What promised to be a wide open and wild Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament has not disappointed through two rounds. The fourth annual event has the quarterfinals on tap for Saturday and we'll have a full preview and predictions for all four games later in the week.
The home teams have ruled so far, going 9-3 overall, with No. 3 North Warren and No. 4 seeds Hackettstown and Lenape Valley as the top four seeds on either side to be eliminated.
North Warren's 7-3 loss to No. 6 Vernon was the most stunning result from last Saturday's first-round slate of games. It was only the second HWS win in five attempts for the Vikings (5-7), who are suddenly a team to watch having won three of their last four entering this week. Starter Ryan Duvall struck out five to beat the Patriots. First baseman John Lipari is one of the area's best hitters.
Hunterdon Central squeaked by High Point, 5-4, to reach its fourth straight quarterfinal. The Red Devils have won a tournament-best 11 games and reached the title game in the three previous events -- winning the first HWS title in 2010.
Delaware Valley, the No. 5 seed in the Hunterdon-Warren bracket, defeated No. 4 Lenape Valley, 9-6, for the Hunterdon County school's first tournament win in four attempts. Coach Marty White's club has been tough to figure this season, but outstanding first baseman/pitcher Scott Skripko went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, while earning the win on the mound.
We're guaranteed to have at least two Sussex County semifinalists, as Newton hosts Vernon and Sparta hosts Wallkill Valley in the quarters. Del Val travels to North Hunterdon, while Pope John visits Hunterdon Central in the other matchups. Pope John beat Central, 8-1, for the 2011 championship.
On to this week's rankings:
1. North Hunterdon (10-4) -- Lions went 4-1 overall last week, reeling off four in a row after Monday's 5-1 independent loss to Manalapan. Coach Mike Kane's team defeated Phillipsburg (10-0 on Tuesday), Bridgewater-Raritan (8-1 on Thursday), Memorial (14-0 on Friday) and Kittatinny (14-4 on Saturday). Junior shortstop Marc Monks had a nice week, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI against P'burg and logging an RBI double against Manalapan. Sophomore catcher Andrew Meiners went a combined 4-for-7 with a double and four RBIs in the wins over P'burg and Kittatinny.
Up next: Hunterdon Central at home on Tuesday; Randolph at home on Wednesday; Montgomery at home on Thursday; Delaware Valley at home in HWS quarterfinals on Saturday.
2. Newton (10-2) -- Braves move up a spot in the rankings after a 3-1 week, coupled with No. 3 Sparta's loss to Jefferson last week. Coach John Selitto's squad beat Wallkill Valley (11-1 on Monday), Hackettstown (9-8 on Thursday) and Warren Hills (11-1 on Saturday). Newton lost its second game, 4-1, to a good West Orange team on Friday. Center fielder Ben Cramer, who leads the Sussex County school with a .400 batting average, went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and RBIs against Wallkill Valley. Catcher Charlie Grotyohann had a monster week with six RBIs and two-hit games against Wallkill Valley and Warren Hills. He has 12 RBIs for the season, second only to first baseman Anthony Morro (15). Lefty Nick Grant (3-0) got the win against Wallkill. He has 16 K's in 19 innings and a team-best 1.47 ERA.
Up next: at Vernon on Monday; at Lenape Valley on Tuesday; at Blair Academy on Friday; Vernon at home in HWS quarterfinals on Saturday.
3. Sparta (9-5-1) -- Spartans went 3-2 last week, starting with a 4-3 win over Mount Olive on Monday in an NJAC American Division showdown. Coach Sam Slobodzian's team, sitting in first place in the division, also beat Vernon, 6-3, on Thursday in a division game. Sparta, which lost to Jefferson (7-6 on Tuesday) and Columbia (8-0 on Friday) closed the week with a 10-3 thumping of Voorhees in an HWS first-round clash. Ace Kevin Foulds struck out 11 for the win. Sparta, the 2010 runner-up, is 6-3 all-time in HWS games and has reached the quarters in all four tournaments.
Up next: at Morris Hills on Tuesday; at Morris Catholic on Wednesday; Wallkill Valley at home in HWS quarterfinals on Saturday.
4. Hunterdon Central (8-7) -- Red Devils went 3-2 last week and have won six of their last eight since a 2-5 start. Coach Mike Raymond's club beat Rutgers Prep (4-2 on Monday), Edison (10-5 on Friday) and High Point (5-4 in the HWS on Saturday), while losing a pair of Skyland Conference Delaware Division games against Bridgewater-Raritan (1-0 on Tuesday) and Watchung Hills (5-1 on Thursday). Senior outfielder John Icaza went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Rutgers Prep victory, while sophomore infielder Brett McManus went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs against High Point. McManus is second on the team with a .381 batting average his 11 RBIs trail only Jeremy Ake (13) for first in that category
Up next: Peddie at home on Monday; at North Hunterdon on Tuesday; Immaculata at home on Thursday; Pope John at home in HWS quarterfinals on Saturday.
5. Pope John (9-7) -- Lions went 2-1 last week and have won three of their last four, including an 11-3 win over Phillipsburg on Saturday in an HWS first-round contest in Sparta. The victory avenged a 6-5 loss in 12 innings to the Stateliners in last year's quarterfinals. Interestingly, the schools have now taken turns eliminating each other back-to-back as the tourney's defending champion. P'burg won the 2012 championship, while Pope John captured the 2011 crown. Sophomore catcher Zach Leach went 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while senior first baseman Rob Sanders was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Sophomore Matt Piwko went a combined 5-for-8 with a double and four RBIs in the wins over Morris Hills (10-0 on Thursday) and P'burg. Pitcher Dan Cunico (2-1) struck out six to beat Morris Hills.
Up next: at Montville on Tuesday; Delbarton at home on Wednesday; at Hunterdon Central in HWS quarterfinals on Saturday.
6. Vernon (5-7) -- Here come the Vikings, who enter the rankings for the first time this season. Coach Scott Berge's team pulled off a stunner on Saturday with a 7-3 win over North Warren in the HWS Tournament. Winning pitcher Ryan Duvall struck out five, while junior Chris Pontus and Mike Harboy had RBIs to help the Sussex County school reach the quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The Vikes opened the week with a 5-4 win over Morris Knolls in an NJAC American Division showdown before a 6-3 loss to Sparta on Thursday.
Up next: Newton at home on Monday; High Point at home on Tuesday; West Milford at home on Thursday; at Newton in HWS quarterfinals on Saturday.
