With four more weekends of regular season play, we're taking a look at the Lehigh Valley Baseball League's division leaders and how they got there.
Some of the first-place teams are the teams that were expected to be there -- but arrived there in some perhaps unexpected ways. It has also been a big year for new teams, as two of the divison leaders are first-year squads and the other is a second-year team.
We begin our look with a team who fits both bills, the Salisbury Falcons, a first-year team leading the Premier Division not only by burying teams with its well-known ace but with solid contributions from a deep roster built around former Salisbury High School players.
AAA Premier Division: Salisbury Falcons (4-0)
When it was learned that the first-year Salisbury Falcons would roster a current pro pitcher in San Diego Padres Minor Leaguer Gabe Mosser, predicting that the Falcons would be in first place wasn't a very bold prediction.
It turns out that the Falcons are in first place -- but it has to do with much more than Mosser. Mosser has pitched only 10 innings in two starts and while they have been impressive innings with 16 strikeouts, the rest of the Falcons bunch is doing its part. This isn't a team carried by one golden arm.
Former Morning Call High School Baseball Player of the Year Justin Aungst actually leads the team with 18 IP. The former St. Joseph's University hurler also leads the team with a 2.50 ERA and 3 wins while his K/9 clip isn't far behind Mosser.
Nic Ampietro is batting .500 with three extra-base hits including a home run. Brandon Black (.636), whose hot bat keyed a pivotal pair of Falcons wins; Joe Galantini (.455); and Evan Kulig (.444) are the other Falcons qualifiers eclipsing a .400 batting average.
Anyone who thought the Falcons were going to ride one professional arm to first place has been proven wrong. Salisbury has a well-rounded squad that sits in first place despite keeping Mosser's innings total down, which should only make him stronger in the playoffs.
The final weekend of July was a key one for the Falcons, who swept a doubleheader to give the Cardinals (4-2) their only two losses. A split or the opposite result, and the Cardinals would hold a claim on the top spot.
A tip of the cap goes to the Macungie Grizzlies, who are in second place at 4-1 after moving up to the Premier Division for the first time many years in the AA Division, including two championships.
