Three outs too many
I just wanted to say -as I alluded to briefly in the story - how upstanding it was of Rosenkranz to talk about the fateful 12th inning.
All you read about are these pro athletes who after a losing game hide in the trainer's room, offer no comment, etc. etc. They're making millions and sometimes I don't think they care half as much as their fans.
Here was a high school kid who cared a heck of a lot and still found the class and composure to answer the post game questions.
This marks the first time since 2000 the Shore Conference did not send at least one team to the baseball state championships.
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
EWING - Three outs.
That's all the Ocean Township High School baseball team, which had just scored three runs in the top of the 12th inning, needed to defeat Seneca in Tuesday's NJSIAA Group III semifinal at the College of New Jersey.
Three outs.
That's all it needed to be playing Saturday in the Group III championship game for a second year in a row.
It needed three outs. It didn't get any.
""I was thinking three outs and we're back in Toms River,'' said Ocean junior Jamie Rosenkranz. ""But obviously Seneca had other things in mind.''
The Golden Eagles erupted for four runs in the bottom of the inning to yank Ocean's Toms River plans out from under it with a stunning 5-4 victory.
Rosenkranz, who took over for starter Kyle Norman in the bottom of the eighth, absorbed the brunt of the 12th inning barrage that began with an infield error and included an intentional walk.
In the inning Seneca (19-8) rapped five hits capped by Troy Foster's bases-loaded RBI single to deep right with none out off reliever Eric Hinkle.
In a scene many professionals could learn from, Rosenkranz after the game camly answered questions from a battery of reporters.
""I let my team down today,'' he said and said he felt especially bad for seniors Keith Weinkofsky, Norman, and Hinkle.
""That's shame,''said Rosenkranz. ""I wanted to see Keith, and Eric, and Norman have their last game in Toms River for the state final.
""And I let them down.''
Not entirely. After Norman allowed just two hits after the first inning through the seventh, Rosenkranz preserved the tie.
He then lashed a single through the middle off towering lefty ace Dan Grovatt (9-0) of Seneca that snapped the 1-1 deadlock in the 12th.
When Willie Rodriguez scored on a Hinkle ground ball and Rosenkranz on a wild pitch the issue appeared to be settled.
""I didn't hit my spots in the 12th,'' said Rosenkranz. ""That's when it mattered.''
Seneca coach Dave Lafferty, who has been coaching baseball and basketball for 30 years, said he had never seen anything like what happened Tuesday.
"'(We're down) 4-1 against those guys,'' Lafferty said looking over at the crestfallen dugout of Ocean (24-7) in which coach Del Dal Pra sat motionless, staring at the floor.
""Let's face it we're dead, ball game's over,'' said Lafferty. ''"Then all of a sudden we just came alive. I thought we were hitting the ball hard in the eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th (innings). But we couldn't find a hole. All of a sudden we did. What an improbable ending.''
""They let me live another day,'' said Grovatt. ""I thank my team for that.''
The tall, fireballing, senior, who has signed with the University of Virginia, struck out eight in 6.1 innings of relief.
In his final game Ocean slugger Keith Weinkofsky who this year set a new Shore Conference career home run with 30, seemed to have tears in his as he talked after the game.
Weinkofsky went 0-for-2 with three walks, two intentional.
""We got three runs and I thought we were going to walk off this field with a victory,'' said Weinkofsky. ""But the tides turned.
"'We were so close (to going to the Group III final),'' he said. ""But we had a great year. I'm proud of what we did.''
Grovatt pulled an RBI triple into the rightfield corner for Seneca in the first inning.
Seneca starter Sam Pepper held the lead until Ocean's Tony DeSantis bounced a two-out RBI single up the middle in the sixth.
Ocean (24-7) 000 001 000 003 - 4 6 1
Seneca (19-8) 100 000 000 004 - 5 9 1
2B: (O) Norman. (S): Giberson, Flynn. 3B: Grovatt.
WP - Grovatt (9-0). LP: Rosenkranz (6-3).
All you read about are these pro athletes who after a losing game hide in the trainer's room, offer no comment, etc. etc. They're making millions and sometimes I don't think they care half as much as their fans.
Here was a high school kid who cared a heck of a lot and still found the class and composure to answer the post game questions.
This marks the first time since 2000 the Shore Conference did not send at least one team to the baseball state championships.
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
EWING - Three outs.
That's all the Ocean Township High School baseball team, which had just scored three runs in the top of the 12th inning, needed to defeat Seneca in Tuesday's NJSIAA Group III semifinal at the College of New Jersey.
Three outs.
That's all it needed to be playing Saturday in the Group III championship game for a second year in a row.
It needed three outs. It didn't get any.