7. High Point (4-8) -- Wildcats are making strides having won three of their last four and taking No. 4 Hunterdon Central to the limit in a 5-4 loss on Saturday in the HWS Tournament. Coach Mickey Thomas' team, which started 0-4, ran off three straight wins before that defeat -- beating Pope John (4-3 on Monday), Belvidere (12-6 on Wednesday) and Morris Knolls (2-0 on Thursday). The win over Knolls was an NJAC American Division clash in Wantage, as senior outfielder Mike Ragnetti went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Shortstop Kyle Adams, who is having a fine season, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs against Belvidere, while Ragnetti was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
Up next: at Vernon on Tuesday; Kittatinny at home on Wednesday; at Wallkill Valley on Thursday.
8. North Warren (7-5) -- Patriots stumbled to a 1-2 mark last week and fall two spots in the rankings as a result. After a 5-1 loss to Jefferson on Monday, coach Jim Haupt's team beat Lenape Valley, 11-10 in eight innings, on Thursday to keep its NJAC Freedom Division title hopes alive. Junior outfielder Cam Esposito doubled and had five RBIs, while junior first baseman Nick Meyer hit a solo homer in the win. Ace Alex Hladik (1-3) took his third loss on Saturday, as the Pats fell to Vernon, 7-3, in an HWS first-round clash.
Up next: at Warren Hills on Monday; at Kittatinny on Tuesday; Phillipsburg at home on Friday.
9. Wallkill Valley (5-5) -- Rangers are back on track following consecutive wins over Kittatinny (13-3 on Thursday) and Hackettstown (4-3 on Saturday). Coach Kevin Lukich's team snapped a four-game skid with the win over Kittatinny, as junior outfielder Brandon Grabkowski continued one of the most prolific offensive seasons in school history by going 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. He finished the week with a 3-for-4 day against Hackettstown in an HWS first-round game to move the Rangers into their first-ever tri-county quarterfinal. Grabkowski enters the week batting .600 (21-for-35) with six doubles and a team-high nine RBIs. Senior ace Casey Jervis, who was 3-for-3 with an RBI against the Cougars, struck out seven Tigers on Saturday for his second win.
Up next: at Morris Hills on Monday; at Hopatcong on Tuesday; at Sparta in HWS quarterfinals on Saturday.
10. Hackettstown (6-7) -- Tigers went 1-2 last week, beating Hopatcong, 11-3 at home before a 9-8 loss to NJAC Freedom Division frontrunner Newton on Thursday. Coach Gary Poyer's team was eliminated from the HWS Tournament with a 4-3 loss to Wallkill Valley. Senior outfielder/pitcher Owen Gavin continued his torrid pace with the bat, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs against Hopatcong and logging two hits against Newton. He struck out five in the loss to Wallkill. Junior first baseman/pitcher Justin Nicholls went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI against Newton.
Up next: Mount Olive at home on Monday; Jefferson at home on Tuesday; at Warren Hills on Wednesday.
On the bubble: Delaware Valley (5-8); Lenape Valley (5-7); Warren Hills (5-10).
Monday, April 29, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Baseball: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings
(Through Monday's games)
Skyland Conference
|
|||
Delaware Division
|
|||
Overall
|
Division
|
||
Montgomery
|
(9-1)
|
(5-1)
|
|
Immaculata
|
(6-2)
|
(5-1)
|
|
Watchung Hills
|
(10-2)
|
(4-2)
|
|
Bridgewater-Raritan
|
(8-3)
|
(3-3)
|
|
North Hunterdon
|
(6-4)
|
(3-3)
|
|
Hunterdon Central
|
(6-5)
|
(3-3)
|
|
Hillsborough
|
(5-6)
|
(1-5)
|
|
Phillipsburg
|
(3-10)
|
(0-6)
|
|
Raritan Division
|
|||
Overall
|
Division
|
||
Ridge
|
(8-2)
|
(6-0)
|
|
Somerville
|
(6-3)
|
(5-1)
|
|
Voorhees
|
(3-6)
|
(2-4)
|
|
Delaware Valley
|
(3-7)
|
(2-4)
|
|
Warren Hills
|
(3-9)
|
(2-4)
|
|
Franklin
|
(1-7)
|
(1-5)
|
|
Valley Division
|
|||
Overall
|
Division
|
||
Bernards
|
(11-0)
|
(8-0)
|
|
Gill St. Bernard's
|
(7-6)
|
(7-2)
|
|
North Plainfield
|
(5-4)
|
(5-3)
|
|
Pingry
|
(6-4)
|
(4-3)
|
|
Belvidere
|
(5-6)
|
(3-5)
|
|
South Hunterdon
|
(4-6)
|
(3-5)
|
|
Bound Brook
|
(3-7)
|
(3-6)
|
|
Manville
|
(0-9)
|
(0-9)
|
|
Northwest Jersey
Athletic Conference
|
|||
Freedom Division
|
|||
Overall
|
Division
|
||
Newton
|
(8-1)
|
(7-1)
|
|
Jefferson
|
(10-3)
|
(6-2)
|
|
North Warren
|
(6-4)
|
(5-3)
|
|
Hackettstown
|
(6-5)
|
(4-4)
|
|
Lenape Valley
|
(5-5)
|
(3-4)
|
|
Wallkill Valley
|
(3-5)
|
(3-4)
|
|
Kittatinny
|
(2-8)
|
(2-6)
|
|
Hopatcong
|
(1-11)
|
(1-7)
|
|
American Division
|
|||
Overall
|
Division
|
||
Sparta
|
(7-3-1)
|
(6-1-1)
|
|
Montville
|
(9-2)
|
(5-2)
|
|
Morris Knolls
|
(5-5-2)
|
(3-2-2)
|
|
Morris Hills
|
(8-3-2)
|
(3-2-2)
|
|
Mount Olive
|
(5-6-1)
|
(3-3-1)
|
|
Pope John
|
(7-7)
|
(3-5)
|
|
Vernon
|
(4-6)
|
(3-5)
|
|
High Point
|
(2-7)
|
(1-7)
|
|
Monday, April 22, 2013
Baseball: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings
Consider this a revolving-door season in the Open Mike area rankings. After the top four or five, things can, and will likely twist and turn all spring.
North Hunterdon (6-3) has been a lockdown No. 1 thus far, and the Lions enter the fourth annual HWS Tournament as the favorites and the top seed on the Hunterdon-Warren side. Coach Mike Kane's team is raking at the plate and is getting quality pitching. A tough combo to beat.
The tournament kicks off today with a preliminary game between Sussex Tech and Voorhees. Three others follow on Wednesday, with the winners advancing to Saturday's first-round matchups.
Get ready for a wild tourney ride. It's wide open.
