The Fullerton Legion baseball team kicked off the week with a busy Sunday afternoon that got them closer to the top spot in the standings.

They had a doubleheader scheduled with Salisbury and were looking for the sweep to improve to 8-4 which would have placed them two games behind league-leading North Parkland in the Lehigh Valley Legion standings.

However, they only completed one game of the doubleheader, with the first game getting suspended which prevented them from closing the gap to two. General manager Jim Hein said that the Ramblers were winning 7-0 in the fifth inning when it was suspended. He said both Salisbury coaches were ejected, forcing the umpires to suspend the game.

While that outcome is still in limbo (Salisbury has the option of protesting the game which may result in restarting the game at the point of suspension, or it may just stand as is), the second game was never in doubt. Hein said they won that game 6-0, with Salisbury utilizing some additional coaches "on the list" to make the game official.

Hein said that Alex Bruneio went the distance, allowing just two hits while striking out seven en route to the win.

Pitching has been a bright spot this season for the Ramblers. Jeff Charles, Tyler Correll, Matt Melosky, Jacob Fink and Dakota Schiffer have also logged innings this season, with Schiffer leading the way with four wins and a miniscule 1.52 ERA over 23 innings.

"He's really doing a heck of a job on the mound," said Hein. "He's been really good."

Schiffer's stinginess was on display against West Allentown on June 20 as he put up a string of goose eggs for the 1-0 win. It's been that type of performance that's allowed the Ramblers to position themselves for a regular season championship.

Their ascent up the ladder in the LVL is a product of good pitching, along with some timely hitting that's produced 25 runs over their last five games.

"The team's starting to play well together as a team," said Hein. "We're now starting to hit the ball, and finding those gaps."

In the second game of the twin bill against Salisbury, Jose Berrios didn't have to worry about finding any gaps. His ball sailed over then outfield fence for a three-run homer. Hein said it was a line drive that kept climbing until it cleared the fence.

In that game, Nicholas Delp had a double and an RBI, helping the Ramblers record their fourth win in a row.

With the weather heating up, the bats are starting to come alive. With at least 15 at-bats, Melosky leads the way with a .304 average, followed by Charles (. 300) and Correll (. 294).

Hein said he told the players are "doing their best" and it's showing in the standings, He said even the games they lost this season were close, and the kids have all played hard every time they take the field.

"I told them I was really proud of them this season," said Hein. "They're a good group of kids."

The Ramblers look to draw even closer to first with games against Northern Valley and North Parkland this week.