Tigers Baseball Win a Close One Over The Red Raiders

NEWTOWN SQUARE–continued their Central League domination on Thursday, beating Radnor 7-5 in a close battle.

Rob Gore got the win for the Tigers, pitching five innings, allowing four runs on six hits and striking out four batters. He was backed up by J.M. Schork and Pat McGee in the final two innings, and they were able to stave off a late surge by Radnor.

The Tigers started off slow, getting only one hit in the first two innings, after which Radnor led 1-0. The next three innings are where they made their money.

Things started clicking in the bottom of the third when lead-off batter Alex Hutchison blasted a triple into the outfield, and was then brought home by Kurt Johnson's single. Hutchison would eventually come home after Joe Kelly's double, courtesy of a Radnor infield error that let the ball roll to the outfield.

Another Radnor error in the next inning allowed Ryan Schollenberger to squeeze a double out of what would 0therwise have been a single, and he was batted in by Mario Dioguardi's single, putting the Tigers up 3-1 after four.

Dan Cahalane started things off right in the fifth when he crushed one deep over the right fielder's head and made it all the way around the horn, sliding home just under the throw for the game's only homerun. Two more runs would be batted in by the end of the fifth, and the Tigers were looking at a 6-2 lead.

Radnor scored two in the sixth and one in the seventh as Schork and McGee came into the game in relief of Gore. With two boys on base and the potential winning run stepping up to the plate, the game ended on a fly ball to left field.

Head coach Steve Smith was happy with his pitching all around, as well as his playmakers, but saw some cause for concern in the outfield, where all four of Marple Newtown's errors occurred.

"Johnson's bat has arrived," said Smith. "(Brian) Leon and Kelly have been solid all year offensively. Outfield play has been our concern all year and it showed up again yesterday. We will fix it."