On to this week's rankings:
1. North Hunterdon (6-3) -- Lions went . 500 last week, beating Warren Hills (9-2 on Monday) and Westfield (13-3 on Wednesday), before dropping a pair of Skyland Conference Delaware Division games against Watchung Hills (6-2 on Tuesday) and Immaculata (4-2 on Thursday). Life in the Delaware is rough, one of the toughest divisions in New Jersey. Senior outfielder Shane Brown went 2-for-5 against Warren Hills and struck out nine for the win. He also was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the win over Westfield. Sophomore catcher Andrew Meiners had a big week at the plate -- 3-for-4 against Warren Hills, 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs against Westfield and 2-for-3 with a double in the loss to Immaculata.
Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Tuesday; Bridgewater-Raritan at home on Thursday; South Hunterdon-Kittatinny winner at home in HWS on Saturday.
2. Sparta (6-3-1) -- Spartans also went 2-2 last week, closing out with two wins in a row against Morris Knolls (2-0 on Thursday) and High Point (7-1 on Friday) to maintain the top spot in the NJAC American Division. Coach Sam Slobodzian's team also dropped decisions against Kinnelon (6-3 on Monday) and Montville (7-3 on Tuesday), the club's first divisional loss. Junior outfielder Matt Chemis homered and plated two runs against Montville, while junior second baseman Austin Unglaub went 3-for-4 with a double. Ace Kevin Foulds (3-0) tossed a three-hitter and fanned eight to beat Morris Hills.
Up next: Mount Olive at home on Monday; at Jefferson on Tuesday; Vernon at home on Thursday; Columbia at home on Friday; Sussex Tech-Voorhees at home in HWS on Saturday.
3. Newton (7-1) -- The Braves, like the Jeffersons, are moving on up. Coach John Selitto's club had a short week -- going 1-1 with a win over Kittatinny (5-3 on Tuesday) before getting its first loss against Hopatcong (9-3 on Thursday). Independent games with Sparta and Whippany Park, slated for Friday and Saturday, were postponed. The Braves didn't particularly play well in either game last week, committing four errors against a gritty Kittatinny squad. Junior third baseman Joey Maker reached base four times, going 3-for-3 with three stolen bases and an RBI, while righty Chris Branham (2-0) fanned five for the win against the Cougars. Senior first baseman Anthony Morro doubled and had two RBIs in the loss to the Chiefs.
Up next: Wallkill Valley at home on Monday; Hackettstown at home on Thursday; West Orange at home on Friday; Hopatcong-Warren Hills winner in HWS at home on Saturday.
4. Hunterdon Central (5-5) -- Here come the Red Devils. After a 2-5 start, coach Mike Raymond's team enters the week riding a three-game win streak. Central defeated Phillipsburg (11-5 on Tuesday), Hillsborough (4-0 on Thursday) and East Brunswick (15-2 on Saturday). Senior outfielder Geggie Russomagno had a great week at the plate -- a double and an RBI against P'burg, 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI vs. Hillsborough and 3-for-5 with five RBIs in the win over East Brunswick. Ace Billy Maier (2-0) struck out four to beat H'boro. Second baseman Jeremy Ake (2-for-3, two RBIs) and sophomore Brett McManus (2-for-2, homer) raked against EB.
Up next: Rutgers Prep at home on Monday; at Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday; at Watchung Hills on Thursday; at Edison on Friday; Belvidere-High Point winner in HWS at home on Saturday.
5. Pope John (7-6) -- Lions struggling right now, going 1-3 this past week. Coach Vin Bello's team salvaged it with a 10-0 thumping of Warren Hills to snap a three-game skid on Saturday in the Millburn Tournament consolation game. Leadoff man Mike Young doubled and had two RBIs and winning pitcher Ethan Collins (2-1) logged five strikeouts. PJ lost to Morris Knolls (11-4 on Tuesday), Mount Olive (13-7 on Thursday) and Moorestown (10-4 on Saturday). Young, a junior outfielder, was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run and two RBIs against Mount Olive.
Up next: High Point at home on Monday; Morris Hills at home on Thursday; Phillipsburg at home in HWS on Saturday.
6. North Warren (6-3) -- Patriots have won three of their last four coming into the week, including a two-game win streak. Coach Jim Haupt's team beat Hopatcong, 19-6, at the Homer Dome on Tuesday and Wallkill Valley, 10-0, on Thursday. Senior outfielder Mike Clothier homered in the Hopatcong win and went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the NJAC Freedom Division victory over Wallkill in Blairstown. Junior shortstop Alex Hladik is on fire at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs against the Chiefs and 2-for-4 with an RBI against the Rangers. On the mound, Hladik picked up his first victory against Wallkill.
Up next: Jefferson at home on Monday; Lenape Valley at home on Thursday; Vernon at home in HWS on Saturday.
7. Lenape Valley (5-4) -- Patriots looking to get on a roll, following two wins in their last three to close out last week. Coach Bob Klinck's team beat Hackettstown, 8-6, in a key NJAC Freedom Division showdown on Tuesday before a 10-2 loss to Jefferson on Thursday. Junior catcher David DelSontro went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, while ace Drew Burke (2-2) struck out five in the Pats' 10-0 win over Sussex Tech on Friday. Senior Mike Deerfield (2-0) logged seven K's against Hackettstown.
Up next: Kittatinny at home on Monday; at North Warren on Thursday; Delaware Valley at home in HWS on Saturday.
8. Phillipsburg (3-9) -- Stateliners return to the rankings following after a 7-5 win over archrival Easton (Pa.) on Saturday. Life in the Delaware Division has been tough for coach Dave Hinkle's team, which is 0-6 against the division with No. 1 North Hunterdon left on the first-half slate. P'burg dropped decisions to Hunterdon Central (11-5 on Tuesday) and Bridgewater-Raritan (12-4 on Thursday). Junior second baseman Matt McAnally went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI against B-water, and had a double and an RBI against Central. Rematch of last year's epic HWS quarterfinal at Pope John on Saturday.
Up next: Warren Hills at home on Monday; at North Hunterdon on Tuesday; at Montgomery on Thursday; Hopatcong at home on Friday; at Pope John in HWS on Saturday.
9. Hackettstown (5-5) -- Tigers split four games last week, beating Belvidere (11-3 on Monday) and Kittatinny (5-4 on Thursday), while falling to Lenape Valley (8-6 on Tuesday) and Morris Catholic (5-2 on Friday). Coach Gary Poyer's squad gets a shot at redemption on Saturday with a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex matchup against Wallkill Valley, which beat Hackettstown, 5-3, on April 10 in an NJAC Freedom Division matchup. Senior outfielder Owen Gavin went 2-for-4 with a double against Lenape, while senior pitcher Matt Lerman struck out seven to beat Kittatinny.
Up next: Hopatcong at home on Monday; at Newton on Thursday; Wallkill Valley in HWS at home on Saturday.
