Ocean runs into a Wall of timely hits
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
WALL - Kyle McArdle said he had been at bat seven times all season before Thursday for his Wall High School baseball team.
But inserted into the lead-off spot in a Monmouth County Tournament semifinal game against Ocean, the utility player performed like a born igniter.
""They (Wall coaches) just wanted to try something new, we haven't been swinging the bats well lately'' said McArdle who played third base Thursday.
McArdle singled twice, scored a run, and drove in a run, all in a six-run first inning that started the Knights to a 10-8 victory at Wall's 18th Avenue Field.
Wall (22-7) will play defending MCT champion CBA 3:45 p.m. Monday at Monmouth Regional High School in the final.
Ocean (23-5), still alive in the NJSIAA and Shore Conference Tournaments, hosts Allentown 4 p.m. Friday in the Central Jersey III final.
Wall had been no-hit Tuesday by Allentown in the state tournament and three-hit by Ocean's Jamie Rosenkranz in the SCT Wednesday.
""We didn't want to end the year on those two shutouts,'' said Wall first baseman Matt Logan.
With Ocean's top pitchers unavailable Thursday, Wall raked three of four Spartan hurlers for 13 hits (three by McArdle) and had at least two hits in four of the first five innings.
"It was good to get those guys (his pitchers) some innings,'' said Del Dal Pra, Ocean coach. ""We would have liked to have slugged it out, it just didn't work out.''
Craig Hughes doubled twice and drove in three runs for Wall which mounted a 9-3 lead through four innings.
Rosenkranz laced a three-run double in a four-run fifth and suddenly it was a ball game.
In the sixth with the tying runs aboard with two outs, Logan ranged behind first base to make an over-the-shoulder catch that preserved the lead.
Ocean had the tying runs on again in the seventh before junior left-hander Mark Pellecchia, who pitched a complete game, induced a comebacker to end it.
But was Logan's play that may have assured Wall would play again Monday.
""I knew I had a chance, I just went back there and tried to cradle it in my glove,'' said Logan. ""Luckily it landed in there.''
Wall coach Todd Schmitt said he never viewed the catch as players jumped in front of him in the dugout.
"""I just saw his (Logan's) back to the infield and I said, "Uh, oh.' Then I heard everybody scream.''
Ocean racked Pellecchia for 13 hits but shortstop Matt Debonis started two double plays and leftfielder Drew Pinero threw the fleet Willy Rodriguez out at home in the third on an RBI single by Rosenkranz.
""We said (to Pellecchia) going into this game, Just give us what you can,' '' said Schmitt, noting his losses were to Steinert, Ocean, and CBA.
"'We were ready to pull him in the top of the seventh. He said "No, I want to go.' So I said, "We'll give you one batter.' So when he got the first two outs (we let him finish).''
Schmitt said it had been a rough week . ""It's nice to be able to play for something,'' he said. ""We're happy to be there (Monday's final), that's for sure.''
""We need to knock them (CBA) off,'' said Logan. ""We already won one championship (Shore Conference Class B North). We want to end the year on a high note and win another.''
Schmitt said senior right-hander Hughes (7-2) will start against CBA. ""And the whole staff will be available,'' he said.
Dal Pra said senior Eric Hinkle (5-1) will start Friday but his starter for Saturday's Shore Conference Tournament semifinal vs. Colts Neck is undecided.
He said it could be freshman Ed Mejias (3-1), who pitched one inning Thursday, or Tony DeSantis.
Possibly complicating Ocean's mound situation is the somewhat uncertain status of 8-0 pitcher Kyle Norman who Dal Pra said had some arm troubles.
The coach said that was the reason Norman was removed from the field Thursday after Norman opened the game at second base.
STAFF WRITER
WALL - Kyle McArdle said he had been at bat seven times all season before Thursday for his Wall High School baseball team.
But inserted into the lead-off spot in a Monmouth County Tournament semifinal game against Ocean, the utility player performed like a born igniter.
""They (Wall coaches) just wanted to try something new, we haven't been swinging the bats well lately'' said McArdle who played third base Thursday.
McArdle singled twice, scored a run, and drove in a run, all in a six-run first inning that started the Knights to a 10-8 victory at Wall's 18th Avenue Field.
Wall (22-7) will play defending MCT champion CBA 3:45 p.m. Monday at Monmouth Regional High School in the final.
