Hornets halye pair By Rick Campbell Chronicle Soon: Editor Bruce Congo/n admin his head is in the game more now that he is oiling on a, regular basisat first base for Waterloo Egpos. T _ He also says his head is in the tiatter's box more too. which is the major reason why he has become one of Expos hottest hitters in re- cent weeks. - _ Carrying one of the team's lowliest avIrrages into the home stretch. Gor, don and his bat were major forces in the final few games as Waterloo t21-ttt clinched first place in the Inter-County Junior Base- ball League and thus a berth in the provincial OBA tour- nament in Toronto on Labor Day. And the first sacker's bat didn't let up Tuesday night in the first game of the LC semi-finals . against Kitchener Dodgers at Bech- tel, Park either. as he stroked a double and key sixth inning single that plat- ed the eventual winning run in Expos 3-1 victory. -My concentration is bet- ter at theplate now. before I was pulling my head out and not keeping'my eye on the ball." said the quiet-spoken Gordon. "And when I was hitting so poorly earlier on I lost my confidence up there. which really hurts. But then I got a couple of flukey hits and things have started to come on since then." Gordon. who has shared first base with Ed Fowler In the win over Kodiaks. Waterloo jumpeiNnto a " lead in the fourth only to see Kitchener com back with three in their half. Kodiak: then tied it in the fifth, Wa- terloo ace-sawed back into the lead in the sixth and Kitchener got the tying run in the seventh. In contest against Kohl-as. Waterloo trailed only " after four innings but the vi- sitors collected a pair more in the sixth and four in the seventh. ' Heading into this week, Kodiak: and Stntford each have 2-1 record: while Hor- nets and Wu are at 1-2. Waterloo Hornets split with their Kitchener rivals last week and now have a 1-2 record as the Inter-County Tyke Baseball League playoffs enter their second Tuesday it took an extra eighth inning before Hornets pushed across the winning run in a 6-5 decision over Kitchener Kodiaks, handing Kodiaks their only loss so far in playoff action. Waterloo returned the visit to Kobras at Cameron Park last night and play host to Stratford Thursday at Waterloo Park. Thursday back in Wa- terloo Hornets were bounced liA5 by Kitchener Kohras who broke the close game wide open when they pushed across four runs in the top of the seventh to in- sure victory. _ Renewed confidence brin Gordon plate prowess C"'"']"] E] during the season. said he neegs those three or tour at batsagametokeephiscom fidence and momentum. as was witnessed two weeks ago when he went 'ttur-tor- four against Stratford Op- timists. ' . "I don't know. for some reason rve had trouble hit- ting against Guelph but I've had good luck against all the others lately. Now. even when rm (Hop: in a game. I still go up to the plate feel- mg I can get a hitâ€. . Gordon wasn't the only one with a hot bat Tuesday as Paul McIntyre belted three singles and scored the winning run for Waterloo. Dunc MacDonald tripled in - H, _,,_ ,, !,ifl!!,ri'.s'l'tt.e.tee". . '-ttttttit.ttttlrr."tmllN.Wt I 'tr,2t'L1ut,"lflr, in: itgles"fg,'ltll1flfN'J'f _ AVAILABLE ONLY " the insurance run in the eighth while Expos other hits were iflfdrL"at','r',', Terry Bagel Don upre. pitcher icky Collison. Brian Miller. and Paul Oberholzer. who also got a rbi on a s,ixth-inrring “elders choice. ', A Collison. just back il', town from his youth group excur- sion to the Dominican Re- public. stymied Dodgers all evening. giving up only three hits. one an rm double to Brian Malott that gave Kitchener a brief H) lead in the fifth. _ “I feel pretty good. my back's a little sore right now. but that's because I ha- ven't pitched much lately." IllllAittteatt said Collison. who threw three innings against a Do. minican squad. giving up only four hits in an [1-0 loss to a club he says could easi- ly play in the LC loop. “I think We're ready for this series. we started slow too. ight but came through when we needed it." fore then Craig Dubecki. the first of two Dodger pitchers. was addled with the loss. Game two in the series is nor scheduled until next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Kitchener since Dodgers have an OBA home-and- home affair with Port Hope this weekend and are reluc- tant to use up pitchers be- th'rrtmott.mtr-rttr--ti.m-etttrtoer- tm.ttnroe-t+mrtl.rtett..-htr-et-er-. $t-t-.itment.i'ti-.ttottC't-r-tttrrttt. n-dt-ttrt-r-tth-tr-tr-r-ar-tt "ttvm-ri-e-m-ter-mar-rx- ther â€hey a " gm out cunemn ""t'teuet0et than" tlhterhto Waldo, Wednubv, August 13. mo - Pop " BRUCE GORDON ...koeping hood in [WWW q Prices My: until Saturday, August tttth, 1m. . mm (nu-mm lat. . We mum (to up! to liatit mum“.