10. Wallkill Valley (3-4) -- Rangers have dropped three in a row following a three-game win streak. Coach Kevin Lukich's team fell to High Point (8-2 on Monday), Jefferson (12-8 on Tuesday) and North Warren (10-0 on Thursday). Giving up 30 runs in three games tends to lead to losses. Junior outfielder Brandon Grabkowski went 3-for-4 with an RBI against the Wildcats and 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI against the Falcons. Also Wallkill's ace, he took the loss against North Warren, dropping to 0-2.
Up next: at Newton on Monday; Kittatinny at home on Thursday; at Hackettstown in HWS on Saturday.
On the bubble: Voorhees (2-6), Delaware Valley (3-7), South Hunterdon (3-6).
North Hunterdon (6-3) has been a lockdown No. 1 thus far, and the Lions enter the fourth annual HWS Tournament as the favorites and the top seed on the Hunterdon-Warren side. Coach Mike Kane's team is raking at the plate and is getting quality pitching. A tough combo to beat.
The tournament kicks off today with a preliminary game between Sussex Tech and Voorhees. Three others follow on Wednesday, with the winners advancing to Saturday's first-round matchups.
Get ready for a wild tourney ride. It's wide open.
On to this week's rankings:
1. North Hunterdon (6-3) -- Lions went . 500 last week, beating Warren Hills (9-2 on Monday) and Westfield (13-3 on Wednesday), before dropping a pair of Skyland Conference Delaware Division games against Watchung Hills (6-2 on Tuesday) and Immaculata (4-2 on Thursday). Life in the Delaware is rough, one of the toughest divisions in New Jersey. Senior outfielder Shane Brown went 2-for-5 against Warren Hills and struck out nine for the win. He also was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the win over Westfield. Sophomore catcher Andrew Meiners had a big week at the plate -- 3-for-4 against Warren Hills, 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs against Westfield and 2-for-3 with a double in the loss to Immaculata.
Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Tuesday; Bridgewater-Raritan at home on Thursday; South Hunterdon-Kittatinny winner at home in HWS on Saturday.
2. Sparta (6-3-1) -- Spartans also went 2-2 last week, closing out with two wins in a row against Morris Knolls (2-0 on Thursday) and High Point (7-1 on Friday) to maintain the top spot in the NJAC American Division. Coach Sam Slobodzian's team also dropped decisions against Kinnelon (6-3 on Monday) and Montville (7-3 on Tuesday), the club's first divisional loss. Junior outfielder Matt Chemis homered and plated two runs against Montville, while junior second baseman Austin Unglaub went 3-for-4 with a double. Ace Kevin Foulds (3-0) tossed a three-hitter and fanned eight to beat Morris Hills.
Up next: Mount Olive at home on Monday; at Jefferson on Tuesday; Vernon at home on Thursday; Columbia at home on Friday; Sussex Tech-Voorhees at home in HWS on Saturday.
3. Newton (7-1) -- The Braves, like the Jeffersons, are moving on up. Coach John Selitto's club had a short week -- going 1-1 with a win over Kittatinny (5-3 on Tuesday) before getting its first loss against Hopatcong (9-3 on Thursday). Independent games with Sparta and Whippany Park, slated for Friday and Saturday, were postponed. The Braves didn't particularly play well in either game last week, committing four errors against a gritty Kittatinny squad. Junior third baseman Joey Maker reached base four times, going 3-for-3 with three stolen bases and an RBI, while righty Chris Branham (2-0) fanned five for the win against the Cougars. Senior first baseman Anthony Morro doubled and had two RBIs in the loss to the Chiefs.
Up next: Wallkill Valley at home on Monday; Hackettstown at home on Thursday; West Orange at home on Friday; Hopatcong-Warren Hills winner in HWS at home on Saturday.
4. Hunterdon Central (5-5) -- Here come the Red Devils. After a 2-5 start, coach Mike Raymond's team enters the week riding a three-game win streak. Central defeated Phillipsburg (11-5 on Tuesday), Hillsborough (4-0 on Thursday) and East Brunswick (15-2 on Saturday). Senior outfielder Geggie Russomagno had a great week at the plate -- a double and an RBI against P'burg, 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI vs. Hillsborough and 3-for-5 with five RBIs in the win over East Brunswick. Ace Billy Maier (2-0) struck out four to beat H'boro. Second baseman Jeremy Ake (2-for-3, two RBIs) and sophomore Brett McManus (2-for-2, homer) raked against EB.
Up next: Rutgers Prep at home on Monday; at Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday; at Watchung Hills on Thursday; at Edison on Friday; Belvidere-High Point winner in HWS at home on Saturday.
5. Pope John (7-6) -- Lions struggling right now, going 1-3 this past week. Coach Vin Bello's team salvaged it with a 10-0 thumping of Warren Hills to snap a three-game skid on Saturday in the Millburn Tournament consolation game. Leadoff man Mike Young doubled and had two RBIs and winning pitcher Ethan Collins (2-1) logged five strikeouts. PJ lost to Morris Knolls (11-4 on Tuesday), Mount Olive (13-7 on Thursday) and Moorestown (10-4 on Saturday). Young, a junior outfielder, was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run and two RBIs against Mount Olive.
Up next: High Point at home on Monday; Morris Hills at home on Thursday; Phillipsburg at home in HWS on Saturday.
6. North Warren (6-3) -- Patriots have won three of their last four coming into the week, including a two-game win streak. Coach Jim Haupt's team beat Hopatcong, 19-6, at the Homer Dome on Tuesday and Wallkill Valley, 10-0, on Thursday. Senior outfielder Mike Clothier homered in the Hopatcong win and went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the NJAC Freedom Division victory over Wallkill in Blairstown. Junior shortstop Alex Hladik is on fire at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs against the Chiefs and 2-for-4 with an RBI against the Rangers. On the mound, Hladik picked up his first victory against Wallkill.
Up next: Jefferson at home on Monday; Lenape Valley at home on Thursday; Vernon at home in HWS on Saturday.
7. Lenape Valley (5-4) -- Patriots looking to get on a roll, following two wins in their last three to close out last week. Coach Bob Klinck's team beat Hackettstown, 8-6, in a key NJAC Freedom Division showdown on Tuesday before a 10-2 loss to Jefferson on Thursday. Junior catcher David DelSontro went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, while ace Drew Burke (2-2) struck out five in the Pats' 10-0 win over Sussex Tech on Friday. Senior Mike Deerfield (2-0) logged seven K's against Hackettstown.
Up next: Kittatinny at home on Monday; at North Warren on Thursday; Delaware Valley at home in HWS on Saturday.
