Nor-Gwyn outslugs Norristown

By DENNIS C. WAY
Times Herald Staff

NORRISTOWN — According to Nor-Gwyn veteran (and unofficial historian) Alan Warner, the Packers have not advanced past the first round of the Perkiomen Valley Twilight League playoffs in nearly two decades.

So if the Packers drop the monkey this season, they don’t expect it to come easily.

But no one expected the trial by fire Nor-Gwyn endured Monday night at Latshaw-McCarthy Field in just Game One of its best-of-five quarterfinal playoff series against favored Norristown.

The Packers came out swinging from the heels, built a seven-run lead in just two innings and appeared to be strolling down easy street en route to a lopsided win.

Before it was over, however, the Packers would see that seven-run lead virtually disappear, followed quickly by an eight-run cushion that nearly vanished in the seventh inning.

Nor-Gwyn survived, 16-12, but not before the Agents put the tying run in the on-deck circle with two out in the seventh.

“That was something,” said Nor-Gwyn manager Tony (Pep) DiBricida as the color slowly returned to his face. “That has to be one of the highest-scoring playoff games you’ll see, especially in this league.”

Funnily enough, it looked like Nor-Gwyn was going to do all of the scoring.

The Packers, who hadn’t taken a field in anger in a week’s time, jumped all over Norristown in the early going.

Taking full advantage of some control issues suffered by Agents’ starter Derek Barnes, Nor-Gwyn batted around in each of the first two innings. And before Norristown could exhale, the Packers had a pair of four-spots and an 8-1 lead.

An error and two walks set the table for the visitors in the first inning. Two walks and a mammoth three-run homer by Darryl Clark, three-quarters of the way up the hill to the left of the 384-foot sign in right-center field, was the telling blow in the second.

“We’ve been kind of quiet lately,” said Nor-Gwyn’s Adam Soley, “but we have a good lineup with some power and it was bound to click at some point.”

Norristown did some chipping off Packers starter Joe Harris kept things interesting. But through five, Nor-Gwyn led, 9-3, and the ramp to easy street appeared wide open.

But things changed drastically in the home sixth.

A pair of walks sandwiched around the first out started the inning for Norristown. And when Matt Altieri, Harry Ley and Tony DeLude lined consecutive RBI singles and Mark Roth added a two-run double to the gap in left-center, the score was 9-8 and Harris was gone.

“I think the weather had a lot to do with that,” DiBricida said. “It was awfully muggy tonight and Joe got real tired real fast.”

The Packers turned to closer Soley, and the right-hander bailed them out, fanning two of the next three hitters to keep the visitors in front.

“That’s what I do, pitch when needed,” Soley said. “But with two good-hitting teams, you had to expect this.”

Clinging to a one-run lead, the Packers simply put up seven runs in the top of the seventh.

The gates opened with a pair of Norristown errors, and the Packers flew in with both spikes, getting RBI singles from Soley, Michael Knipe and Dylan Saldutti and a two-run double from Mike Dertouzos in amongst the damage.

But the contest wasn’t over.

Before the Packers could record a second out in the seventh, Norristown had a two-run double from Matt Altieri and run-scoring doubles by Ley and Roth and was within four.

But Jeff Nyce, Nor-Gwyn’s fourth pitcher of the night, got a couple of ground balls to end it.

And the Packers had Game One.

“For us to get off to a quick start is huge,” DiBricida said. “But those guys we’re playing are a lot of same guys that won 10 championships and they’re all still dangerous. No matter what we do they’re going to come charging back.”

“You take the win and go from there,” Soley added. “This one looks like a five-game set.”

PERK NOTZ: Norristown was without Sean Meister, who was suspended after being ejected in the last game of the regular season, and Matt Sperling, who is vacationing.

Date: July 27, 2009     Time: 7:30pm      Venue: Latshaw McCarthy Field