Ewing outlasts Lawrence in marathon game

LAWRENCE » Wins are something that the Ewing Post 314 and Lawrence Post 414 baseball teams believe have not been happening enough for them this summer.

Even though their seasons seem to be going in different directions, Ewing and Lawrence both put themselves in position to do that Wednesday night at Mike Pezzicola Field in Eggerts Crossing Park.

For close to four hours, these two Mercer County American Legion League teams went at each other with the fervor of any neighboring rivalry.

And just when it looked as though Post 314 was on its way to its second victory of the 2017 season, Post 414 rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh, then scored another with two strikes and two outs in the bottom of the ninth to survive, 7-6.

For Steve Kop, the rising Lawrence High senior who singled in the ninth to drive in Anthony Russo with the winning run, the focus was simple.

“To me, it’s just about playing baseball; trying to play the game the way we are supposed to do it,” Kop said of the win which gave his team a 6-5 record in league play. “I waited back and said to myself, ‘I want to hit this ball. I want to get this game over.’”

Kop’s first single of the night was a back-breaker for a 1-10 Ewing squad, which deserved a better fate. But when Russo beat out an infield hit with one out in the ninth, then moved all the way to third base on a wild pitch as Joey Hiner struck out, it gave Post 414 a chance to avoid getting upset.

Post 314 seemed to have everything going its way when Tristan Ryan (3-for-3, three runs batted in) doubled in Jake Storer (single, stolen base) with one out in the top of the seventh to give the visitors a 6-3 lead. Ryan also avoided getting picked off at second base by ranging around a rundown and diving back into second, only to have his shoulder pop out of socket on the dive.

The loss of their 19-yearold leader, who was having a spectacular summer and game, may have had a temporary effect on Ewing. In the bottom of the seventh, Lawrence loaded the bases with one out, then scored when Trevor Delcampe was hit by a pitch, Russo beat out another infield single and courtesy runner Colin D’Angelo scampered home on a wild pitch to knot the score at 6.

“Tristan’s been playing fabulous for us, so to lose him was tough, but at the same time, it motivated us to keep fighting for him,” Storer said of his teammate. “This was hard because we were ahead. To see them come back and send the game to extra innings was tough.” LAWRENCE

abr hbi Castrl p-lf 3 1 0 0 Ctneo cr-lf 1 1 0 0 Kmiec cf 3230 Brr lf-1b-p 3 0 0 1 Delcmpe c 3 0 0 1 D’Anglo cr 0 1 0 0 Russo rf 5121 Hiner 2b 5120 Kop 3b 4011 Sullvn 1bp 3 0 1 1 Mains ss 3000

Totals

202 010 100 — 6 210 000 301 — 7

Two outs when winning run scored.

E — Delcampe 2, Hiner 2, Kop 2, Mains; DP — Ewing 1; LOB — Ewing 6, Lawrence 10; 2B — Ryan 2, Ulrich, Sullivan, Kmiec; SB — Ryan 2, Storer 4, Alston, Cutaneo; CS — Alston, Kmiec.IP

EWING POST 314

Ditmars 2.0

McKeon 4.1

Hutchinson L,0-1 2.1

LAWRENCE POST 414

Castoral 3.0 3 4 1 2 3 Sullivan 3.0 3 2 2 0 2

Brauer W,1-1 3.0 1 0 0 0 4

HbP- by McKeon (Delcampe); WP — Ditmars 2, Hutchinson, Brauer; PB — Dirk. HR

3 2 4

3 3 1

33 7 ER BB SO

3 3 1

4 4 1

9

5

1 3 1