8. Phillipsburg (3-9) -- Stateliners return to the rankings following after a 7-5 win over archrival Easton (Pa.) on Saturday. Life in the Delaware Division has been tough for coach Dave Hinkle's team, which is 0-6 against the division with No. 1 North Hunterdon left on the first-half slate. P'burg dropped decisions to Hunterdon Central (11-5 on Tuesday) and Bridgewater-Raritan (12-4 on Thursday). Junior second baseman Matt McAnally went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI against B-water, and had a double and an RBI against Central. Rematch of last year's epic HWS quarterfinal at Pope John on Saturday.
Up next: Warren Hills at home on Monday; at North Hunterdon on Tuesday; at Montgomery on Thursday; Hopatcong at home on Friday; at Pope John in HWS on Saturday.
9. Hackettstown (5-5) -- Tigers split four games last week, beating Belvidere (11-3 on Monday) and Kittatinny (5-4 on Thursday), while falling to Lenape Valley (8-6 on Tuesday) and Morris Catholic (5-2 on Friday). Coach Gary Poyer's squad gets a shot at redemption on Saturday with a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex matchup against Wallkill Valley, which beat Hackettstown, 5-3, on April 10 in an NJAC Freedom Division matchup. Senior outfielder Owen Gavin went 2-for-4 with a double against Lenape, while senior pitcher Matt Lerman struck out seven to beat Kittatinny.
Up next: Hopatcong at home on Monday; at Newton on Thursday; Wallkill Valley in HWS at home on Saturday.
10. Wallkill Valley (3-4) -- Rangers have dropped three in a row following a three-game win streak. Coach Kevin Lukich's team fell to High Point (8-2 on Monday), Jefferson (12-8 on Tuesday) and North Warren (10-0 on Thursday). Giving up 30 runs in three games tends to lead to losses. Junior outfielder Brandon Grabkowski went 3-for-4 with an RBI against the Wildcats and 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI against the Falcons. Also Wallkill's ace, he took the loss against North Warren, dropping to 0-2.
Up next: at Newton on Monday; Kittatinny at home on Thursday; at Hackettstown in HWS on Saturday.
On the bubble: Voorhees (2-6), Delaware Valley (3-7), South Hunterdon (3-6).
Friday, April 19, 2013
Baseball: Voorhees rolls to second win over Del Val
At this rate, Voorhees High School's baseball team might want to find a way to get Delaware Valley on the schedule more often.
For the second time this season, the Vikings got just enough hitting and pitching for a 6-3 win over the Terriers in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division clash on a chilly Thursday afternoon in Lebanon Township.
Voorhees (2-5 overall, 2-4 division) defeated Delaware Valley, 5-3, on April 2 in Alexandria Township for its only other win this season. This one snapped a five-game skid since that Opening Day victory.
"This about the time of year when we start playing good baseball," said veteran Voorhees coach Spark Mattson, whose teams have been known to pick it up around the start of the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament which begins next Wednesday. "We played great defense today and we're starting to pitch better. We needed this one. It was huge."
Del Val (3-6, 2-4) has had a bit of an up-and-down campaign thus far. The Terriers have played some of the better teams on their schedule very tough -- as in 3-2 losses to Ridge and Raritan Division frontrunner Somerville -- but haven't fared well in others.
Coach Marty White's team didn't help itself by committing six errors, and the lack of a big hit early on proved costly when Del Val rallied for three runs in the sixth. Had the Terriers been able to scratch across one or two runs earlier, it might have put a little more heat on Voorhees starter Kyle Pierson and reliever Matt Furka.
"We can't get that hit at the right time," said White, whose team was held to three runs or fewer for the fifth time this season. "We don't hit together, our hits are scattered. We can't get a bunt down. It's the little things that are killing us right now. We made bad errors at the wrong time and they came back to bite us."
Pierson, a sophomore, pitched well in earning his first victory. The right-hander allowed seven hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out four in five innings. He exited in the sixth after loading the bases on two walks and a hit batsman. Mike Innocenti's bloop single to left plated a run and knocked Pierson from the game.
Furka came in and gave up a two-run single to designated hitter Ryan Hann, who had two hits, before getting a strikeout and a 4-3 double play to end the threat. The righty worked around an error in the seventh in an otherwise uneventful frame to nail down his first save.
"[Pierson] threw a nice game, considering he's only a sophomore," Mattson said. "He only had one other varsity start against Warren Hills [a loss on April 4]. He's still young. I thought he handled himself real well out there. He was getting ahead, which is huge. He lost his focus in the sixth inning. Unfortunately, my asking him if he still had it after the fifth inning probably distracted him."
Voorhees jumped all over Del Val starter Joe Chiarino early -- knocking him out of the game after just two innings. The Vikings scored on an error in the first, before a three-hit second inning that was highlighted by leadoff hitter Nick Marini's double to the left-center-field gap that plated two of the team's three runs. Dan Barone's sacrifice fly capped the scoring as Voorhees led, 4-0.
Del Val reliever Logan Brown, a sophomore, went the final five innings, striking out four and allowing two runs on three hits.
Del Val missed a golden chance in the third with runners on first and second and none out, following singles by Hann and Adam Novotny. Shortstop Chris Fiaschetti popped up to Pierson for the first out, and after a fielder's choice erased Hann, first baseman Scott Skripko, Del Val's best hitter, grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Vikes tacked on two more in the fourth with a two-out rally. Josh Hausler singled and came all the way round to score on a three-base error as the ball rolled between the center fielder's legs, while Andrew Haspel singled in Barone, who doubled following Hausler's hit and tour of the bases. Hausler went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Up next for Voorhees is a home date with Montgomery, while Delaware Valley hosts South Hunterdon in Saturday contests.
DELAWARE VALLEY (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Fiaschetti ss 4-0-1-0, Williams 2b 4-0-2-0, Skripko 1b 4-0-0-0, Chiarino p-3b 3-1-1-0, Perna 3b-cf 2-1-0-0, Pilone c 2-1-0-0, Innocenti lf 2-0-0-0, Egidio lf 1-0-1-1, Hann dh/Mikulicz rf 3-0-2-2, Novotny cf-rf 3-0-1-0. Totals: 28-3-9-3.
For the second time this season, the Vikings got just enough hitting and pitching for a 6-3 win over the Terriers in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division clash on a chilly Thursday afternoon in Lebanon Township.
Voorhees (2-5 overall, 2-4 division) defeated Delaware Valley, 5-3, on April 2 in Alexandria Township for its only other win this season. This one snapped a five-game skid since that Opening Day victory.
"This about the time of year when we start playing good baseball," said veteran Voorhees coach Spark Mattson, whose teams have been known to pick it up around the start of the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament which begins next Wednesday. "We played great defense today and we're starting to pitch better. We needed this one. It was huge."