""I was thinking three outs and we're back in Toms River,'' said Ocean junior Jamie Rosenkranz. ""But obviously Seneca had other things in mind.''
The Golden Eagles erupted for four runs in the bottom of the inning to yank Ocean's Toms River plans out from under it with a stunning 5-4 victory.
Rosenkranz, who took over for starter Kyle Norman in the bottom of the eighth, absorbed the brunt of the 12th inning barrage that began with an infield error and included an intentional walk.
In the inning Seneca (19-8) rapped five hits capped by Troy Foster's bases-loaded RBI single to deep right with none out off reliever Eric Hinkle.
In a scene many professionals could learn from, Rosenkranz after the game camly answered questions from a battery of reporters.
""I let my team down today,'' he said and said he felt especially bad for seniors Keith Weinkofsky, Norman, and Hinkle.
""That's shame,''said Rosenkranz. ""I wanted to see Keith, and Eric, and Norman have their last game in Toms River for the state final.
""And I let them down.''
Not entirely. After Norman allowed just two hits after the first inning through the seventh, Rosenkranz preserved the tie.
He then lashed a single through the middle off towering lefty ace Dan Grovatt (9-0) of Seneca that snapped the 1-1 deadlock in the 12th.
When Willie Rodriguez scored on a Hinkle ground ball and Rosenkranz on a wild pitch the issue appeared to be settled.
""I didn't hit my spots in the 12th,'' said Rosenkranz. ""That's when it mattered.''
Seneca coach Dave Lafferty, who has been coaching baseball and basketball for 30 years, said he had never seen anything like what happened Tuesday.
"'(We're down) 4-1 against those guys,'' Lafferty said looking over at the crestfallen dugout of Ocean (24-7) in which coach Del Dal Pra sat motionless, staring at the floor.
""Let's face it we're dead, ball game's over,'' said Lafferty. ''"Then all of a sudden we just came alive. I thought we were hitting the ball hard in the eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th (innings). But we couldn't find a hole. All of a sudden we did. What an improbable ending.''
""They let me live another day,'' said Grovatt. ""I thank my team for that.''
The tall, fireballing, senior, who has signed with the University of Virginia, struck out eight in 6.1 innings of relief.
In his final game Ocean slugger Keith Weinkofsky who this year set a new Shore Conference career home run with 30, seemed to have tears in his as he talked after the game.
Weinkofsky went 0-for-2 with three walks, two intentional.
""We got three runs and I thought we were going to walk off this field with a victory,'' said Weinkofsky. ""But the tides turned.
"'We were so close (to going to the Group III final),'' he said. ""But we had a great year. I'm proud of what we did.''
Grovatt pulled an RBI triple into the rightfield corner for Seneca in the first inning.
Seneca starter Sam Pepper held the lead until Ocean's Tony DeSantis bounced a two-out RBI single up the middle in the sixth.
Ocean (24-7) 000 001 000 003 - 4 6 1
Seneca (19-8) 100 000 000 004 - 5 9 1
2B: (O) Norman. (S): Giberson, Flynn. 3B: Grovatt.
WP - Grovatt (9-0). LP: Rosenkranz (6-3).
posted by Tony Graham at 7:09 PM
6 Comments:
im sad ill have nothing to do in my afternoons anymore...congrats to norman, hinkle, weinkofsky for a great year
That was a tough way to go..that's for sure.
Having two local teams go out like that (difficult circumstances) on the same day was jolting.
Congrat to OT on another great year. Even though every one had OT preseason #1 we all knew it was going to be an uphill battle with only 3 starting Seniors but kids like Rosencrantz (you said it all about his make up Tony ) DaSilva, DeSantis, Yaffi, Katska, Willie, Victor D, and a host of others made this a very memorible year and Coach Del's 6th striaght 20 win season..You'll be hard pressed to find that stat matched anywhere in the shore.
What can you say about that senior class Norman 8-0 on the mound, Hinkle 6-2 with many, many highlights at the plate and then there's THE TUNA . May be a while before you can re-write that record 30 Bombs whew
Juliano from Shore has a pretty decent shot at breaking the record, I would think.
Re Todd Juliano..stat wise it certainly appears realistic..had that one stretch of eight in seven games...
I would think he could have a shot hitting against the Burg, AP and the like but my moneys on the number 30 to stay awhile..even the coaches in Shore's division will opt out of throwing to Julliano at some point...I'd feel better about the Shore kid hitting HR's if the Blue Devils played in more highlighted games in the MCT, SCT and States
What did Winkofsky have like 15 or so "Post Season" dinggers??? quite an accomplishment
YEA COUGARS RULE !!!!!!!!!!!
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