Raritan downs Shore in SCT
Rockets late season blast off continues
BY STEVEN FALK
STAFF WRITER
WEST LONG BRANCH - Hitting was contagious Friday for the Raritan High School baseball team in its Shore Conference Tournament first-round game against Shore Regional.
""As soon as one guy started hitting, everyone else started hitting,'' said Rockets' senior shortstop Marc Zecchino. ""It was just a momentum builder.''
By the time 18th-seeded Raritan finishing rocketing balls all over Shore's field, it had 20 hits, 10 doubles and a 16-6, six-inning victory that earned it a date at No. 2 seed Christian Brothers Academy in a Round of 16 game this week.
Eight of the nine players in the Rockets' lineup had at least one hit.
Four players had at least three hits, led by Charlie Rivera, who had four hits and two RBI.
Joe Doerrer, winning pitcher Ed Martin and Chris Clayton each had two doubles, with Clayton driving in two runs with each of his two-baggers and Martin driving in a combined three runs with his doubles. Seven players had at least one two-bagger.
Raritan (13-8), which has won six of its last six since a 7-6 loss to Shore in a Monmouth County Tournament quarterfinal on May 4, scored in five of the six innings and had three four-run innings.
That was more than enough to offset a five-run outburst by Shore in the third that was capped by a two-run home run by John Kuhlthau.
""There's a couple of kids in our lineup, who in the past five games, have been hitting non-stop,'' said Zecchino, who had three hits, including a two-run home run and a two-run double. ""Basically, one through nine, we've been hitting great.
""It's a real confidence builder when you see the kid before you get a hit. Then, you want to get a hit. It just keeps going through that way.''
One of the Rockets, who has been on a tear lately is senior second baseman and No. 8 batter Kevin Yorks, who according to head coach T.J. O'Donnell is 11-for-his-last-12 after a 3-for-4 day Friday.
""When you get guys at the bottom of the order that get on base for the guys at the top and middle of the order, that's when you score a lot of runs,'' said O'Donnell, who himself was a standout hitter during his playing days at Raritan.
Another factor that is helping the Raritan lineup is that the Virginia Tech-bound Zecchino is now healthy after suffering from back problems that prevented him from pitching in the early part of the season.
""There's a few difference makers in the Shore Conference, and I really honestly feel that he's one of them,'' O'Donnell said.
""He's the best guy I've ever coached. The guys look to him. He carries himself like a leader, and it definitely wears off on the other guys.''
Raritan will be looking to Zecchino on the mound Monday when it makes its third trip to Shore in an 18-day span. This time, the two teams will meet in a NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II first-round game.
""It will be fun. I'm feeling good right now,'' Zecchino said.
BY STEVEN FALK
STAFF WRITER
WEST LONG BRANCH - Hitting was contagious Friday for the Raritan High School baseball team in its Shore Conference Tournament first-round game against Shore Regional.
""As soon as one guy started hitting, everyone else started hitting,'' said Rockets' senior shortstop Marc Zecchino. ""It was just a momentum builder.''
By the time 18th-seeded Raritan finishing rocketing balls all over Shore's field, it had 20 hits, 10 doubles and a 16-6, six-inning victory that earned it a date at No. 2 seed Christian Brothers Academy in a Round of 16 game this week.
Eight of the nine players in the Rockets' lineup had at least one hit.
Four players had at least three hits, led by Charlie Rivera, who had four hits and two RBI.
Joe Doerrer, winning pitcher Ed Martin and Chris Clayton each had two doubles, with Clayton driving in two runs with each of his two-baggers and Martin driving in a combined three runs with his doubles. Seven players had at least one two-bagger.
Raritan (13-8), which has won six of its last six since a 7-6 loss to Shore in a Monmouth County Tournament quarterfinal on May 4, scored in five of the six innings and had three four-run innings.
That was more than enough to offset a five-run outburst by Shore in the third that was capped by a two-run home run by John Kuhlthau.
""There's a couple of kids in our lineup, who in the past five games, have been hitting non-stop,'' said Zecchino, who had three hits, including a two-run home run and a two-run double. ""Basically, one through nine, we've been hitting great.
""It's a real confidence builder when you see the kid before you get a hit. Then, you want to get a hit. It just keeps going through that way.''
One of the Rockets, who has been on a tear lately is senior second baseman and No. 8 batter Kevin Yorks, who according to head coach T.J. O'Donnell is 11-for-his-last-12 after a 3-for-4 day Friday.
""When you get guys at the bottom of the order that get on base for the guys at the top and middle of the order, that's when you score a lot of runs,'' said O'Donnell, who himself was a standout hitter during his playing days at Raritan.
Another factor that is helping the Raritan lineup is that the Virginia Tech-bound Zecchino is now healthy after suffering from back problems that prevented him from pitching in the early part of the season.
""There's a few difference makers in the Shore Conference, and I really honestly feel that he's one of them,'' O'Donnell said.
""He's the best guy I've ever coached. The guys look to him. He carries himself like a leader, and it definitely wears off on the other guys.''
Raritan will be looking to Zecchino on the mound Monday when it makes its third trip to Shore in an 18-day span. This time, the two teams will meet in a NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II first-round game.
""It will be fun. I'm feeling good right now,'' Zecchino said.
posted by Tony Graham at 5:27 PM
4 Comments:
where are the stats for softball and baseball in the paper?
We expect to run them Sunday this week (as noted on an earlier blog)....thanks for asking.
That kid Zecchino is a winner. Great arm on the mound, he mashes, and he's got a great glove at shortstop especially for an average sized kid. He is a great kid to have on a team, I would like to see him throw a big game for Raritan, he's quite a competitor.
I think he'll get his chance on the mound now that apparently his back is better.
Raritan is a team that has a chance to go deep into states and cause havoc in the SCT.
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