Del Val (3-6, 2-4) has had a bit of an up-and-down campaign thus far. The Terriers have played some of the better teams on their schedule very tough -- as in 3-2 losses to Ridge and Raritan Division frontrunner Somerville -- but haven't fared well in others.
Coach Marty White's team didn't help itself by committing six errors, and the lack of a big hit early on proved costly when Del Val rallied for three runs in the sixth. Had the Terriers been able to scratch across one or two runs earlier, it might have put a little more heat on Voorhees starter Kyle Pierson and reliever Matt Furka.
"We can't get that hit at the right time," said White, whose team was held to three runs or fewer for the fifth time this season. "We don't hit together, our hits are scattered. We can't get a bunt down. It's the little things that are killing us right now. We made bad errors at the wrong time and they came back to bite us."
Pierson, a sophomore, pitched well in earning his first victory. The right-hander allowed seven hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out four in five innings. He exited in the sixth after loading the bases on two walks and a hit batsman. Mike Innocenti's bloop single to left plated a run and knocked Pierson from the game.
Furka came in and gave up a two-run single to designated hitter Ryan Hann, who had two hits, before getting a strikeout and a 4-3 double play to end the threat. The righty worked around an error in the seventh in an otherwise uneventful frame to nail down his first save.
"[Pierson] threw a nice game, considering he's only a sophomore," Mattson said. "He only had one other varsity start against Warren Hills [a loss on April 4]. He's still young. I thought he handled himself real well out there. He was getting ahead, which is huge. He lost his focus in the sixth inning. Unfortunately, my asking him if he still had it after the fifth inning probably distracted him."
Voorhees jumped all over Del Val starter Joe Chiarino early -- knocking him out of the game after just two innings. The Vikings scored on an error in the first, before a three-hit second inning that was highlighted by leadoff hitter Nick Marini's double to the left-center-field gap that plated two of the team's three runs. Dan Barone's sacrifice fly capped the scoring as Voorhees led, 4-0.
Del Val reliever Logan Brown, a sophomore, went the final five innings, striking out four and allowing two runs on three hits.
Del Val missed a golden chance in the third with runners on first and second and none out, following singles by Hann and Adam Novotny. Shortstop Chris Fiaschetti popped up to Pierson for the first out, and after a fielder's choice erased Hann, first baseman Scott Skripko, Del Val's best hitter, grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Vikes tacked on two more in the fourth with a two-out rally. Josh Hausler singled and came all the way round to score on a three-base error as the ball rolled between the center fielder's legs, while Andrew Haspel singled in Barone, who doubled following Hausler's hit and tour of the bases. Hausler went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Up next for Voorhees is a home date with Montgomery, while Delaware Valley hosts South Hunterdon in Saturday contests.
DELAWARE VALLEY (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Fiaschetti ss 4-0-1-0, Williams 2b 4-0-2-0, Skripko 1b 4-0-0-0, Chiarino p-3b 3-1-1-0, Perna 3b-cf 2-1-0-0, Pilone c 2-1-0-0, Innocenti lf 2-0-0-0, Egidio lf 1-0-1-1, Hann dh/Mikulicz rf 3-0-2-2, Novotny cf-rf 3-0-1-0. Totals: 28-3-9-3.
VOORHEES (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Marini cf 4-1-1-2, Hausler c 4-2-3-1, Barone rf 2-1-1-1, Haspel dh/Tiger lf 4-0-1-1, Palmer 1b 4-0-0-0, Pierson p-2b 3-0-0-0, Rocca cr 0-0-0-0, D. Wernicki 3b 3-0-1-0, Furka 2b-p 3-1-0-0, J. Wernicki 2b 0-0-0-0, Kroll ss 3-1-1-0. Totals: 30-6-7-5.
Voorhees (2-5, 2-4) 130 200 x -- 6 7 1
Delaware Valley (3-6, 2-4) 000 003 0 -- 3 8 6
E -- Fiaschetti, Pilone 2, Perna, Chiarino, Skripko; Kroll. DP Voorhees 1 (Pierson-Palmer). LOB -- Delaware Valley 7, Voorhees 9. 2B -- Marini, Barone. SB -- Williams, Perna 2, Chiarino; Hausler 2. CS -- Skripko. SF -- Barone.
Chiarino, Brown (3) and Pilone. Pierson, Furka (6) and Hausler. W -- Pierson (1-1). L -- Chiarino (1-2). S -- Furka 1. SO-BB -- Chiarino 0-1, Brown 4-1; Pierson 4-2, Furka 1-0. WP -- Pierson. HBP -- Perna (by Pierson).
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Baseball: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex seeds, pairings
The official pairings and seeds for the fourth annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Baseball Tournament were released Thursday afternoon. Preliminary round games are scheduled for Wednesday, April 24 and the winners advance to first-round action on Saturday, April 27.
Quarterfinals will be played Saturday, May 4 and the semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, May 11. The championship game will be contested at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
Phillipsburg, which is the No. 6 seed for Hunterdon-Warren, is the defending champion. The Stateliners beat Hunterdon Central, 2-1, in last year's title game. P'burg will travel to Pope John for a first-round matchup -- a rematch of last year's classic quarterfinal, won by the 'Liners, 6-5, in 12 innings at PJ.
Central has reached the final all three times, winning the first championship in 2010. Pope John beat Central, 8-1, in the 2011 final.
Sparta, a runner-up in 2010, is the top seed for Sussex. The Spartans dropped a 3-1 decision to North Hunterdon, this year's top seed in the H-W bracket, in a quarterfinal game last year.
Here are the pairings and seeds.
A=Hunterdon-Warren
B=Sussex
Preliminary round
9A-South Hunterdon at 8B-Kittatinny
10B-Hopatcong at 7A-Warren Hills
10A-Belvidere at 7B-High Point
9B-Sussex Tech at 8A-Voorhees
First-round games
Kittatinny-South Hunterdon, winner at 1A-North Hunterdon
5A-Delaware Valley at 4B-Lenape Valley
6B-Vernon at 3A-North Warren
Hopatcong-Warren Hills winner at 2B-Newton
Sussex Tech-Voorhees winner at 1B-Sparta
5B-Wallkill Valley at 4A-Hackettstown
6A-Phillipsburg at 3B-Pope John
Belvidere-High Point winner at 2A-Hunterdon Central
Quarterfinals
Kittatinny-South Hunterdon-North Hunterdon winner vs. Delaware Valley-Lenape Valley winner
Vernon-North Warren winner vs. Hopatcong-Warren Hills-Newton winner
Sussex Tech-Voorhees-Sparta winner vs. Wallkill Valley-Hackettstown winner
Phillipsburg-Pope John winner vs. Belvidere-High Point-Hunterdon Central winner
Quarterfinals will be played Saturday, May 4 and the semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, May 11. The championship game will be contested at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
Phillipsburg, which is the No. 6 seed for Hunterdon-Warren, is the defending champion. The Stateliners beat Hunterdon Central, 2-1, in last year's title game. P'burg will travel to Pope John for a first-round matchup -- a rematch of last year's classic quarterfinal, won by the 'Liners, 6-5, in 12 innings at PJ.
