By DON BENEVENTO
GLOUCESTER CITY-It\’s already been a magical season for the Mt. Ephraim Senior Little League team which, for the first time in the 55-year history of participation, has won the town\’s first district championship.
However, the District 14 champion Hawks now face an uphill battle in a bid to win the South Jersey Section 4 championship following their 5-1 loss Wednesday to North Cumberland, a setback that has thrown Mt. Ephraim into the losers\’ bracket.
\”The big bats didn\’t come through for us,\” said Mt. Ephraim coach George Gies, whose team will now move on to South Vineland Saturday to play the winner of tonight\’s game between Stratford and Monroe Township. \”But we gutted it out, and we were in there for a little while.\”
The winner of Saturday\’s game will play North Cumberland on Monday at Franklin Township, hoping to win and force a deciding game for the sectional title. North Cumberland, the District 3 champion, now needs only one win to wrap up the crown.
Gies believes his players will get another look at North Cumberland, which used solid pitching from Chet Godfrey and a three-run homer from Barry Larro in the second inning, to secure the win.
\”We\’re a small town and this is a big step for everybody in this town,\” he said. \”I think our kids were starting to feel the pressure. But after about the fourth inning, I think we started to believe we could win. I think we\’ll probably get another shot at them on Monday.\”
On Wednesday, Mt. Ephraim fell out of contention early, even though it seemed North Cumberland could never apply the knockout blow.
North Cumberland jumped on top against starter and loser Mike McHugh with a run in the first inning when Godfrey singled, moved to second and third on wild pitches and scored on an RBI single by Larro.
In the second inning, North Cumberland loaded the bases on a single by Gary Fischer, a double by Daren Overstreet and a walk to Jimmy Pattitucci.
At that point, Gies changed pitchers, bringing in left-hander Don Eaise, who got an out without a run scoring on a fielder\’s choice. But Godfrey hit a long sacrifice fly, and Larro hit a home run to left to extend the lead to 5-0.
\”He threw a fast ball outside, and whatever he threw, I was looking to drive the ball and hit it hard,\” Larro said. \”I was trying to do my job and bring in runs.\”
However, Eaise gave up nothing after that, in giving his team a chance to come back.
For his part, Godfrey was rarely in trouble, and he gave up no earned runs.
Mt. Ephraim got its only run in the fourth inning with the help of three of errors.
The Hawks had their best chance in the top of the second, while still trailing only 1-0. With one out, they had runners on second and third following a Scott Simonds double and a single and stolen base by Wil Hamilton. But Godfrey got a strikeout and a ground out to get out of that jam.
\”I was working my spots, and when a couple of kids hit the ball we had great defense to back us up, Godfrey said. \”The infield and outfield did great, and I just tried to pitch my best.\”
Godfrey eventually gave way to Fischer, who pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
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