A.J. (Rusbarsky) leads Colts Neck all the way..to its first SCT final
By By STEVEN FALK
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN TOWNSHIP - A.J. Rusbarsky had not been completely happy with the way he had swung the bat this season.
"I've been kind of struggling this year,'' said Rusbarsky, a senior shortstop at Colts Neck High School.
If Rusbarsky had been "struggling'', he certainly is not anymore.
On Saturday, he slammed two home runs, went 4-for-4, scored three runs, including the game-winner, and teamed up with pitcher Dom Hayes to execute a key pickoff play at second base as Colts Neck upended defending Shore Conference Tournament champion Ocean, 5-4, in a SCT semifinal.
The Cougars (21-7) will make their first appearance in the SCT championship game in the program's nine-year history Wednesday at 7 p.m., when they play Shore Conference Class A North rival Christian Brothers Academy (24-4) at FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood.
Rusbarsky had not been happy with his season-long performance even though he entered Saturday's game with a .417 batting average.
"The past couple of days, I've been taking some extra swings,'' Rusbarsky said. "It felt good to be able to contribute to my team.''
"Struggling for him is not getting clean line drives,'' said Colts Neck coach Mike Yorke. "He's such an intense competitor, who wants to be first in everything. He doesn't want one of those bleeder hits, he wants a line drive.''
Rusbarsky, who began Saturday with one homer for the season, smacked a solo homer to left in the top of the first and another solo homer to left-center to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the third. He doubled to right center with one out in the top of the fourth and eventually scored to break a 4-4 tie on a two-out wild pitch on a strikeout. He singled to left to lead off the sixth.
But, a play that was every bit as big as the four hits came when Rusbarsky and winning pitcher Dom Hayes (51/3 innings of four-hit relief) executed a pickoff play at second with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Rusbarsky said the play was his call.
"That's something me and Dom have always done. We work on it all the time,'' Rusbarsky said. "It was based on the lead the runner had.''
"Their shortstop (Rusbarsky) was incredible (Saturday),'' said Ocean coach Del Dal Pra. "If he's not All-Shore, I don't who it is.''
Colts Neck either picked off or threw out four Ocean baserunners. Catcher Mike O'Reilly gunned down two runners at second in the first.
And in the bottom of the seenth, left fielder Joe DeNora and O'Reilly teamed up to throw out what would have been tying run in a rundown after the Ocean baserunner ran through Dal Pra's stop sign on Kyle Norman's one-out single to left and then stumbled after he saw DeNora's throw to the plate.
"I've made a living this year at throwing guys out at home plate,'' DeNora said. "I knew I had to make a throw to home, and I made a pretty good one, but Mike O'Reilly made a great play because the ball took a wicked hop off the lip.''
"I know Joe has a great arm. When he fired that ball in and I saw the ball and the runner coming at me, 'I said, 'He's out,'' said Hayes, who was backing up home on the play.''
For Ocean (24-6), Saturday concluded a five-game in five-day stretch that stretched its pitching to the point where it used three pitchers who are not regular members of its rotation Saturday.
The Spartans have two days to get their pitching in order for Tuesday's NJSIAA Group III semifinal game against Seneca (18-8) at The College of New Jersey, Ewing.
Colts Neck will be attempting to avenge two regular season defeats to CBA, when it sends junior right-hander Anthony DeSclafani to the mound in the SCT final.
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN TOWNSHIP - A.J. Rusbarsky had not been completely happy with the way he had swung the bat this season.
"I've been kind of struggling this year,'' said Rusbarsky, a senior shortstop at Colts Neck High School.
If Rusbarsky had been "struggling'', he certainly is not anymore.
On Saturday, he slammed two home runs, went 4-for-4, scored three runs, including the game-winner, and teamed up with pitcher Dom Hayes to execute a key pickoff play at second base as Colts Neck upended defending Shore Conference Tournament champion Ocean, 5-4, in a SCT semifinal.
The Cougars (21-7) will make their first appearance in the SCT championship game in the program's nine-year history Wednesday at 7 p.m., when they play Shore Conference Class A North rival Christian Brothers Academy (24-4) at FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood.
