(EDITOR’S NOTE: Since May of 1999, the Times News Sports Department has featured an On This Date practically every day, highlighting an event that happened in the past. With the coronavirus putting a halt to sports locally and nationally, the On This Dates have been expanded to the stories that actually ran in the next day’s newspaper. Today’s On This Date story is from June 6, 2003).

By Joe Plasko

jplasko@tnonline.com

PINE GROVE - With his high school graduation just a few hours away, Kyle Spotts stepped to the head of the class.

The Tamaqua senior righthander fired a dazzling three-hitter at Palmyra Friday afternoon, and Chris Wehr slugged a three-run homer as the Blue Raiders posted a 4-0 PIAA State Class AA Eastern semifinal shutout at Pine Grove’s High Street Field.

Tamaqua (20-4) now faces District 4 champion Danville in Monday’s Eastern final at a site to be determined. The Ironmen (23-2) defeated Bishop Hoban 7-3 in the other AA Eastern semi played Thursday.

Friday’s battle with District 3 champion Palmyra had been postponed one day due to the wet grounds and unplayable conditions in Pine Grove, but the delay didn’t bother the Raiders, especially not Spotts.

One of the Raiders’ meal tickets on the mound, Spotts, who is headed to Colgate on a football scholarship, struck out nine and walked just one, although he did plunk Cougars’ shortstop Corey Lamoureux twice with a pitch.

“Kyle came through with a tremendous game,” said Tamaqua coach Jeff Reading. “That’s the hardest I’ve seen him throw all year. He was on, and he had them swinging. He kept them off balance.”

“I knew if I made my pitches, I’d have a good game,” said Spotts, who hurled 98 deliveries to improve to 8-0 and lower his ERA to 1.69.

“I had a good break since my last start (in Tamaqua’s 11-4 win over Pen Argyl in the District 11 title game May 29) and I had a lot more velocity today. I was getting the outside corner, so every chance I had to throw a strike there, I took it.”

“It was rare for him to miss a pitch,” added Raider catcher Caleb Calarco.

“We tried to take pitches, but he (Spotts) was getting them over, and then we tried to be aggressive, but we just ran into a good pitcher today,” said Palmyra coach Tim Gingrich, who said Spotts was the best pitcher his club faced all season. “They played the way you have to play in the postseason to keep on winning.”

Wehr gave the Raiders all the runs Spotts needed with one mammoth swing in the opening frame.

With one out, Spotts and Calarco rapped hard-hit singles off Cougars’ junior hurler Chris Finch. Wehr then smacked a 1-1 pitch clear over the fence at the 350-foot sign in dead centerfield for a 3-0 Raider lead, to the delight of the large, boisterous Tamaqua following.

“It was a slider that didn’t slide,” grinned Wehr, who collected his eighth roundtripper of the season. “I was totally looking for something to jump on, and to get one like that is awesome.”

Finch used a sweeping curve to keep the Raiders from busting loose the rest of the game, although Tamaqua did squeeze out an unearned run in the fourth.

With one out, Zak Kupchinsky dropped a double just inside the rightfield line. Tory Graver then grounded to second, but Cougar second baseman Trey Lehman looked at pinch runner Ryan Gerber going to third, thought about a play on Gerber, then changed his mind and threw the ball away at first trying to get Graver.

With runners on the corners, Marshall Garger grounded to short for a force on Graver but picked up an RBI when Gerber crossed the plate.

Palmyra (20-5) had its biggest threat in the sixth. Lamoureux was hit by a pitch and Travis Risser blooped a single, but Tory Graver tracked down a long fly to right by Smith. Wehr did likewise with a drive by pinch hitter Dustin Orehek, also coming up with a big throw to the plate to keep Lamoureux from trying to score.

“Our outfielders have been playing well all season,” said Reading. “Chris has worked to make those kinds of plays all year, as has Tory.”

Following the game, the Raiders hustled back to Tamaqua for commencement. “Now we can go celebrate at graduation, and hopefully, we have two more games, too,” said Calarco, one of nine Raider seniors.

DIAMOND NOTES ... Wehr’s homer and Kupchinsky’s double were the only extra base hits of the game. Raiders also got singles from Alex Zukus and Allen Graver ... Pine Grove A.D. Scott Dimon and his grounds crew did great job getting field back in playing shape ... Raiders were fired up about some comments posted on a Harrisburg newspaper website suggesting Palmyra would roll over Tamaqua. “It was something to motivate us,” said Reading. “I told our guys to go out and show everybody what Tamaqua baseball is all about.”

Palmyra 000 000 0 - 0 3 1

Tamaqua 300 100 x - 4 7 0

Finch and Bleiler; Spotts and Calarco. WP - Spotts (8-0). LP - Finch (4-2). HR: T - Wehr (first inning, two on).