One down, one to go.
Pope John's baseball team crossed one preseason goal off the list with Saturday's 8-1 thrashing of Hunterdon Central to capture its first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title at Diamond Nation -- knocking off last year's inaugural champion.
The Lions were in good position for their first Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference American Division title until Friday's stunning 5-3 loss at Mount Olive that snapped their five-game win streak.
The scenario is now this: Pope John (18-3-1 overall, 9-2-1 division) hosts first-place Montville (18-3, 11-1) on Tuesday in a must-win game. Should it win, coach Vin Bello's team must also beat High Point on Thursday and then would need to beat rival Sparta in order to at least share the crown. The game with Sparta, a 9-9 tie in 11 innings due to darkness back on April 15, would likely have to be replayed in its entirety, but only if Pope John wins twice beforehand.
Montville can clinch the title outright with a win over Pope John and only Wednesday's game at High Point remaining on its division slate. Ironically, High Point may also be able to help its Sussex County neighbors with a second win over the Mustangs, should PJ win on Tuesday.
If Montville loses both and Pope John wins out, the Lions win the championship.
On Saturday, it was catcher Alex DeBellis and pitcher Brendan Mayers paving the way to a county championship.
DeBellis, the UConn recruit, belted a three-run homer and Mayers (8-0) did the rest on the mound for his third win of the tournament. The Rutgers-bound right-hander threw a four-hitter with seven strikeouts, giving him a total of 28 K's in three tri-county starts.
Overall, Mayers, the tourney's well-deserved MVP, allowed five earned runs on 18 hits with seven walks in three tourney starts for a 1.67 ERA. Even more impressive was that he pitched with a cramp in his left calf from the second inning on against Central.
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