Central has reached the final all three times, winning the first championship in 2010. Pope John beat Central, 8-1, in the 2011 final.
Sparta, a runner-up in 2010, is the top seed for Sussex. The Spartans dropped a 3-1 decision to North Hunterdon, this year's top seed in the H-W bracket, in a quarterfinal game last year.
Here are the pairings and seeds.
A=Hunterdon-Warren
B=Sussex
Preliminary round
9A-South Hunterdon at 8B-Kittatinny
10B-Hopatcong at 7A-Warren Hills
10A-Belvidere at 7B-High Point
9B-Sussex Tech at 8A-Voorhees
First-round games
Kittatinny-South Hunterdon, winner at 1A-North Hunterdon
5A-Delaware Valley at 4B-Lenape Valley
6B-Vernon at 3A-North Warren
Hopatcong-Warren Hills winner at 2B-Newton
Sussex Tech-Voorhees winner at 1B-Sparta
5B-Wallkill Valley at 4A-Hackettstown
6A-Phillipsburg at 3B-Pope John
Belvidere-High Point winner at 2A-Hunterdon Central
Quarterfinals
Kittatinny-South Hunterdon-North Hunterdon winner vs. Delaware Valley-Lenape Valley winner
Vernon-North Warren winner vs. Hopatcong-Warren Hills-Newton winner
Sussex Tech-Voorhees-Sparta winner vs. Wallkill Valley-Hackettstown winner
Phillipsburg-Pope John winner vs. Belvidere-High Point-Hunterdon Central winner
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Baseball: Maker finds mark as Newton tops Kittatinny
When you're going good, the breaks seem to go your way -- even when they go against you.
Newton's baseball team wasn't at its collective best on Tuesday, but the Braves did what good teams do as they found a way to earn a 5-3 victory over a gritty Kittatinny club in a Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division showdown in Hampton.
"I saw this coming the last few days in practice -- with our approach in pitching and this was our worst defensive game," said Newton coach John Selitto, whose team overcame four errors in the field to improve to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the division. "Maybe we learned a lesson today. We're a young team that's learning how to win. This was a good test today."
Kittatinny (0-6, 0-5) can't seem to buy a break, as coach Brian Bosworth's team battled but came up short in its fifth loss by two runs or fewer. The Cougars led 3-2 after four innings, but starter Dave Moyer seemed to run out of steam after three solid innings.
"We've played well in every game we've played in," said Bosworth, now in his second season in charge of the Cougars. "We're young and it part of the growing process. I don't want to say we haven't gotten any breaks, we need to create our own breaks. We're not getting timely hits."
Newton overcame a 3-2 deficit with two runs in the top of the sixth. Joe Maker, who led off with a walk, came around on Anthony Morro's double down the left-field line. No. 7 hitter Adam Vasquez followed with another rope down down the line in left to put the Braves ahead for good.
Maker's RBI single in the seventh gave the Braves an insurance run, as lefty Nick Grant tossd a 1-2-3 bottom half for the save. Maker, a third baseman, finished 3-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored, three stolen bases and an RBI.
"He had a really good game today," said Selitto, whose team stole six bases in all.
Maker and his teammates are starting to feel the pinch of a 7-0 record -- the program's best start since the 2001 Newton team won its first 19 en route to a 25-3 mark, the North 1, Group 2 title and an appearance in the Group 2 final.
"This was a really big game, we knew [Kittatinny] was going to come right after us," Maker said. "Moyer is one of the most respected pitchers [in the county]. You try not to look at the undefeated record, come out and hit the ball and play hard."
Kittatinny jumped out in front with two runs in the fourth, thanks to pair of Newton errors. Branham's throwing error plated one, before another error by second baseman Joe Selitto allowed Kittatinny shortstop Cowan Sikora to reach. He scored when Casey McArdle singled to center.
Branham settled down after that, retiring the final six batters he faced, as he combined with Grant to retire the final 10 Kittatinny hitters in order. The right-hander went six innings for his second win, allowing four hits and three runs (one earned) with one walk and five strikeouts. He also had some help from the defense, as Bernotas made a nifty one-handed stop up the middle and flipped to Selitto to start a 6-4-3 double play in the second.
"He didn't have his good stuff, but he gutted it out," John Selitto said. "He was at the 83-pitch mark, and there are days when you grind it out and find a way to keep us in games."
Newton evened things at 1 on a wild pitch by Moyer in the top of the fourth. Morro led off with a double to the right-field wall and Maker singled -- one of his three hits -- to put runners on first and third with none out. After Grant walked to load the bases, Moyer struck outVasquez and made a nice play on Bernotas' comebacker for the force at home. But his errant pitch during catcher Charlie Grotyohann's at-bat allowed Grant to score with the go-ahead run.
Moyer (0-3) finished with seven strikeouts against three walks. The Cougars' offense managed just four hits in the loss. After the fourth inning, Kittatinny went down in order over the last three frames.
NEWTON (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Smith lf 4-0-0-0, Selitto 2b 4-0-1-0, Cramer cf 4-1-1-0, Morro 1b 4-0-1-0, Maker 3b 3-3-3-1, Grant dh/Branham p 3-1-2-2, Vasquez rf 2-0-1-1, Bernotas ss 3-0-0-0, Grotyohann c 3-0-0-0, Castle cr 0-0-0-0. Totals: 30-5-9-4.
Newton's baseball team wasn't at its collective best on Tuesday, but the Braves did what good teams do as they found a way to earn a 5-3 victory over a gritty Kittatinny club in a Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division showdown in Hampton.
"I saw this coming the last few days in practice -- with our approach in pitching and this was our worst defensive game," said Newton coach John Selitto, whose team overcame four errors in the field to improve to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the division. "Maybe we learned a lesson today. We're a young team that's learning how to win. This was a good test today."
Kittatinny (0-6, 0-5) can't seem to buy a break, as coach Brian Bosworth's team battled but came up short in its fifth loss by two runs or fewer. The Cougars led 3-2 after four innings, but starter Dave Moyer seemed to run out of steam after three solid innings.
"We've played well in every game we've played in," said Bosworth, now in his second season in charge of the Cougars. "We're young and it part of the growing process. I don't want to say we haven't gotten any breaks, we need to create our own breaks. We're not getting timely hits."
Newton overcame a 3-2 deficit with two runs in the top of the sixth. Joe Maker, who led off with a walk, came around on Anthony Morro's double down the left-field line. No. 7 hitter Adam Vasquez followed with another rope down down the line in left to put the Braves ahead for good.
