Baseball: Vernon, Central to clash in HWS title game

On the surface, Vernon's turnaround in baseball seems quite remarkable given the fact that the Vikings were 2-6 at one point this season and are now one win away from a tri-county championship.

But after a quick review of the numbers it all adds up:

Vernon's offense was averaging 3.8 runs per game through the first eight games, compared with 6.1 in the 13 contests since.

The pitching staff has yielded an average of just over three runs per game in the last 13 outings.

Simply put, Vernon is getting it done at the plate and on the mound -- a winning combination.

The Vikings will face perhaps their greatest test of the season on Saturday night, when they meet Hunterdon Central in the fourth annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament championship game at Diamond Nation in Flemington. First pitch is slated for 7:30.

"Our bats really came around and we started stringing hits when we needed to," said Vernon senior pitcher/catcher Kevin Berge. "And we started believing we can beat any team."

Vernon (11-10) is making its first appearance in the county final, while Hunterdon Central (16-8) is playing in its fourth straight. The Red Devils won their only title in 2010, beating another Sussex County opponent, Sparta, 10-0.

Vikings coach Scott Berge, whose team is only the third from Sussex to reach the county final (Pope John was the other in 2011), knows what this means for a program that went a combined 27-55 the previous four years and hasn't had a winning campaign since 2008.

"This is big for our program," said Berge, whose teams are 38-65 in his five seasons in charge. "Our program has been down the last couple of years. Obviously, we're back to where I always envisioned it. I didn't think it would take this long. I'll put my nine guys against anyone else's nine guys."

Senior Ryan Duvall, along with Kevin Berge, are a nice 1-2 punch atop the Vernon rotation. Both right-handers, Duvall possesses a traditional over the top delivery, while Berge is a submariner. Duvall is 5-2 with a 3.59 ERA, while Berge is 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA. They've combined for 75 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings.

Berge, who will likely start on Saturday, took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in Monday's semifinal win over North Hunterdon, 3-1, in eight innings. The Lions' Thomas Schumacher broke it up with a leadoff infield single, a "controversial" hit, according to Berge.

Offensively, Duvall and junior shortstop Mike Harboy have been catalysts all season. First baseman Dave Baxter and third baseman John Lipari also are among the team's leaders, along with impressive looking freshman Zac Moen, the starting right fielder and leadoff hitter.

Baxter, who is batting .400, has been so good that Berge moved Lipari from his traditional spot at first base to the hot corner. Lipari leads the team in homers with four, as seven different Vikings have gone yard this year for a total of 13.

Scott Berge points to his team's 7-3 win over North Warren in the first round on April 27 and the pair of victories over Newton the following week, including a 6-5 win on April 29 that ended on a walk-off homer by Baxter, who has just been promoted from the JV, as the turning points to the Vikings' season.

Vernon defeated Newton, 6-2, at Memory Park in the quarterfinals on May 4.

"The win over North Warren was real big, we were down early," Berge said. "In the fourth or fifth inning our bats really came alive and we chased their No. 1 [pitcher Alex Hladik]. From there we just started picking off teams one by one."

The Vikes have also used their No. 6 seed in the Sussex bracket as added motivation.

"We knew we were better than a No. 6 seed," Scott Berge said.

"[Open Mike] has been picking us to lose by three or four runs, and you can say what you want, but this team comes to play," Kevin Berge said.

"It's great to get to the finals. It's great for our program," Duvall said.

Hunterdon Central is also enjoying a second-half turnaround, following an uncharacteristic 2-5 start.

Coach Mike Raymond's Red Devils, who lost 2-1 to Phillipsburg in last year's final, can also swing the bats.

Sophomore second baseman Brett McManus is having a tremendous season, batting .448 with three homers and 18 RBIs. Shortstop Jeremy Ake, a Division I recruit, is hitting .300 with 16 RBIs, while freshman third baseman Matt Toke (.333, 14 RBIs) is enjoying a fine rookie season.

On the mound, ace Billy Maier (4-2, 2.79 ERA) has won two of Central's three HWS contests. He tossed a four-hit shutout against Sparta in the semifinals on Monday. In the Red Devils' last seven games, their pitchers have allowed a total of 15 runs. Central has won seven in a row following a 3-1 loss to Immaculata on May 2.

More stats and info on the teams:

Coaches: Scott Berge (38-65, fifth season); Mike Raymond (263-97, 13th season).

All-time HWS records: Vernon 4-3; Hunterdon Central 13-2.

How they got here: Vernon beat North Warren, 7-3, in first round; Newton, 6-2, in quarterfinals and North Hunterdon, 3-1, in eight innings in semfinals. Hunterdon Central beat High Point, 5-4, in first round; Pope John, 4-2, in quarterfinals; Sparta, 4-0, in semifinals.

Open Mike's pick: Hunterdon Central, 4-2.


Probable lineups:

No.	Vernon Vikings	Year	Pos.	Avg.	Hits	HR	RBI
37	Zac Moen	Fr.	RF	.275	11	1	6
18	Mike Harboy	Jr.	SS	.370	27	2	12
22	Kevin Ufferfilge	Sr.	LF	.311	19	0	9
20	Chris Pontus	Jr.	CF	.284	19	1	9
5	Ryan Duvall	Sr.	2B	.321	18	3	15
50	John Lipari	Sr.	3B	.250	13	4	16
27	Dave Baxter	Jr.	1B	.400	12	1	5
17	Anthony Germinario	Jr.	DH	.293	12	0	7
9	Kevin Berge	Sr.	P	.316	12	1	4
42	Riley Keenan	So.	C	.250	10	0	5
No.	Hunt. Central Red Devils	Year	Pos	Avg.	Hits	HR	RBI
7	John Icaza	Sr.	CF	.262	17	0	7
6	Brett McManus	So.	2B	.448	26	3	18
11	Jeremy Ake	Sr.	SS	.300	18	4	16
17	Geggie Russomagno	Sr.	DH	.350	14	1	13
26	Billy Maier	Sr.	P	.000	0	0	0
25	Matt Toke	Fr.	1B	.333	14	1	14
21	Paul Cucco	Sr.	LF	.254	16	0	14
22	Henry Hawkins	So.	RF	.231	9	0	6
13	Matt Stalter	Jr.	3B	.275	14	0	10
10	Brett Mele	Sr.	C	.237	9	0	2