Mostrangeli’s single lifts Steinert over Robbinsville
ROBBINSVILLE >> The difference that experience provides over inexperience was on full display at Robbinsville High School on Tuesday.
After a young Ravens baseball team squandered an excellent scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth, a veteran Steinert squad produced the game’s lone run in the top of the seventh for a 1-0 victory on a cold, blustery day.
Ryan Mostrangeli’s bloop single scored Greg Beyer, who doubled to lead off the inning. Reliever Sean O’Boyle got the win after starter Anthony Francioso threw five hitless innings.
“Wow,” Steinert coach Brian Giallella said. “We had three good pitchers on the mound today and just a couple mistakes by both teams gave us each an opportunity to score and we were lucky enough to get the run in.”
It was a mixed emotions effort for Robbinsville (1-1), which got a complete-game effort from ace Michael Griffin. The Ravens proved they could hang with a state-ranked team but the fact they didn’t capitalize on a chance to win was a bummer.
“We just talked to them about things we can take away,” coach Tom Brettell said. “In crunch time we made mistakes and that comes with experience. We have a lot of guys playing that don’t have experience.
“At the same time, coach (Jeff) Fisher made a good point that we don’t want anyone walking away from here satisfied because we hung in the game. We’re here to win the game. These guys should know we had an opportunity to beat a good team and we didn’t execute Steinert’s Anthony Francioso delivers a pitch against Robbinsville.
and they did.”
Francioso blew through five innings, hitting two batters, walking one and getting five strikeouts. He picked off two runners.
“I had good stuff today,” Francioso said. “My ball was running a lot and Kenny (Zahn) was doing a really good job behind the plate. We were mixing everything up. I had a really good fastball tailing away and my curveball was sharp.”
The left-hander had no problem being removed with a nohitter after he hit nearly 90 pitches.
“With this weather early in the season we don’t want to extend him,” Giallella said. “You feel bad for a guy getting a nodecision out of that but as the season goes on we’ll correct those things and get some runs early in the game.”
O’Boyle came on in the sixth and yielded a leadoff double to Justin Scotto. With Jack Gillmer trying to bunt, Scotto was thrown out by Zahn trying to steal third. It became a huge play when Gillmer doubled and Nick Sale walked. O’Boyle bore down to get two strikeouts.
In the seventh, Beyer hit a leadoff double and took third on an outfield error. Mostrangeli then fisted the first pitch into right field for the game’s lone run. Steinert loaded the bases with one out before Griffin escaped. O’Boyle struck out two more and survived a two-out error in the seventh to end it.
“Their pitcher pitched really well today,” Francioso said. “That’s a tough team. Hopefully we can come out tomorrow and score a few runs and make it easier.”
Griffin allowed four hits and two walks and had three strikeouts.
“I’m happy with the way I threw the ball,” said the lefty. “But it’s a tough loss, so there’s still some disappointment. But they’re ranked eighth in the state, we’re a young team. The fact that we hung in there and did our job and almost came out on top is good, but it’s a tough loss.”
S: Beyer. R: Scotto. Gillmer; Mostrangeli.
O’Boyle (1-0);
Griffin (0-1).
S: