CNBNews

By Bruce Darrow

On Thursday evening the Gloucester City 11 year old All-Stars traveled to Blackwood to play neighboring Audubon and lost 8-6 in a District 14 Semi-Final game. Gloucester's pitcher Chris Walmsley was given the duty to carry this team to the next round against the other Semi-Final winner Erial. Gloucester took a one run lead in the first and then through the next four innings matched Audubon run for run.

In the fifth inning Gloucester's Ryan Zeigler entered to pitch in relief of Walmsley. Trailing 5-4, Zeigler worked a scoreless fifth inning and went to the mound in the sixth still down one run. Audubon in the sixth plated two runs after several Gloucester defensive miscues, when a line drive bounced off the glove of diving second baseman James Burkhardt and into rightfield Audubon scored two more to entered the last of the sixth with an 8 to 4 lead.

In the bottom half the locals battled back. After Zeigler reached base Billy Simila lined a single to right sending Zeigler to third. A bunt by Mario Russo and an attempt by Zeigler to score from third was stopped when Zeigler was tagged out trying to score. Still with one out and two runners on Gloucester's Ben Boyer singled up the middle scoring Simila and Russo and closing the gap to 8-6. Up to the plate was Burkhadt who hammered another one out single putting the tying runners on second and third. But the rally ended after consecutive strike outs and Audubon advanced to the finals on Saturday evening 7:00 pm at Mt. Ephriam.