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HERSHEY
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The Upper Dauphin Legion baseball team is
stacked with players who can step up in a time of need.
Using outstanding games from shortstop Matt Gessner and pitcher Tyler Herb to
carry the load, Upper Dauphin halted a two-game losing streak July 10 with a 4-3
win in nine innings over Hershey in Dauphin County Legion action.
The win was all the more impressive since it was on the home field of the
first-place team, and a must-win game if Upper Dauphin had any hopes of
remaining in contention for the regular season title and number-one seed in the
upcoming playoffs.
Hershey put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh to force the game into
extra innings, but Gessner delivered the game-winner in the form of a two-out
solo home run in the top of the ninth.
"There are a lot of teams that would have folded when they tied the game in the
bottom of the seventh with two outs. We battled, made some plays defensively,
and we came out on the good side of things. In my eyes, this was our most
impressive performance of the year," UD Head Coach Scott Deitrich said.
Gessner, who went 4-for-5 and had a hand in all four of his team's runs by
scoring three of them and driving in the other, laced a leadoff single into left
field. Then, after stealing second and third base, he scored on Jeremy Weaver's
RBI single.
"Matty has been our spark plug all year, as he goes we go. Good players have the
ability to perform at critical times and Matt stepped up and put the team on his
back," Deitrich said.
Gessner once again got things started in the third inning as he led off with a
double, moved to third on Ty Raubenstine's sacrifice bunt and scored on Herb's
fielder's choice.
A 2-0 lead looked like it would be more than enough for Herb, but Hershey would
even the score on a two-run home run by Derrick Wilson.
Herb allowed little else over the next three innings, surrendering singles in
the fourth and fifth before setting down Hershey in order to end the sixth
inning.
"Tyler has grown up a lot since last season both physically and mentally. The
experience he gained by going deep into the playoffs in the high school season
is paying big dividends this summer. He carries himself like a senior with
sophomore eligibility," Deitrich said.
After cruising through the past three innings, Herb seemed a little shook after
Andy Foley ripped a line drive back up the middle that bounced off Herb and in
for a single.
In the next at-bat, Ryan Eddley hit a single to center field and Foley tried to
make it to third, but Raubenstine's throw in to Tyler Koppenhaver was pin point
accurate.
Clinging to their last out, Hershey sent leadoff hitter Ben Merske to the plate
and he delivered the game-tying via an RBI double.
Despite surrendering the lead in the seventh, Herb came back out in the eighth
inning with even more determination and also benefited from some defensive gems
by his teammates.
"He was more focused in the eighth inning than he was the entire seven innings
before," Deitrich said. "As he was walking to the mound to start the eighth we
looked at each other and nodded, I didn't have to say anything, he knew what he
needed to do. That's the sign of something special and something you don't
usually see from kids at his age,"
Ryan Tezak drew a leadoff walk, moved up to second on a ground out and then to
third on a passed ball, putting the game-winning run for Hershey just 90 feet
away with only one out.
Hershey nearly pulled off a squeeze play and Tezak would have easily scored, but
Joe Gunkel could not get down a bunt in fair territory.
Tezak's eagerness to score the winning run may have gotten the best of him as he
left on contact on a chopper to third by Gunkel, which Koppenhaver fielded and
threw home for an easy out.
In the top of the ninth, Ryan Welker and Brett Boyer were robbed of potential
hits when Hershey outfielders made spectacular catches on consecutive plays.
Then, Gessner hit it over the right center field fence where the catch could not
be made.
With Herb having thrown 133 pitches and faced the Hershey lineup four times
through, the decision was made to turn the ball over to Brian Heilig.
"Brian gives teams a different look with his delivery and release point and
Hershey had already been through the lineup four times against Tyler. We felt at
that point that Brian was the right choice," Deitrich said.
The move worked perfectly as the side-armed Heilig ended the game by striking
out Hershey's number-three and clean-up hitters with runners on first and second
base.
UD claims share of lead in Dauphin
County Legion
ELIZABETHVILLE
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The Upper Dauphin Legion baseball team had a
busy final day of the regular season.
Upper Dauphin won a pair of must-win games July 12, beginning with a home game
at 1 p.m. against Hershey and another in Linglestown at 6 p.m.
The 6-2 win over Hershey gave Upper Dauphin an opportunity to finish in a tie
for first place in Dauphin County and they did just that by taking a 7-6 victory
over Linglestown.
As of press time for this issue Upper Dauphin (14-4) is tied for first place
with (14-4) Hershey. Pending games that still need to be completed Paxton (13-4)
and Middle-town (13-4) could make it a four-way tie at the top of the standings.
Upper Dauphin was forced to play both games in the same day in order to finish
them before the upcoming playoffs.
In the make-up against Linglestown, Ryan Hoffman drove in Ty Koppenhaver for the
winning run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh.
Against Hershey earlier in the day, Koppenhaver also played a big role with a
two-run double, while Jeremy Weaver drove in three runs for Upper Dauphin.
Brian Heilig settled in against Hershey, scattering seven hits and allowing two
runs only two days after beating them by pitching a scoreless ninth inning of a
4-3 victory.
 
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