By Matt Corbett
NORTHUMBERLAND -- After a tough week that saw Sunbury/Northumberland drop three consecutive games last week, any win would have been a welcome win for Post 201 on Monday.
The team got what it needed.
Bronze Luden's single plated Ryan Wagner with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Sunbury/Norry rallied to defeat previously unbeaten Jersey Shore in a Susquehanna Valley American Legion League clash at Pineknotter Park.
It was a back-and-forth grinder for both teams, as seven combined pitchers issued 18 walks with four errors, a hit batter, and two hitters who reached on mishandled third strikes in a game that featured seven lead changes.
"This puts us right back in the mix," said Sunbury/Norry (5-3) manager Travis Fisher, whose team benefitted from three unearned runs when it rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third inning. "But my team needs to learn how to finish games."
Jersey Shore (4-1) rallied for a run to tie it at 7 in the top of the seventh when Jake Potter led off with a single and stole second. With one out, he took third on a passed ball and scored when he beat the throw home on Kyle Miller's grounder to shortstop.
But Derek Alex, the third pitcher for Sunbury/Norry on the evening, struck out the next two batters to keep the score even.
Brandon Fisher began Sunbury/Norry's winning rally with a one-out walk. Chuck Schlegel -- who reached base in all five at-bats, with three hits and two walks -- singled into the gap in right center, sending courtesy runner Wagner to third. Schlegel stole second uncontested before Derek Snyder drew a walk to load the bases. With a 1-1 count, Luden chopped a grounder in front of third base that bounced over the infield and into left field, scoring Wagner easily from third.
"Bronze came up big for us there," said Fisher, who was contemplating a squeeze play but decided against it. "I let him hit away because I have a lot of faith in him."
Luden's hit made a winner of Alex, who came on in the sixth. Vince Yeager started and went 3 1/3 innings, followed by Luden, who pitched 1 2/3 innings.
"The good part is we burned a lot of pitching today, but now we have a six-game wait until our next game," said Fisher, who learned just before the start of the game that the Williamsport American Legion team had folded for the season. Sunbury/Norry was scheduled to play Williamsport on Wednesday.
Sunbury/Norry took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double to the fence in center by Alex and Kevin Herring's run-scoring single. But Jersey Shore came right back, tying the score on an infield error and taking a 6-5 lead when Tyler Campbell beat out an infield single on a close play at first, scoring Ryan Koch.
Sunbury/Norry bounced back to take a 7-6 lead in the bottom when Fisher led off with a walk, Schlegel walked and Derek Snyder moved both up a base with a sacrifice. Luden walked to load the bases before courtesy runner Wagner scored on Deibler's grounder to short. Jersey Shore got the force at second, but Deibler beat the relay to first by a half-step to prevent the double play.
Alex was issued an intentional walk to re-load the bases before Adam Sees coaxed a walk to force in the go-ahead run. Sunbury/Norry's two runs came on five walks and a fielder's choice, without the benefit of a hit.
"We're not a great-hitting team. We won't string a bunch of hits together, and we've been relying on pitching and fielding (to win games)," Fisher said. "This was a big win, but I'm trying to keep this team on more of an even keel, without the highs and lows. We don't want to get too high or too low."
n Selinsgrove 17, Line Mountain 2
HERNDON -- Nick Gaugler and Zach Mills had three hits apiece in addition to a home run and four RBIs apiece as Selinsgrove took the Susquehanna Valley American Legion League interdivisional win over Line Mountain.
Gaugler went 3-for-4 and hit a three-run homer in the second inning as Selinsgrove (5-1) opened a 6-0 lead. Mills, who also got the complete-game victory for Selinsgrove, went 3-for-4 and hit a two-run blast in the fifth inning as the visitors' lead grew to 17-1.
n Shamokin-Mt. Carmel 9
Hughesville 4
COAL TOWNSHIP -- Shamokin-Mount Carmel batted around in the fourth inning to produce six runs as it claimed the SVALL crossover win.
In the fourth inning, Shamokin-Mount Carmel (3-8, 1-5 WBL) got consecutive RBI singles from Owen Hager, John Rimokaitis and Mark Minnig, plus a run-scoring hit from Jeremy Yacobacci. Bobby Shustack, who led off the fourth with a single, added a sacrifice fly later in the inning.
Lesko, Yacobacci and Rimokaitis finished with two hits apiece to lead Shamokin-Mount Carmel.
