Jul 19, 2002 By Jim Kriek For The 3 min read

PERRYOPOLIS – Rain and early gloom weren’t about to stay these teams from their appointed rounds. Host Perryopolis and Anthony Crane battled each other and the elements, including a brief stoppage for lightning and rain, while in between two pitchers hooked up in a pretty good duel before AC wrapped up a 7-5 win in their Fayette County Baseball League game Thursday.

The game was originally scheduled at Republic, but late in the day the field was soaked by rain, and play was moved to Perryopolis.

Play started with rain clouds to the north, then they veered south and around the field, but the teams didn’t seem to notice. AC scored four runs in the second, Perryopolis three in the third but after that the pitchers took over.

Winner Ryan Encapera worked a six-hitter, struck out seven and walked only one (Ken Holden in the 7th), while throwing one-hit ball over the last five innings.

Derek Zdravecky gave up three hits and four runs in the second then allowed two hits the rest of the way.

AC manager Lou Pasquale said, “Games like this are sure to give you gray hair. But really, Ryan’s pitching after the third inning, giving up just one hit, was a real big key for us. Since we went back to wooden bats in this league, balls don’t fly out like they used to and now you have to get the key hits and play defense, plus get pitching like Ryan did today.”

Perryopolis manager Mike Matras said, “Except for one inning, Derek was in pretty good control, and he did well after the third. We just didn’t get any hits back of him; we didn’t hit with runners on base.”

Bill Rouse hit a two-run homer in the fifth for the only extra-base rap by AC (9-12-1).

Perryopolis counted a triple by Mike Matras, Dustin Schwab’s double and Holden’s two singles.

Crane went ahead 4-0 in the second. John Harvey led off with a single, and with one out, Encapera singled and Rouse walked to load them up. Len Pasquale and Ken Musko walked to force in two, and Jason Greene singled in two more.

The Red Storm got on the board in the third. Holden and Jeff Jellick singled, and when the ball got away in the outfield, Holden scored and Jellick wound up at third. Matras tripled him in, and scored on Matt Chalfant’s single, before a batter was retired.

At that point, Encapera started a run of five outs, gave up his last hit to Holden, then got seven more outs in a row before Perry closed its scoring with two in the seventh.

AC led 5-3 in the fourth. Len Pasquale walked and stole second. With the count 2-2 on Bill Scrip, the rain intensified, and play was halted for about 10 minutes. When play resumed, Scrip fanned, and then Musko got aboard on an error with Pasquale going to third and scoring as Greene grounded out.

Crane’s scoring ended in the fifth on Lou Pasquale’s single and Rouse’s two-out shot over the fence in left.

Perryopolis added two in the seventh on two errors around a walk to Holden and a force play.

The teams are slated to meet again today at Republic, and then Perry has a doubleheader Sunday with Connellsville at the Laurel Highlands High Field.