Ocean (23-5), still alive in the NJSIAA and Shore Conference Tournaments, hosts Allentown 4 p.m. Friday in the Central Jersey III final.
Wall had been no-hit Tuesday by Allentown in the state tournament and three-hit by Ocean's Jamie Rosenkranz in the SCT Wednesday.
""We didn't want to end the year on those two shutouts,'' said Wall first baseman Matt Logan.
With Ocean's top pitchers unavailable Thursday, Wall raked three of four Spartan hurlers for 13 hits (three by McArdle) and had at least two hits in four of the first five innings.
"It was good to get those guys (his pitchers) some innings,'' said Del Dal Pra, Ocean coach. ""We would have liked to have slugged it out, it just didn't work out.''
Craig Hughes doubled twice and drove in three runs for Wall which mounted a 9-3 lead through four innings.
Rosenkranz laced a three-run double in a four-run fifth and suddenly it was a ball game.
In the sixth with the tying runs aboard with two outs, Logan ranged behind first base to make an over-the-shoulder catch that preserved the lead.
Ocean had the tying runs on again in the seventh before junior left-hander Mark Pellecchia, who pitched a complete game, induced a comebacker to end it.
But was Logan's play that may have assured Wall would play again Monday.
""I knew I had a chance, I just went back there and tried to cradle it in my glove,'' said Logan. ""Luckily it landed in there.''
Wall coach Todd Schmitt said he never viewed the catch as players jumped in front of him in the dugout.
"""I just saw his (Logan's) back to the infield and I said, "Uh, oh.' Then I heard everybody scream.''
Ocean racked Pellecchia for 13 hits but shortstop Matt Debonis started two double plays and leftfielder Drew Pinero threw the fleet Willy Rodriguez out at home in the third on an RBI single by Rosenkranz.
""We said (to Pellecchia) going into this game, Just give us what you can,' '' said Schmitt, noting his losses were to Steinert, Ocean, and CBA.
"'We were ready to pull him in the top of the seventh. He said "No, I want to go.' So I said, "We'll give you one batter.' So when he got the first two outs (we let him finish).''
Schmitt said it had been a rough week . ""It's nice to be able to play for something,'' he said. ""We're happy to be there (Monday's final), that's for sure.''
""We need to knock them (CBA) off,'' said Logan. ""We already won one championship (Shore Conference Class B North). We want to end the year on a high note and win another.''
Schmitt said senior right-hander Hughes (7-2) will start against CBA. ""And the whole staff will be available,'' he said.
Dal Pra said senior Eric Hinkle (5-1) will start Friday but his starter for Saturday's Shore Conference Tournament semifinal vs. Colts Neck is undecided.
He said it could be freshman Ed Mejias (3-1), who pitched one inning Thursday, or Tony DeSantis.
Possibly complicating Ocean's mound situation is the somewhat uncertain status of 8-0 pitcher Kyle Norman who Dal Pra said had some arm troubles.
The coach said that was the reason Norman was removed from the field Thursday after Norman opened the game at second base.
posted by Tony Graham at 4:41 PM
9 Comments:
This was nothing more than a JV game played at the expense of the MCT that SHOULD have been over 3 weeks ago if St Rose hadn't called a game because it was cloudy..If the MCT wants to remain a force in the SC someone (Other than the weak minded and weak scheduled St Rose Teams) need to take over and plan this thing right
Wall had just enough JV players to get the win and I wish them all the best vs CBA,,,Hughes needs to really step it up for the Knights..throw one like he did vs Ocean (minus the gopher balls) and beat the Colts
Don't know how you could call that a JV game. Wasn't that Weinkofsky I saw out there ripping a double..or wasn't that Craig Hughes pulling a two-run double inside third base.
Ocean just ran out of pitching today.
Wall couild throw their No. 3 (Pellecchia) while Ocean, playing five games in five days this week, had to go with young pitchers, and save Hinkle for tomorrow and the ever popular "undecided" for Saturday.
Please don't go blaming Ocean's plight on St. Rose.
Another big defensive play today for Wall - was when ""Willy the Whippet " was thrown out at home taking the starch out of that rally in the third inning.
Took a perfect throw and tag to get him and Wall did a great job on that.
By the way..rain is forecast for Monday (my "new" role as weatherman kicking in).
