Baseball (Credit: Brandon Mowinkel/Unsplash)
Lancellotti’s homer for Collegeville not enough as team falls to Lansdale
Chad Evans made the most of his three trips to the plate Thursday night — and each time, his bat delivered when it mattered most.
According to The Times Herald, the Lansdale Tigers left fielder drove in three runs, including a go-ahead solo home run in the fifth inning, to lift the top-seeded Tigers to a 4-3 victory over No. 2 Collegeville in Game 3 of the Perkiomen Valley Twilight League championship series at Weaver Field in Lansdale.
The win gives Lansdale a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, continuing Friday night.
Evans, who earned Finals MVP honors when Lansdale won the title in 2022, per the report said he came into the game feeling “locked in.”
His confidence was boosted by a tip from his father earlier in the week to keep his hands back — advice that paid off with a 3-for-6 performance in Game 2’s 21-3 win and Thursday’s clutch showing, according to the report.
“These are the fun games to play, especially in a close 4-3 game,” Evans told "The Times Herald." “Those are the ones you love to win and hate to lose.”
Collegeville’s Joey Lancellotti tied the game in the top of the fifth with a two-run home run, but Evans quickly answered. With two outs and nobody on, he sent a fastball over the left-centerfield fence to give the Tigers the lead for good, according to gameplay reports.
Lansdale’s defense held on in the final innings. Starter Pete Moore earned the win, striking out four over 5⅓ innings while allowing three runs on seven hits.
Tyler Leonard came on in relief for a five-out save, escaping jams in both the sixth and seventh innings with strikeouts and steady glove work, per the report.
Lancellotti, who struck out six and gave up four runs over five innings, took the loss for Collegeville.
Collegeville’s late push came up short, leaving them facing elimination in Game 4 Friday night back at Weaver Field.
The Tigers are chasing their fourth Perky League crown in the past five years.
