1975 Varsity Baseball

Front row:  Greg Wagner, Frank Amicucci, Jeff Baker, Keith Gochenour, Pat Shelley, Bill Taylor.  Second row:  Tom Holtzman, Grag Fair, Jeff Woodward, Tome Rosenberger (scorekeeper).  Third Row:  Coach Don Shirley, Joe Shamansky, Bill Sholly, Bart Albert, Gary Puchalsky, Randy Cassell, Al Shanabrook, Terry Stewart (manager).

In the beginning …

A Mechanicsburg Guide to Spring Batter Up

            “Easy Out, Easy Out.” “Come on, slam it over their heads.” “Home run!” Sliding practices, rained-out games, sprint and ball drills, nicknames and bus rides were all part of the baseball and softball seasons. There were nicknames like Herman, Eyes, Cow, and Maynard. Each member of the team learned valuable lessons in respecting the opinions of others, especially the umpire’s. They also learned how to slide correctly without getting brush burns over 90% of their bodies and how to duck low-flying balls. Led by pitcher Greg Fair, the varsity baseball team compiled seven victories.

(1975 Artisan supplement)

C.V. Overcomes Mechanicsburg

            In the opening league game of the season, Mechanicsburg got off to a good start with four runs in the first inning. Cumberland Valley then rallied to tie the game at 4-4. Jeff Smith’s two-run homer to left in the bottom of the seventh inning gave Cumberland Valley a 6-5 CAC-West decision over Mechanicsburg, which an inning earlier had gone ahead on a two-run poke by Jeff Baker.

Palmyra Downs Mechanicsburg

Tony Garisi tripled in a pair of first inning runs and Palmyra never trailed in a 3 – 2 win over Mechanicsburg. The Wildcats trallied in the final inning when Greg Wagner boomed a solo home run to left center, but the uprising fell a run short.

Red Land Posts CAC Diamonds Win

Leading 2-1 in the seventh inning, the Cats were hurt by errors as Red Land scored 4 runs in the top of the final inning. The Cats, not giving up, rallied for 2 runs, but fell short, losing 5-4.

            After Bill Aldinger tripled Gary Rupp home for the first run in the seventh, the Patriots added three more on Mechanicsburg errors. They finished the game with only four hits.

Lower Dauphin Tops Mechanicsburg

The game was a pitcher’s battle all the way. The Falcons from Lower Dauphin edged the Wildcats 2-1. Gary Puchulsky pitched brilliantly, but the Cats again failed to produce runs.

M.H.S. Defeats Hershey

            Greg Fair struck out 10 and walked only one, giving up two hits and Bill Taylor doubled home Jeff Baker with the winning run in the fifth to give Mechanicsburg a triumph over Hershey. Mike Willard struck out seven and gave up three hits in taking the loss.

Mechanicsburg 15, Susquehanna 2

            The Wildcats scored six quick runs in the first inning of the Mechanicsburg-Susquehanna game, and then coasted to a 15-2 victory of the Indians. Greg Wagner hit a solo homerun for the Wildcats in the sixth inning. Pitcher Maynard Fair issued only four hits to the opposing team.

Mechanicsburg’s Streak Continues

            The Wildcats won their fourth straight game over Milton Hershey. Randy Cassell picked up his first C.A.C win. The Cats scored early in the game and never trailed, winning 7-2.

Middletown Stops Mechanicsburg

The homerun ball hurt the Cats as they went down to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Middletown. The Blue Raiders hit three solo homeruns off loser Randy Cassell in the Cats’ first night game this year.

Mechanicsburg Shuts Out Lower Dauphin

Randy Cassel pitched an excellent game, leading the Cats to a 2-0 victory over Lower Dauphin.

Baker’s Triple Leads Wildcats

Jeff Baker hit a triple in the bottom of the tenth inning to drive in the winning run for Mechanicsburg Friday, as they defeated Cumberland Valley 4-3.

The loss dropped Cum­berland Valley into a tie for first in the Capital Area Con­ference with Red Land. Both teams have an 8-3 record.

The teams were knotted up at 3-3 at the end of regulation play. Cumberland Valley had scored single runs in each of the first three innings of the game. Mechanicsburg came back with runs in the third, and fourth, then tied the game in the sixth when they loaded the bases and Eagle reliever Jeff Potteiger walked Pat Shelley to score the tying run.

In the bottom of the 10th, Tom Holtzman walked and was forced out on a Greg Wagner infield single. Baker stepped up and hammered his triple, ending the game.

Score:

B

 Line Score: Cumberland Valley    111 000 000 0 –3-3-1

   Mechanicsburg        001 101 100 1 –4-9-3

 Fair and Shamansky, Mechanicsburg; Foster, Potteiger, and Pizarro, C.V.

 K’s – Fair – 9; Foster – 2; Potteiger – 4

 Steals –M – 3, C.V. – 2; 3b – M – Baker; C.V. – Russel

        JV score – Mechanicsburg 9, C.V. 2

1975 Varsity Scores

    Team Statistics:

    Hitting:

    Team Batting Average - .237

    Leading Hitters: Baker - .346, Holtzman - .343, Wagner - .328          

    RBIs:  Wagner and Baker – 8, Shanabrook - 6

    Home runs:  Wagner - 2

    Triples: Baker - 4

    Doubles:  Baker – 4; Wagner, Taylor, Puchalsky, and P.Shelley - 2

    Stolen bases: Wagner – 8; Milletics - 5 

    Runs: Wagner – 14; Baker and Milletics - 10 

    We averaged 4.4 runs per game, 6.2  hits per game and  2.4 errors per game

    Pitching:

    Wins: Fair – 4 (4 – 0)

    Innings pitched:  Cassell – 31.33; Fair – 28; Puchalsky - 25

    Strikeouts:  Fair - 32

    ERA:  Fair – 0.98