Mariners sunk in SJ IV final
By STEVEN FALK
STAFF WRITER
TOMS RIVER There is hot, and then there is what the Washington Township High School baseball team is right now … red hot.
The Minutemen, who began the NJSIAA Tournament with a 12-9 record and as the No. 14 seed in South Jersey Group IV, blazed their way through the SJ IV bracket and won their first sectional championship since 1994 with a stunning 15-1, five-inning romp over No. 1 seed Toms River North Friday at Ryan Field.
"We've caught fire at the right time,'' said Washington Township's University of Maryland-bound right-hander Bill Rice, who threw a one-hitter with four strikeouts and nine ground ball outs.
In their four state tournament games, the Minutemen (18-11) have outscored their opponents, 35-1, and have increased their run total and margin of victory with each game.
Toms River North's unearned run in the fifth inning broke Washington Township 231/3 scoreless inning streak in the state tournament. Rice has started every one of Washinton Township's games in the state tournament and pitched 23 of the 24 innings the Minutemen have played in the tournament.
Washington Township, which won 2-0 at SJ IV No. 3 seed Toms River East May 21 in its first state tournament game, knocked Toms River North out with an eight-run second inning. That rally featured a three-run double by Mike Schatzman and a grand slam by Joe Favatella, the first of his two homers on the day.
"That's the best hitting team I've seen in my life,'' said Toms River North coach Ted Schelmay, whose team was trying to win its first sectional championship since 1997, when hard-throwing right-hander and 1998 Milwaukee Brewers' first-round draft choice J.M. Gold led the Mariners to the SJ IV title.
"They hit everything we threw up there … the curve ball, the straight ball, the knuckle curve. They hit every pitch we could think of.''
The Minutemen scored all their second inning runs with two out.
Lenny Oliveri drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the first run. Schatzman then slammed a three-run double.
After Rice was intentionally walked and cleanup batter Bob Gorski walked, Favatella crushed a 2-1 pitch into the trees beyond the left field fence for the grand slam. That knocked Mariners' senior right-hander Chad Geran (7-1), out of the box.
"I knew the ball was out, and the game was over,'' said Favatella, who added a two-run homer in the fifth inning.
For Toms River North (24-6), it was a tough ending to an outstanding season that saw it set a school-record for wins for a season.
The Mariners, who had four seniors, three juniors and two sophomores in their starting lineup Friday, also won the Shore Conference Class A South championship outright for their first outright divisional title 1991 and they advanced to the Ocean County Tournament championship game, in addition, to the SJ IV final.
"We take it one year at a time,'' said Schelmay, who concluded his 14th season as the Mariners' head coach and says he takes time after every season to decide if he wants to continue to coach. "We've got a great group of kids in the program. All three levels (freshmen, junior varsity and varsity) won convincingly this year.
"I"ll talk to my wife in the offseason and make a decision about what we do next year. The kids are there. The talent's there. That would be the key in coming back.''
STAFF WRITER
TOMS RIVER There is hot, and then there is what the Washington Township High School baseball team is right now … red hot.
The Minutemen, who began the NJSIAA Tournament with a 12-9 record and as the No. 14 seed in South Jersey Group IV, blazed their way through the SJ IV bracket and won their first sectional championship since 1994 with a stunning 15-1, five-inning romp over No. 1 seed Toms River North Friday at Ryan Field.
"We've caught fire at the right time,'' said Washington Township's University of Maryland-bound right-hander Bill Rice, who threw a one-hitter with four strikeouts and nine ground ball outs.
In their four state tournament games, the Minutemen (18-11) have outscored their opponents, 35-1, and have increased their run total and margin of victory with each game.
Toms River North's unearned run in the fifth inning broke Washington Township 231/3 scoreless inning streak in the state tournament. Rice has started every one of Washinton Township's games in the state tournament and pitched 23 of the 24 innings the Minutemen have played in the tournament.
Washington Township, which won 2-0 at SJ IV No. 3 seed Toms River East May 21 in its first state tournament game, knocked Toms River North out with an eight-run second inning. That rally featured a three-run double by Mike Schatzman and a grand slam by Joe Favatella, the first of his two homers on the day.
"That's the best hitting team I've seen in my life,'' said Toms River North coach Ted Schelmay, whose team was trying to win its first sectional championship since 1997, when hard-throwing right-hander and 1998 Milwaukee Brewers' first-round draft choice J.M. Gold led the Mariners to the SJ IV title.
"They hit everything we threw up there … the curve ball, the straight ball, the knuckle curve. They hit every pitch we could think of.''
The Minutemen scored all their second inning runs with two out.
Lenny Oliveri drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the first run. Schatzman then slammed a three-run double.
After Rice was intentionally walked and cleanup batter Bob Gorski walked, Favatella crushed a 2-1 pitch into the trees beyond the left field fence for the grand slam. That knocked Mariners' senior right-hander Chad Geran (7-1), out of the box.
"I knew the ball was out, and the game was over,'' said Favatella, who added a two-run homer in the fifth inning.
For Toms River North (24-6), it was a tough ending to an outstanding season that saw it set a school-record for wins for a season.
The Mariners, who had four seniors, three juniors and two sophomores in their starting lineup Friday, also won the Shore Conference Class A South championship outright for their first outright divisional title 1991 and they advanced to the Ocean County Tournament championship game, in addition, to the SJ IV final.
"We take it one year at a time,'' said Schelmay, who concluded his 14th season as the Mariners' head coach and says he takes time after every season to decide if he wants to continue to coach. "We've got a great group of kids in the program. All three levels (freshmen, junior varsity and varsity) won convincingly this year.
"I"ll talk to my wife in the offseason and make a decision about what we do next year. The kids are there. The talent's there. That would be the key in coming back.''
posted by Tony Graham at 4:19 PM
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