Maker's RBI single in the seventh gave the Braves an insurance run, as lefty Nick Grant tossd a 1-2-3 bottom half for the save. Maker, a third baseman, finished 3-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored, three stolen bases and an RBI.
"He had a really good game today," said Selitto, whose team stole six bases in all.
Maker and his teammates are starting to feel the pinch of a 7-0 record -- the program's best start since the 2001 Newton team won its first 19 en route to a 25-3 mark, the North 1, Group 2 title and an appearance in the Group 2 final.
"This was a really big game, we knew [Kittatinny] was going to come right after us," Maker said. "Moyer is one of the most respected pitchers [in the county]. You try not to look at the undefeated record, come out and hit the ball and play hard."
Kittatinny jumped out in front with two runs in the fourth, thanks to pair of Newton errors. Branham's throwing error plated one, before another error by second baseman Joe Selitto allowed Kittatinny shortstop Cowan Sikora to reach. He scored when Casey McArdle singled to center.
Branham settled down after that, retiring the final six batters he faced, as he combined with Grant to retire the final 10 Kittatinny hitters in order. The right-hander went six innings for his second win, allowing four hits and three runs (one earned) with one walk and five strikeouts. He also had some help from the defense, as Bernotas made a nifty one-handed stop up the middle and flipped to Selitto to start a 6-4-3 double play in the second.
"He didn't have his good stuff, but he gutted it out," John Selitto said. "He was at the 83-pitch mark, and there are days when you grind it out and find a way to keep us in games."
Newton evened things at 1 on a wild pitch by Moyer in the top of the fourth. Morro led off with a double to the right-field wall and Maker singled -- one of his three hits -- to put runners on first and third with none out. After Grant walked to load the bases, Moyer struck outVasquez and made a nice play on Bernotas' comebacker for the force at home. But his errant pitch during catcher Charlie Grotyohann's at-bat allowed Grant to score with the go-ahead run.
Moyer (0-3) finished with seven strikeouts against three walks. The Cougars' offense managed just four hits in the loss. After the fourth inning, Kittatinny went down in order over the last three frames.
NEWTON (ab-r-h-rbi) -- Smith lf 4-0-0-0, Selitto 2b 4-0-1-0, Cramer cf 4-1-1-0, Morro 1b 4-0-1-0, Maker 3b 3-3-3-1, Grant dh/Branham p 3-1-2-2, Vasquez rf 2-0-1-1, Bernotas ss 3-0-0-0, Grotyohann c 3-0-0-0, Castle cr 0-0-0-0. Totals: 30-5-9-4.
KITTATINNY (ab-r-h-rbi) -- McArdle 1b-p 3-1-1-2, Dispoto lf 4-0-1-0, Moyer p-1b 2-0-1-1, Repasy 3b 3-0-0-0, Potten rf 3-0-0-0, Pastor Poe 2b 3-1-1-0, Goriscak dh/ LaFiura c 3-0-0-0, Sikora ss 3-1-0-0, Moszsynski cf 3-0-0-0. Totals: 33-4-11-4.
E -- Bernotas, Branham, Selitto; Pastor Poe, Sikora. DP Newton 1 (Bernotas-Selitto-Morro); Kittatinny 1 (Repasy-Moyer). LOB -- Newton 7, Kittatinny 5. 2B -- Morro, Grant. SB -- Maker 3, Selitto, Cramer, Vasquez.
Branham, Grant (7) and Grotyohann. Moyer, McArdle (7) and LaFiura. W -- Branham (2-0). L -- Moyer (0-3). SO-BB -- Branham 5-1, Grant 1-0; Moyer 7-3, McArdle 0-0. WP -- Moyer. HBP -- Moyer (by Branham).
Baseball: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings
Through Monday's games
|
Skyland Conference
|
|||
|
Delaware Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Watchung Hills
|
(7-1)
|
(3-1)
|
|
|
Montgomery
|
(5-1)
|
(3-1)
|
|
|
North Hunterdon
|
(5-1)
|
(3-1)
|
|
|
Immaculata
|
(4-2)
|
(3-1)
|
|
|
Bridgewater-Raritan
|
(5-2)
|
(2-2)
|
|
|
Hillsborough
|
(4-4)
|
(1-3)
|
|
|
Hunterdon Central
|
(2-5)
|
(1-3)
|
|
|
Phillipsburg
|
(2-7)
|
(0-4)
|
|
|
Raritan Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Ridge
|
(5-2)
|
(4-0)
|
|
|
Somerville
|
(5-1)
|
(3-1)
|
|
|
Delaware Valley
|
(3-4)
|
(2-2)
|
|
|
Voorhees
|
(1-4)
|
(1-3)
|
|
|
Franklin
|
(1-4)
|
(1-3)
|
|
|
Warren Hills
|
(1-6)
|
(1-3)
|
|
|
Valley Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Bernards
|
(8-0)
|
(5-0)
|
|
|
Gill St. Bernard's
|
(5-4)
|
(5-1)
|
|
|
Bound Brook
|
(3-3)
|
(3-2)
|
|
|
Pingry
|
(3-3)
|
(2-2)
|
|
|
North Plainfield
|
(2-3)
|
(2-2)
|
|
|
South Hunterdon
|
(2-5)
|
(2-4)
|
|
|
Belvidere
|
(2-5)
|
(1-4)
|
|
|
Manville
|
(0-5)
|
(0-5)
|
|
|
Northwest Jersey
Athletic Conference
|
|||
|
Freedom Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Newton
|
(6-0)
|
(5-0)
|
|
|
Wallkill Valley
|
(3-2)
|
(3-1)
|
|
|
Jefferson
|
(5-3)
|
(3-2)
|
|
|
North Warren
|
(4-3)
|
(3-2)
|
|
|
Lenape Valley
|
(3-3)
|
(2-2)
|
|
|
Hackettstown
|
(4-3)
|
(2-3)
|
|
|
Kittatinny
|
(0-5)
|
(0-4)
|
|
|
Hopatcong
|
(0-8)
|
(0-4)
|
|
|
American Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Sparta
|
(4-2-1)
|
(3-0-1)
|
|
|
Morris Knolls
|
(2-2-2)
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(2-0-2)
|
|
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Pope John
|
(6-3)
|
(3-2)
|
|
|
Montville
|
(5-2)
|
(2-2)
|
|
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Morris Hills
|
(5-2-2)
|
(1-1-2)
|
|
|
Vernon
|
(2-4)
|
(2-3)
|
|
|
Mount Olive
|
(2-4-1)
|
(1-2-1)
|
|
|
High Point
|
(1-4)
|
(0-4)
|
|