Click here to subscribe today or Login.
By GENE PADDEN; Times Leader Sports Correspondent
Tuesday, May 23, 1995 Page: B
WILKES-BARRE– Coughlin and a certain “wacko” pitcher surprised Wyoming
Valley West at Monarch Fields Monday, and will go on to battle Hanover Area
for the second seed from the Wyoming Valley Conference in the District 2
playoffs.
Jeff Walkowiak held Valley West to just three hits as the Crusaders went on
to win 7-1. It was the third meeting between the clubs this season, and it was
the first time the Crusaders won.
“Last time they hit me all over the place,” Walkowiak said. “I wasn’t going
to let this one slip away.”
Supported by chants of “wacko,” Walkowiak went the distance, striking out
seven and walking two. He also had two hits and scored once.
Walkowiak got plenty of support from his teammates, like Jeff Humble, who
hit three singles and drove in one run for Coughlin.
“It was a team effort. Our coaching staff (Moe Rodzinak and Larry Rinish)
has been doing a great job,” Coughlin coach Dino Galella said. “When we were
1-4 we could have packed it in, but these guys pulled us through — and our
kids never quit.”
Spartan pitcher Kevin Miller took the loss, going 5 1-3 innings while
striking out six.
Miller was hit by a pitch on his pitching arm in the the fourth inning, but
returned to set down the Crusaders in the fifth — getting two batters on
strikeouts.
“I give a lot of credit to Miller,” Galella said. “He had really good stuff
— he still pitched strong even after he got hit.”
Coughlin, who has won eight of its last nine outings, will face Hanover
Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Artillery Park. Galella feels his team can pull out
another win.
“It’s hard to beat anyone in our league three times,” he said. “We’re
pretty hot and they feel they can play with anybody.”
COUGHLIN VALLEY WEST
| ab|r|h|bi| ab|r|h|bi
Bohon ko lf 4 2 2 0 Simko cf 2 0 0 0
Perugino ss 4 1 0 0 Storz ss 2 1 0 0
Humble 2b 4 0 3 1 Gassert 2b 3 0 0 0
Klem c 5 1 1 1 Stevenson c 3 0 1 1
Walkowiak p 5 1 2 0 Miller p 2 0 0 0
Schaeffer 1b 4 1 1 0 Tomshack rf 3 0 1 0
Wolfe rf 3 0 1 2 Dushanko 3b 1 0 1 0
Stevens 3b 0 0 0 0 Goff dh 2 0 0 0
Buckman dh 4 0 0 0 Kerpovich 1b 3 0 0 0
Hine rf 1 1 0 0 Carlin 1b 0 0 0 0
Fugate pr 0 0 0 0 Sanders lf 1 0 0 0
LePore lf 0 0 0 0
Nafus cf 0 0 0 0
Cecconi rf 0 0 0 0
Totals 37 7|10 4 Totals 22 1 3 1
Coughlin 002|||202|||1–7
Wyoming Valley West 100|||000|||0–1
3B — Klem, Schaeffer, Wolfe.