This game could still end up being played after the states...
it's High school baseball "it is what it is" Wall won the mCT admist it's 2004 champioship run in 2004 between it sct and state wins. Lets not lower either teams value by calling this a jv game. It was exactly what it was a High school baseball game and the third such game for each team in three day period. Good luck to both teams
I agree with the 1st blog about the JV mentality..I think I saw the largest right fielder in my life as I walked up in the first inning aka TUNA ..and I've been to 7-8 OT games over the last 2 years and the only "Pitcher" I recognized for OT was the freshman they brought in late in the game
Tuna was in right because - I believe - Hinkle had a slight ankle problem e and they didn't want to riskhim running in the OF..especially with him pitching today......
Neither team was treating it as a JV game..that's a silly comment ..the second releiver - - Parenty - did not do a bad job.... and neither did the other relievers. The starter.. who did get rocked ..had done fairly well vs St. Mary's Rutherford...
Tony, Tony, Tony.....while the OT field players played that game, you and I know that it's pitching, pitching, and pitching that dominates the game.
The fact that you still have Wall ahead of Ocean is a farce.
That OT 'ran out' of pitching isn't a reason to have them behind Wall. Hell, they clubbed their starters (a bonafide REAL Varsity pitcher) who would've pitched a game like this (a tourny semifinal).
You're wrong with your pick. That I'm an OT fan is besides the point. Look at Del's quote that you took.
As DelPra 'triaged' the mess of games he & his team were looking at this week, the MCT became superflous and not as important.
The target. The prize are the NJSIAA's and the SCT. Both of which are far far more prestigeous.
By the way, will they be inviting you 'gratis' to the Wall baseball banquet in a few weeks? Just kidding. You do a nice job and show up at all of the big games doing a nice job reporting.
Just think that you're a bit myopic here.
This should be rectified in the next 10 days, regardless of what Wall does in the MCT final (as CBA has bigger fish to fry as well).
Tony, Tony, Tony. While it's always a pleasure to see you at the games, many of know that you've missed the mark here.
Del's quote (that you took) even states what we've all known here in Ocean this week.
He's had to 'triage' what he wanted to go after. And the MCT came up 3rd out of 3.
I'm not going to make excuses for the loss. That OT pitched who they pitched is telling. That you STILL SEE Wall as the better team, even after Ocean clubbed Wall's REAL starting pitcher for 8 runs is interesting.
Throw away the 6 first inning runs against the kid who's been a 'toss in' (pitched his first varsity innings in a meaningless game vs St. Mary's Rutherford a week earlier) and what do you have????
A W is a W. There's no taking that away from Wall. They're a good team. That split you and everyone talks about is a bit tainted. 4/1 opener with a vg Hughes and a cocky, bumbling (errors errors and more errors) OT team getting beat as they would be 2 more times the next week. All of us knew that they were not a vg baseball team two weeks into the season.
Thus your current slotting is a bit myopic regardless of the criteria you use for placing teams within the poll.
This will hopefullly rectify itself within the next 10 days if OT performs the way they should.
Wall? They've got a date with CBA in an MCT final (which loses it's luster after hanging around, spinning aimlessly (I too can cite the weather ;^ ) like some low pressure system off the Atlantic Coast.....it comes down to who the hell cares after awhile? Get it over and move on is the mantra for those teams who have "bigger fish" to fry.
See you at the games. It's a pleasure to see an objective, knowledgable and insightful reporter come out and do what you do. Though in the latter attribute, you've brought out the "inciteful" in me.
Good luck to CBA and Ocean and let's hope that they get to play and win their respective titles at the Ravine.
To Northshore: Believe me, I thought long and hard (well, for about five min. anyway) about whether or not to flip Ocean and Wall.
However...The fact that Ocean had to run out second line pitching in that game is....a fact...not my problem. They are` still varsity pitchers, part of the team, etc.
The teams split during the season and Wall won the last meeting.
Also..Wall won the division in which Ocean plays......
Having said all this..this is still a weekly poll.
Sooooo..depending on what Wall-Ocean do from here on (Wall just has the CBA game remaining) will certainly have a bearing on the final poll..which is the biggie.
Wall has not locked up No. 2 by any means.
Actually, prior to Saturday games...any of the top six (excluding TRN) - so five really - have a shot (some more than others) at No. 1 depending on how this whole thing plays out.
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