Rockets in blast off mode/full coverage of surging Raritan in the NJSIAA Tournament
by By STEVEN FALK
STAFF WRITER
RUMSON - Confident and relaxed.
It is what the Raritan baseball team is these days, now that senior Marc Zecchino is fully recovered from the back woes that prevented him from pitching much during the first six weeks of the season.
"Everybody is hot,'' said Zecchino, after the surging Rockets roared to a 14-3, five-inning win over Rumson-Fair Haven Friday in a NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II quarterfinal-round game.
Zecchino is one of those who is hot.
Friday, he got the Rockets (15-8) started with a three-run opposite field home run to right center in the first. He also had an RBI single in the fourth.
On the mound, he struck out nine and had his fastball clocked at 90 miles per hour by a pair of Major League scouts as he made his second start of the week.
Rumson (15-6) had swept the regular season series from Raritan on its way to the Shore Conference Class A Central championship.
Zecchino, troubled by the bad back, did not pitch in either of the Rumson games.
"Marc makes all the difference in the world,'' said Rumson coach Kevin James. "They're a nice ballclub without Marc. With a healthy Marc in the mix on the mound and at the plate, they're a top five team in Group II and a top six team in the Shore.
"They're a lethal ballclub with him. He's a difference-maker. You don't see many of them in a coaching career.''
"The warm weather helps (Zecchino's back),'' said Raritan coach T.J. O'Donnell.
The Virginia Tech-bound Zecchino said it was frustrating not being able to help his teammates pitching-wise early in the season.
"It was aggravating,'' Zecchino said.
The Rockets were 8-8 after a 7-6 loss to Shore Regional in a Monmouth County Tournament game May 4.
They have won seven straight since, including two lopsided wins over Shore. They have scored 67 runs in their last five games and won four of them via the 10-run rule.
"We just started hitting and kept on rolling,'' said catcher Dave Shrum, whose three-run, opposite field homer to right center in the third gave Raritan a 7-0 lead.
O'Donnell said a 12-4 win over Colts Neck on May 14 is when everything came together.
That was the day Zecchino came in and pitched four innings of relief.
"With Marc being able to pitch, our guys feel they can win,'' O'Donnell said.
Eleventh-seeded Raritan, which will play at No. 2 seed Spotswood Tuesday in a CJ II semifinal, had 12 hits yesterday and has 48 in its last three games. Eight of the nine players in the lineup had at least one hit.
Leadoff batter Joe Doerrer had two hits and scored three runs. Tom Evancho had two run-scoring doubles and Chris Clayton had two hits and two RBI.
"I think we have the confidence to take it a long way,'' said Zecchino, who will likely be on the mound Tuesday.
"I feel like we can do a lot in the states,'' Shrum said.
"They're a club that has a chance to win it all,'' James said.
STAFF WRITER
RUMSON - Confident and relaxed.
It is what the Raritan baseball team is these days, now that senior Marc Zecchino is fully recovered from the back woes that prevented him from pitching much during the first six weeks of the season.
"Everybody is hot,'' said Zecchino, after the surging Rockets roared to a 14-3, five-inning win over Rumson-Fair Haven Friday in a NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II quarterfinal-round game.
Zecchino is one of those who is hot.
Friday, he got the Rockets (15-8) started with a three-run opposite field home run to right center in the first. He also had an RBI single in the fourth.
On the mound, he struck out nine and had his fastball clocked at 90 miles per hour by a pair of Major League scouts as he made his second start of the week.
Rumson (15-6) had swept the regular season series from Raritan on its way to the Shore Conference Class A Central championship.
Zecchino, troubled by the bad back, did not pitch in either of the Rumson games.
"Marc makes all the difference in the world,'' said Rumson coach Kevin James. "They're a nice ballclub without Marc. With a healthy Marc in the mix on the mound and at the plate, they're a top five team in Group II and a top six team in the Shore.
"They're a lethal ballclub with him. He's a difference-maker. You don't see many of them in a coaching career.''
"The warm weather helps (Zecchino's back),'' said Raritan coach T.J. O'Donnell.
The Virginia Tech-bound Zecchino said it was frustrating not being able to help his teammates pitching-wise early in the season.
"It was aggravating,'' Zecchino said.
The Rockets were 8-8 after a 7-6 loss to Shore Regional in a Monmouth County Tournament game May 4.
They have won seven straight since, including two lopsided wins over Shore. They have scored 67 runs in their last five games and won four of them via the 10-run rule.
"We just started hitting and kept on rolling,'' said catcher Dave Shrum, whose three-run, opposite field homer to right center in the third gave Raritan a 7-0 lead.
O'Donnell said a 12-4 win over Colts Neck on May 14 is when everything came together.
That was the day Zecchino came in and pitched four innings of relief.
"With Marc being able to pitch, our guys feel they can win,'' O'Donnell said.
Eleventh-seeded Raritan, which will play at No. 2 seed Spotswood Tuesday in a CJ II semifinal, had 12 hits yesterday and has 48 in its last three games. Eight of the nine players in the lineup had at least one hit.
Leadoff batter Joe Doerrer had two hits and scored three runs. Tom Evancho had two run-scoring doubles and Chris Clayton had two hits and two RBI.
"I think we have the confidence to take it a long way,'' said Zecchino, who will likely be on the mound Tuesday.
"I feel like we can do a lot in the states,'' Shrum said.
"They're a club that has a chance to win it all,'' James said.
posted by Tony Graham at 5:44 PM
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