After three-hole hitter Jon Labarbera had plated an opening-inning run with an RBI-single, Horn piled on three more Falcon scores with a long bomb to left, in the top of the second. Preceding Horn’s blow were a Lance Hains single and a walk to Alex Shutter.

  Lebanon responded with Ronny Cabera’s run-producing grounder in the bottom of the frame. But the Falcons got that run back courtesy of Amani Jones’ RBI-safety in the third.

 “My concern has been about our approach, even before we get into the box,” said Brown of his club’s offense. “They (his players) were taking pitches right down the middle. I tell them, ‘You might only get one (good) pitch per at-bat.’ We swing the bats great in practice. It was about changing the approach. We’ve been swinging the bats better. But hitting is all mental.

 “I thought today’s game unfolded pretty well,” added Brown. “Lebanon stayed tough. They stayed close. But we were making solid contact during the whole game. We did a good job of capitalzing on their mistakes. Lebanon’s a good baseball team. They’re solid, and they’re going to be good the next couple of years.”

  “They’re starting to swing the bats a little better,” sad Gonzalez of the Falcons. “They’re (Horn and Labarbera) the two best sticks in their lineup. They’ll be alright. They’re starting to get their engine going.

 “It was a good game for a while,” Gonzalez added. “The game was closer than the score indicated. We’re right there. It’s the little fine details that slowly need to get better. And we’ve been plagued by injuries. This is the first game we didn’t get anybody hurt. We’re right on the verge again.”

 For six innings, it wasn’t vintage Logan Horn, but it was typical Logan Horn. Among his 92 pitches were seven strikeouts and two free passes.

  Horn surrendered two earned runs and yielded four hits – one of which was Nate Portes’ two-out, RBI-single in the bottom of the third that made the score 5-2.

 “Logan threw strikes,” said Brown. “He did a great job of getting ahead with first-pitch fastball. We’ve got to keep him healthy. I want him prepared when he’s pitching. But he did a fanstastic job. You know what you’re going to get from Logan.

 “I felt today was one of the best games we played all year,” Brown continued. “Lebanon is a better ball team than their record shows. They have some talented athletes. They gave us a battle.”

 “I’ve seen Logan command it better,” said Gonzalez. “But he was all around the plate. When he needed to throw strikes, he did. Logan usually takes care of business on the hill. He’s such an athletic kid. He’s a competitor.

 “Today we had a much better approach at the plate,” continued Gonzaelz. “Tip your hat to Hornie. Up and down the lineup, I thought we made pretty good contact. We were getting good swings. We haven’t been as aggressive on the first two strikes.”

 The Falcons flexed their muscles during their last two at-bats to put the outcome out of reach.

 Jack Beasley’s two-run single in the sixth extended Cedar Crest’s advantage to 8-2. That was preceded by an RBI-single from Kyle Poorman.

 Then with two outs in the seventh, Labarbera put the finishing touches on it with a grand slam to left.

 “The bats weren’t working early in the season,” said Brown. “We weren’t taking the right approach with at-bats, mentally. We have three or four Section One all-stars, and they weren’t producing. But they’re coming along now.

 “Some of the newer guys have been outstanding,” added Brown. “Those guys are really important. They were carrying us early. But hits are contagious.”

  “I really expected to win a few more games,” said Gonzalez. “We played some tight games. We’re having trouble finishing. But we don’t roll over. That killer instinct is something I’m trying to instill in them (his players). They’re young, but they’ve had a taste of winning.

 “I see growth,” Gonzalez added. “I also see a lot of growth to come. We’re not a roll-over team. We just can’t give up that big inning. Sooner or later, we’ll get it.”

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 2019 Cedar Crest Baseball Schedule

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 2019 Lebanon Baseball Schedule

 

Date	Opponents	Outcomes
3/26 4:15 pm	Exeter Township at Lebanon	6 5
3/27 4:15 pm	Lampeter-Strasburg at Lebanon	8 1
3/28 4:30 pm	Lebanon at Milton Hershey	4 2
3/29 4:15 pm	Lebanon at Solanco	0 10
4/01 7:00 pm	Lebanon at Ephrata	1 5
4/03 4:15 pm	Elizabethtown at Lebanon	8 6
4/04 4:15 pm	Conestoga Valley at Lebanon	10 4
4/08 4:15 pm	Cedar Crest at Lebanon
4/10 4:15 pm	Lebanon at Hempfield
4/12 4:15 pm	Lebanon at McCaskey
4/15 4:15 pm	Warwick at Lebanon
4/17 4:15 pm	Manheim Township at Lebanon
4/22 4:15 pm	Lebanon at Penn Manor
4/24 4:15 pm	Lebanon at Lampeter-Strasburg
4/26 4:15 pm	Solanco at Lebanon
4/29 4:15 pm	Ephrata at Lebanon
5/01 4:15 pm	Lebanon at Elizabethtown
5/02 4:15 pm	Lebanon at Conestoga Valley
5/07 4:15 pm	Reading at Lebanon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Lancaster-Lebanon League

 Section One Standings

 

	League			Overall
	W	L	PCT	W	L	PCT	RS	RA
Hempfield	4	0	100.00	6	1	85.71	49	11
Manheim Township	4	2	66.67	6	2	75.00	51	22
Warwick	4	2	66.67	5	2	71.43	37	5
McCaskey	2	3	40.00	2	4	33.33	25	18
Cedar Crest	1	4	20.00	2	4	33.33	30	27
Penn Manor	1	5	16.67	2	6	25.00	15	41