Allentown sidesteps sprinklers, thwarts Steinert’s rally
HAMILTON >> When it sprinkles, it pours.
While thunderstorms never rolled across Rich Giallella Field Monday, the county’s finest high school field did get dampened when the sprinkler system came on in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Even though it may have been a refreshing splash for some on this humid spring afternoon, it could not have come at a worse time for the Steinert High baseball team, which was in the middle of a rally against Colonial Valley Conference foe Allentown in the first round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Tournament.
The Spartans had just trimmed a one-time, threerun deficit to one run with runners still at the corners and two outs. But before the inning could continue, assistant coach Mike Hastings had to run out to the control box to turn off the sprinklers.
Considering this had happened to the Steinert players before, they were hoping it would have the same rallying effect, but this time the break seemed to help the Redbirds, who added a run in the top of the seventh, then flashed some fine defensive play in the bottom of the seventh to hold on for a 5-3 victory.
That sends 10th-seeded A’town, which has advanced to the last two Group III state finals, on to Thursday’s CJ III second round in which it will visit second-seeded Jackson Liberty, which defeated 15thseeded Middletown North, 14-2, Monday.
“This was a total nailbiter,” Redbirds sophomore left fielder Cole Leach said. “There are always butterflies in close games like this, but these are the best games to be in. Luckily, we came in with confidence after beating them during the regular season.”
This was in no way as sure as Allentown’s 8-0 win over the Spartans on the same field April 22. This time Steinert wanted revenge, and neither team wanted its season to end.
“We were definitely fired up for this one,” Spartans senior first baseman Brendan James said. “Their pitcher kept us off balance, and our pitchers battled hard. There was no quit in us.”
Leach helped the visitors get on the board first with a two-out, two-run double into the left-field corner in the top of the second inning. But Brendan James promptly led off the bottom of the inning with a double of his own, advanced on a bloop single by Tyler Nielsen, then scored on a single by Josh James.
Just like Steinert’s starting pitcher Casey Navarro, A’town starter Ben Mashkevich got out of the jam without any other damage, and the score remained, 2-1, until the fifth.
Then Mashkevich singled and Leach walked before Carson Rider sacrificed them both into scoring position. Matt Tannenbaum came through with a tworun single to increase the Redbirds’ lead to 4-1.
After another single by Mark Alpaugh, Spartans sophomore reliever Matt Marcille came on and retired five consecutive Redbirds to hold the score through the top of the sixth.
With one out in the bottom of the frame, Brendan James got the home team going again with a single down the third-base line. Nielsen followed with a double, then Josh James singled in Brendan James.
Jack Nitti replaced Mashkevich on the mound at that point. Jack Hardiman greeted him with a single which scored Nielsen to make it a 4-3 game. Michael James then beat out a near double play ball to put runners at the corners before the sprinklers opened.
When the shower from down under halted, Nitti enticed Matt Sangillo to fly out to end the rally.
Leach led off the top of the seventh with his second double and advanced when Rider laid down another sacrifice bunt on which both players were safe. A wild pitch allowed Leach to race home with an insurance run before junior reliever Anthony Wilk got Steinert out of another jam.
It looked like another rally might get going when C.J. Pittaro walked to start the bottom of the seventh, but a nifty double play by the Redbirds took away as much momentum as the sprinklers. Shortstop Tannenbaum bare-handed a throw from second baseman Brett Pyhel, then fired on to first baseman Mike Timberlake to give Allentown two outs.
After Brady Plunkett was hit by a pitch, Brendan James had one more chance. But this time his slicing line drive was chased down by Leach to cap the game.
Allentown (14-9) Steinert(14-10-1) 020 020 1 — 5 6 1 010 002 0 — 3 9 1
2B: Leach 2 (A), BJames, TNielsen (S); RBIs: Tannenbaum 2, Leach 2 (A), JJames 2, Hardiman (S).
WP — Mashkevich (3-3); LP — Navarro (4-2); S — JaNitti (1).