Friday, May 17, 2013

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


No comments:

Post a Comment