Rusbarsky had not been happy with his season-long performance even though he entered Saturday's game with a .417 batting average.
"The past couple of days, I've been taking some extra swings,'' Rusbarsky said. "It felt good to be able to contribute to my team.''
"Struggling for him is not getting clean line drives,'' said Colts Neck coach Mike Yorke. "He's such an intense competitor, who wants to be first in everything. He doesn't want one of those bleeder hits, he wants a line drive.''
Rusbarsky, who began Saturday with one homer for the season, smacked a solo homer to left in the top of the first and another solo homer to left-center to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the third. He doubled to right center with one out in the top of the fourth and eventually scored to break a 4-4 tie on a two-out wild pitch on a strikeout. He singled to left to lead off the sixth.
But, a play that was every bit as big as the four hits came when Rusbarsky and winning pitcher Dom Hayes (51/3 innings of four-hit relief) executed a pickoff play at second with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Rusbarsky said the play was his call.
"That's something me and Dom have always done. We work on it all the time,'' Rusbarsky said. "It was based on the lead the runner had.''
"Their shortstop (Rusbarsky) was incredible (Saturday),'' said Ocean coach Del Dal Pra. "If he's not All-Shore, I don't who it is.''
Colts Neck either picked off or threw out four Ocean baserunners. Catcher Mike O'Reilly gunned down two runners at second in the first.
And in the bottom of the seenth, left fielder Joe DeNora and O'Reilly teamed up to throw out what would have been tying run in a rundown after the Ocean baserunner ran through Dal Pra's stop sign on Kyle Norman's one-out single to left and then stumbled after he saw DeNora's throw to the plate.
"I've made a living this year at throwing guys out at home plate,'' DeNora said. "I knew I had to make a throw to home, and I made a pretty good one, but Mike O'Reilly made a great play because the ball took a wicked hop off the lip.''
"I know Joe has a great arm. When he fired that ball in and I saw the ball and the runner coming at me, 'I said, 'He's out,'' said Hayes, who was backing up home on the play.''
For Ocean (24-6), Saturday concluded a five-game in five-day stretch that stretched its pitching to the point where it used three pitchers who are not regular members of its rotation Saturday.
The Spartans have two days to get their pitching in order for Tuesday's NJSIAA Group III semifinal game against Seneca (18-8) at The College of New Jersey, Ewing.
Colts Neck will be attempting to avenge two regular season defeats to CBA, when it sends junior right-hander Anthony DeSclafani to the mound in the SCT final.
posted by Tony Graham at 4:03 PM
3 Comments:
great game and two of the niceest coaches in the shore conference!! good luck to both this week
Tony I was a little disapointed with the press write up on the CN--OT game..There were more story lilnes than a NYY--Boston Red Sox game..
AJ Rubarski proved that without a doubt he's a 1st team all stater not just with his bat but he robbed OT (I think Hinkle's rocket into the 6 hole in the in the 6th was the best play) a couple of OT base hits and turned them into outs. I'm thinking 2nd base in the Big East would probable fit him to a tee.
Many turning points in the game, a botched 3 strike drop by Tuna gave CN a run late and then Ocean comes right back and and converts 2 plays at the plate with Winkofsky scooping up both short hop throws to nail CN runners at the plate
Pick off at 2nd on a timing play by AJ and Hayes, and the kid running through Coach Dal Pra's stop sign in the last of the 7th to get nailed at the plate. If he stops at 3rd OT goes with 1st & 3rd, 1 out with DaSilva, Winkofsky and Rosecrantz coming up, even if DaSilva makes an out does CN walk Tuna to load em up, pushing the potential winning run to 2nd and face Rosencranz??? Thats why coaches get paid the big bucks!!!
It was a very entertainng game with many turns and twists Good luck to CN vs CBA
Steve Falk covered the CN-OT game and is a very accomplished writer.
To my thinking, a focus on AJ was a good story line.
In any game, especially one like that, as you note there are many twists and turns - but from a writer's perspective they are virtually impossible to delve into at any length due to space limitations.
But thank you for reading..
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