(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 16, 2011).

By TJ Engle

tengle@tnonline.com

After posting just one run over the first two innings, Franklin Township Shockers manager Donnie Rehrig offered some advice to his hitters.

The words sunk in as the Shockers produced runs in each of the next four innings en route to a 9-1 victory over the Towamensing Township Yankees in a Keystone Senior Babe Ruth League game at Christman Field.

“Early in the game we were taking way too many pitches,” Rehrig said. “Going into the bottom of the third I told the guys that they needed to be more aggressive at the plate.

“From the third inning on we hit the ball hard and put the ball in play, and then we took advantage of their mistakes on defense.”

Pitching with a lead from the third inning on, Franklin’s Anthony Rossino and AJ Wenrich held the Yankees’ bats in check.

Yankees’ right-hander Gabrielle Augustine also pitched well, striking out eight in a complete game effort. However, the Shockers took advantage of seven errors committed by Towamensing.

The Yankees (5-7) were without two key players - catcher Travis Labyak and third baseman Kyle Kersting.

“They (errors) did hurt us, but not as bad as before,” Hunter said. “Gabrielle made good pitches. In fact, she made good pitcher’s pitches. I thought she did a great job out there.

“Unfortunately, we have some guys out so that means a couple of the guys have to play out of position. We may have had some big bats out, but we still needed to get the job done and we didn’t.”

Rossino didn’t allow a hit in five innings. The Yankees managed three hits off of relief pitcher Wenrich, who had pitched in a 7-6 victory in the teams’ first meeting.

The hosts posted runs in every inning after the first.

A Wenrich RBI single and an Alex Storm sacrifice fly keyed the Shockers’ third. Wenrich followed with another RBI single in the fifth, in which the Shockers’ Jacob Stauffer also scored on an error.

Pinch hitter Kris Holland scored on an error in the fifth, while errors and a Jeff Horwith two-run double finished off the scoring.

It wasn’t a perfect night defensively for the Shockers (3-7), but Rehrig was happy with the win.

“Defensively we played a good game,” Rehrig said. “We had a couple of errors ourselves, a couple tough hops. All in all, a win is a win and we will build on it, hopefully.”

Wenrich finished 3-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs, while teammate Anthony Farole had two singles and two runs scored.

Yankees leadoff hitter Joe Tyahla broke up the no-hitter in the top of the sixth with a single, while Mike Sander and Dan Haney hit back-to-back singles in the seventh, to account for the other hits.

Towamensing 000 000 1 - 1 3 7

FT Shockers 012 213 x - 9 10 2

Augustine and Haney; A. Rossino, Wenrich (6) and Farole. W - Rossino. L - Augustine.