They're neighbors who share a school district, and when the 2014 Lehigh Valley Legion Baseball League season ended, they found themselves sharing identical records among the nine-team field.

Both Coplay and Fullerton finished with 10-8 records, placing them in a tie for third in the LVLBL. However, since Coplay won both head-to-head games, they'll be awarded the higher seed once the playoffs start.

Coplay enters the playoffs with a two-game winning streak. Their last game was a 5-4 victory over Fullerton. In that game, Matt Hassick started, with Richard Yost taking the ball in the fourth to notch the victory against the Ramblers.

Yost is currently among the league leaders in several pitching categories. He's first in saves with four, first in ERA (minimum 15 innings pitched) with a 0.38 mark, and third in WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) at 0.71.

The Ramblers enter the playoffs splitting their last two games. They defeated Southern Lehigh 5-2 on July 5, and then lost to South Parkland 5-1 to close out their season the following night.

In their game against the Spartans, Dakota Schiffer got the win. He went six strong innings, to collect his fifth victory of the season. General Manager Jim Hein said that Schiffer also helped himself at the plate with a couple of hits.

Schiffer shares some similarities with Yost. They both appear multiple times among the pitching leaders in LVLBL. As of June 29, the last time the stats were compiled, Schiffer was second in wins with four. However, his victory against the Spartans may put him back on top. Additionally, he is second in innings pitched at 43 2/3, and is fifth in WHIP at 0.87.

Hein said that Schiffer will most likely get the nod when they open up the postseason against South Parkland at Harry Glasser Field on July 9. Ultimately, that decision will be up to manager Daniel Delp who has once again guided the Ramblers into the playoffs.

Hein said that Schiffer is masterful at keeping hitters off balance. He said Schiffer has a knack for inducing "playable" balls, whether they're grounders to infielders, of fly balls to the outfield, Schiffer knows how to effectively pitch to contact.

"He's a really good pitcher," said Hein. "He gets his share of ground outs and fly outs, and he also gets a lot of strikeouts."

Fullerton also has Matt Melosky in their pitching arsenal. While the Whitehall product may miss Wednesday's game, Hein said he'll probably return in time for their following game. No matter the outcome of the first game, it's a double-elimination tournament, guaranteeing at least two games for each squad.

Melosky was recently voted the LVLBL's Pitcher of the Week ending June 29.

In two appearances that spanned 6 1/3 innings, Melosky earned a victory while only surrendering one earned run and just one hit, while striking out 10 and walking only two. His WHIP for the week was 0.47.

Hein said that Melosky is another pitcher who can command the strike zone with his stuff.

"He really changes his speeds and his locations," said Hein. "He can really keep hitters off balance."

The two teams share another distinction. Representatives from each team were named as Players of the Week. While Melosky was selected as the pitcher, Austin Dreisbach of Coplay thumped his way to the honor by stroking five singles and two doubles in 10 plate appearances. Additionally, he knocked in three runs and scored two. Dreisbach's on-base percentage stood at 0.700, and coupled with his slugging percentage, gave him an OPS of 1.600 for the week.

Coplay manager William Kovolenko said that Dreisbach's been a "pretty consistent hitter" all year. One of the keys to his success is his ability square the ball.

"He's a contact hitter and he knows how to get the bat on the ball," said Kovolenko. "He does a lot of good things at the plate. He waits for his pitch and hits it solid."

Kovolenko said that as his team prepares for the playoffs, they'll have a number of quality arms at their disposal, including Yost, Hassick, Dan Lloyd and Dreisbach. He said that will be a strength as they head into the postseason. However, with the prospect of playing multiple games in the span of a week, he said he'll have to carefully manage the pitching staff so they remain fresh and healthy.

Coplay begins the playoffs hosting Northern Valley at Sammy Balliet Stadium on July 9. In all probability, Hassick will get the start Wednesday against Northern Valley, said Kovolenko. Hassick is currently fifth in the league in innings pitched, logging 29 1/3 as of June 29.

With the regular season completed, Kovolenko said the team had a number of Most Valuable Player candidates led by Yost, Lloyd, Vincent Cuvo, Hassick and Dreisbach. However, he said in the whole team will ultimately get that recognition because they've all contributed.

"It's been a team effort all year," he said. "A lot of guys don't do the things that fill up the stat sheets, but they all have played an important role in our success."

He also feels they have a strong defense that will help them in the playoffs. Add that to their pitching staff, and it's been a potent combination.

"The team has really jelled and come together," said Kovolenko. "They play with a lot of heart."

Hein said that winning in the postseason is all predicated on pitching and defense. The team that excels in those two areas will be tough to beat, he said. Still, he recognizes they have to get their share of hits.

"They're going to have to hit the ball well, too," said Hein. "We'll have to find the gaps."

Fullerton is capable of putting up a crooked number on their opponent. They have a strong line-up, including Melosky (1B), Jose Berrios (3B), Nicholas Delp (C), Jeff Charles (SS/P), Tyler Correll (SS), Ariel Figueroa and Ricard Figueroa, Jr. (2B), Dalton Buskirk (CF), James Scheuren (RF) and Cory Arbogast, Nathan Doria and George Hana (LF).