(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 July 9, 1992).

By Joe Plasko

TIMES NEWS Staff

Thanks to one of the longest innings of the District 18 Little League tournament, a long homestand just got longer.

Jim Thorpe, which has hosted three straight games, will get another at home after pushing 19 runs across the plate in the third inning en route to a 27-4 rout of Palmerton.

The win kept Thorpe alive in the loser’s bracket, and the reward is a home date with Tamaqua on Saturday evening, with the loser facing elimination.

The setback knocked Palmerton out of the tourney. Weatherly and White Haven were also sent packing with losses. McAdoo ousted Weatherly 20-2 while White Haven was bumped 12-3 by Hazle Township.

Jim Thorpe’s home stay could be extended even longer if it should remain alive Saturday, as the Thorpe-Tamaqua winner is slated to host the next round in the loser’s bracket.

While the homestand doesn’t rival the Dodgers’ current 22-game home skein, the novelty could be wearing off for Thorpe, which trailed 1-0 after two before blowing it open with the monster third frame.

Palmerton, playing in its first-ever District 18 tourney, was victimized by the second biggest single-inning scoring binge in this year’s competition. Franklin Township’s 20-run second against Weatherly is the current standard.

In the top of the third, Thorpe sent 24 batters to the plate, banging out five hits and taking advantage of six miscues. The inning was prolonged when four Palmerton pitchers combined to walk nine batters.

“I don’t like scoring on walks, but we have to take them,” said Thorpe coach George Albert. “We had to buy runs the last two games, and they all came in bunches for us. We take whatever the defense gives us.”

Palmerton starter Tom McCauley held Thorpe scoreless for the first two frames before the roof caved in. McCauley pitched to 11 batters in the third and was responsible for the first 10 runs.

“We made a lot of errors,” offered Palmerton coach Rich Hager. “Tommy pitched good for the first couple of innings, and I feel bad for him. It’s our first year in the tournament; our kids were a little nervous, and it showed.”

Andrew Braun had a pair of singles in the third inning for Thorpe while Jared Albert and Casey Hydro each drove in two runs with singles. Jason Kardisco added an infield hit.

While the Palmerton mound corps struggled, Thorpe pitcher Chris Hnatin held the visitors hitless until Ronnie Gouger’s RBI double in the fourth. Hnatin ended up with a two-hitter and closed by striking out the side in the sixth.

Braun topped Thorpe’s 15-hit assault with three singles. Hydro and Jake Herman doubled and singled, and Jason Kardisco and Jared Kelowitz each had two singles. Hnatin, Albert, Nathan Redline and Justin Kardisco chipped in with hits.

Palmerton scored in its first at bat when Ben Heinze cam around on Josh Nenscel’s RBI grounder. Gouger’s double plated a run in the fourth, and two more scored in the fifth on a single by Brian Heydt, an error off the bat of Ryan Rehrig, another run-scoring grounder by Nenscel, and a wild pitch.

Jim Thorpe 00 (19) 413 - 27 15 2

Palmerton 10 0 120 - 4 2 8

WP - Hnatin. LP - McCauley.