By JOE O’GORMAN

jogorman@trentonian.com

EWING – Every team has played at least two games in the Middle Atlantic Regional and the contenders in each pool are beginning make their presence felt.

Ewing is still in the hunt for a playoff spot, but it does have some work ahead.

The Pottsville JC’s evened Ewing’s record with a 7-5 win last night at Ewing’s Moody Park in the 13-year-old Babe Ruth League Middle Atlantic Regional in a game that saw Ewing rally in the seventh.

The loss puts Ewing at 1-1 in Pool A while Pottsville (3-0) clinched a spot in the final six with the win. The Moody Park Kids can earn a spot this evening when they face Prince George’s Select Bluesox (0-2) at 7 p.m.

The other team that seems to have locked up a berth is North Syracuse, which has a 2-0 mark.

“We have two games remaining and we have to win one,” said Joe Sparano, the Ewing manager. “I think we are still in the hunt.”

Pottsville got the best of Ewing through the first six innings behind the pitching from Aaron Cleveland and their bats set the tempo with three runs in the first inning.

It wasn’t until the third inning that Ewing got its first hit when Tommy Muller singled to left and by that time it was 6-0 in favor of the Pennsylvania team.

Ewing made things interesting in the seventh, though.

After one out Tommy Muller walked, Jimmy Sparano slammed a run scoring double, Eli Paolella got an infield hit and Tyray Brecko walked to load the bases. Sparano scored on a wild pitch and Stephen Deboskey plated two with a single to right.

Deboskey scored on an error to make it 7-5. Then an infield single by Keiran Zeimet and a pair of walks loaded the bases, but John Werbacher got the final out.  

“We were flat in the first couple innings,” said Joe Sparano. “I give my kids credit they battled back and we were close.”

Pottsville, which got three hits from Eric Wapinsky, put up three runs in the top of the first. Wapinsky, Blayne Moyer and John Benner all had an RBI. Moyer and Benner each doubled to send home runners.

The winners made it 4-0 in the second with just one hit, but Ewing gave up a pair of walks to aid the cause. It was Wapinsky’s second hit and second RBI of the game.

While Pottsville was forcing the play Ewing saw the first six batters fail to reach base.

It got to 6-0 in the top of the third when Pottsville’s first two batters walked and were sacrificed to second and third. After another out it was Cleveland helping his cause with a two-run single over second.

It looked like the Blue and White was going to begin chipping away in the home third when Tyler Adkins reached on an error, but a double play put a damper on the threat. Muller’s hit followed, but Pottsville soon got the final out of the inning.

It got to 7-0 in the fourth and as usual it was Wapinsky right in the middle of it.

He singled, stole second, took third on an error and came home on Chris Burke’s sacrifice fly.

Sammy Garcia, who entered the game in the third, allowed just one Pottsville run and did a solid job in relief of Brecko, the Ewing starter.

“I was so happy with the way Sammy Garcia threw,” said Joe Sparano. “He came in and threw well.”

Ewing had a mild threat going in the fifth with two on, but Darion Jacoby made a great play at second to end the threat.

It was a loss, but fortunately it’s one Ewing can quickly file away and get ready for tonight.