Stormin Norman/Kyle Norman's catch and throw home preserves Ocean win in CJ III final
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN - Late Friday afternoon Kyle Norman of Ocean Township took a glance at a sign on the school's leftfield fence which lists the school's four prior NJSIAA sectional championships including last season.
""I guess we need a bigger sign now,'' said the senior second baseman.
It will because his difficult catch of a tailing pop foul and ensuing throw to the plate cut down the potential tying run to preserve a tense 1-0 victory over Allentown in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship game.
Norman made a running, back-to-the-plate snag in foul territory behind first base. He then whirled and threw to catcher Tony DeSantis.
DeSantis made a swipe tag in a cloud of dust to nail Allentown courtesy runner Josh Howell delighting the home fans at Robert Olshan Memorial Field.
""I didn't know where I was on the field but I knew if I caught it, I was going to go straight home with it,'' said Norman.
""An awesome play,'' said winning pitcher Eric Hinkle. ""Probably the play of the year by our team.''
Norman said Ocean first baseman Keith Weinkofsky was yelling "Four, four, four (home plate) just in case I forgot,'' laughed Norman.
""I don't know how he ever caught that thing,'' said DeSantis. ""I think the catch was more amazing than the tag.
""I just slid into him (Howell) and tagged him before he touched the plate.''
Ocean (24-5) , looking to reach the Group III final for a second year in a row, will meet Seneca (18-8), an 11-0 winner over West Deptford Friday, in Tuesday's Group III semifinal at the College of New Jersey. The game is tentatively set for 4 p.m.
It also hosts Colts Neck (20-7) 2 p.m. Saturday in a semifinal of the Shore Conference Tournament where it is the defending champion.
""That's (the play by Norman) impossible,'' said Ocean coach Del Dal Pra who said Norman, normally a shortstop, has pitched so much ""his arm has been bothering him.
""He uncorked one (throw) today though and that's all we needed,'' Dal Pra said.
Hinkle (6-1), who struck out seven and walked one (the first batter of the game), allowed two hits over five innings.
He yielded two more in the sixth when leftfielder Neal Yaffe cut down a base runner rounding second to end the inning.
""That was one of the game-breakers we had,'' said Hinkle. ""It was momentum changing, it meant a lot.''
Ethan Perro singled to left to open the seventh for Allentown (16-6), losing pitcher Chris Kubik (4-2) bunted safely for a hit, and Vin Pugliese sacrificed runners along.
""I was tired (at the end) but I wasn't thinking about it,'' said Hinkle.
Allentown which had no-hit Wall Tuesday in a semifinal game, had another one going Friday behind Kubik, a senior left-hander.
With one out in the fifth Sean Fox doubled and slid home ahead of a throw from right field following a single by Yaffe, the ninth-place hitter.
Dal Pra said he was nervous that Ocean, with 23 wins before Friday, had not yet won a championship in 2007.
""We lost in B North and in Monmouth County,'' he said. ""We want the Group III (championship). I'm not going to lie. We put our eggs in that basket.''
He said his pitcher for the Colts Neck game was undecided and that he was hoping Norman might be ready by Tuesday.
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN - Late Friday afternoon Kyle Norman of Ocean Township took a glance at a sign on the school's leftfield fence which lists the school's four prior NJSIAA sectional championships including last season.
""I guess we need a bigger sign now,'' said the senior second baseman.
It will because his difficult catch of a tailing pop foul and ensuing throw to the plate cut down the potential tying run to preserve a tense 1-0 victory over Allentown in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship game.
Norman made a running, back-to-the-plate snag in foul territory behind first base. He then whirled and threw to catcher Tony DeSantis.
DeSantis made a swipe tag in a cloud of dust to nail Allentown courtesy runner Josh Howell delighting the home fans at Robert Olshan Memorial Field.
""I didn't know where I was on the field but I knew if I caught it, I was going to go straight home with it,'' said Norman.
""An awesome play,'' said winning pitcher Eric Hinkle. ""Probably the play of the year by our team.''
Norman said Ocean first baseman Keith Weinkofsky was yelling "Four, four, four (home plate) just in case I forgot,'' laughed Norman.
""I don't know how he ever caught that thing,'' said DeSantis. ""I think the catch was more amazing than the tag.
""I just slid into him (Howell) and tagged him before he touched the plate.''
Ocean (24-5) , looking to reach the Group III final for a second year in a row, will meet Seneca (18-8), an 11-0 winner over West Deptford Friday, in Tuesday's Group III semifinal at the College of New Jersey. The game is tentatively set for 4 p.m.
It also hosts Colts Neck (20-7) 2 p.m. Saturday in a semifinal of the Shore Conference Tournament where it is the defending champion.
""That's (the play by Norman) impossible,'' said Ocean coach Del Dal Pra who said Norman, normally a shortstop, has pitched so much ""his arm has been bothering him.
""He uncorked one (throw) today though and that's all we needed,'' Dal Pra said.
Hinkle (6-1), who struck out seven and walked one (the first batter of the game), allowed two hits over five innings.
He yielded two more in the sixth when leftfielder Neal Yaffe cut down a base runner rounding second to end the inning.
""That was one of the game-breakers we had,'' said Hinkle. ""It was momentum changing, it meant a lot.''
Ethan Perro singled to left to open the seventh for Allentown (16-6), losing pitcher Chris Kubik (4-2) bunted safely for a hit, and Vin Pugliese sacrificed runners along.
""I was tired (at the end) but I wasn't thinking about it,'' said Hinkle.
Allentown which had no-hit Wall Tuesday in a semifinal game, had another one going Friday behind Kubik, a senior left-hander.
With one out in the fifth Sean Fox doubled and slid home ahead of a throw from right field following a single by Yaffe, the ninth-place hitter.
Dal Pra said he was nervous that Ocean, with 23 wins before Friday, had not yet won a championship in 2007.
""We lost in B North and in Monmouth County,'' he said. ""We want the Group III (championship). I'm not going to lie. We put our eggs in that basket.''
He said his pitcher for the Colts Neck game was undecided and that he was hoping Norman might be ready by Tuesday.
posted by Tony Graham at 6:34 PM
1 Comments:
GOING TO THE COLLEGE SIDE I AM IMPRESSED WITH MONMOUTH U WHO ARE HANGING TOUGH WITH ARIZONA ST.
1-1 TIE IN THE 5TH
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