Mercer bows out in first round of Carpenter Cup
PHILADELPHIA » Ever since claiming the Carpenter Cup championship in 2013, the Mercer County team hasn’t been able recapture that same magic.
The boys from the Colonial Valley Conference bowed out in the first round for the fourth straight year, twice coughing up the lead in a 5-3 loss to Tri Cape on Thursday morning at FDR Park in Philadelphia.
“The more you play into the tournament then the camaraderie builds even more and it becomes this whole all-star atmosphere where you can’t wait to get back and play,” head coach Brian Giallella said.
Mercer won’t have that opportunity after South Jersey’s Tri Cape broke a tie game with a pair of runs in the eighth inning.
Absegami’s Sam Daggers lined an 0-2 offering from Nottingham’s Nick Houghton into right-center for an RBI double and 4-3 lead. St. Augustine’s Josh Hood added another run-scoring double two batters later.
“It was an honor to wear Mercer on my chest, but it stings a little bit because you want to move on,” said Princeton junior Paul Cooke, who went 2-for-2. “Having this experience to play out here with these guys was great.”
Mercer jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second after Cooke singled with one out and sprinted around the bases on a double by Steinert’s Drayven Kowalski (2-for-2).
After Tri Cape went in front 2-1 thanks to some shaky Mercer defense, Cooke delivered a two-out RBI single up the middle to tie the game in the fourth.
“I want to keep it rolling into the summer season,” Cooke said. “To have two hits against some quality arms out there, that’s big for me. I was trying to keep my approach and stay up the middle. It worked out for me today.”
The local team took a 3-2 advantage one inning later when Hopewell Valley’s Jeff Bartlett worked a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a wild pitch and passed ball. He scored after a throw by the Tri Cape pitcher trying to pick him off a third skipped away from the third baseman.
Allentown’s Colton Johnson tossed two scoreless frames in relief of West Windsor South’s Karan Singh to keep Mercer in front, but Tri Cape got even in the seventh against Nottingham’s Ronnie Voacolo.
Highland’s Dylan Maria exacted some revenge against the CVC with a two-out RBI double. Maria and the Tartans lost to eventual state champion Allentown in the Group III semifinals.
“You hope to get to that second game because you get everyone an opportunity to play,” Giallella said. “We had a couple pitchers who didn’t have a chance to play, but with a close game toward the end, I have to keep guys (available) in case there are going to be extra innings.
“We had all the guys show up and everybody looked the part and played hard. It’s an honor to make this team and I hope they’re proud to say they did.”
The players, win or lose, enjoy teaming up with each other.
“You’re playing hard against them the entire year and a lot of these guys, you realize you have a lot in common with them when you put on the same uniform,” Cooke said. “It’s a great experience.”