miller’s sacrifice fly). But it was all relative.

NOTES

Boyertown got at least one hit and one run scored from all but one starter. Bealer, Saylor, Wolfgang and Ken Thorpe -- the first four batters in Boyertown’s lineup -- all had a pair of basehits. ..West Lawn bounced back from Saturday night’s loss to Boyertown to defeat Fleetwood, 7-2, and earn a spot in tonight’s final. .. Saturday night, the Bears didn’t get their winners’ bracket final against West Lawn started until one minute before 10p.m., but the offense was off and swinging from the beginning. with those eight first-inning runs. The Bears scored in all but two turns at the plate. Houck underlined the romp with two singles and two doubles, while Bealer had a single, home run and four RBI, and Chuck Nicholas added two singles and three runs scored.

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