Freehold Township wins District 19 championship

Manager Mike Brach wasn’t sure just what kind of all-star team Freehold Township had assembled for the District 19 Little League (11-12-year-old) Tournament.

"We were a young team with good pitchers," Brach explained. "We weren’t sure where we’d fit in once the tournament started. We got stronger with each game."

What became clear as Freehold Township advanced with one lopsided win after another was that Brach’s team was the class of the field. They confirmed it by beating Middletown 14-0 for the championship. Freehold Township completed the District 19 tournament with a perfect 5-0 record and outscored their opponents by a 47-5 count.

"We had a great run," Brach noted.

Everything clicked for Freehold Township in the District 19 tournament as the pitching proved to be as strong as expected and was backed up by outstanding defense and a much more potent than expected offense.

Township only used three pitchers on its way to the District pennant. The starting rotation of Damian Csaki, Brett Brach and Shawn Boysen picked up all five wins. Brach and Boysen each one twice and Csakai won the opener, a 5-1 victory over Marlboro South.

"All three are tremendous pitchers," said Mike Brach.

Each pitcher brings a little something different to the table. Brett Brach is more of a finesse pitcher. He throws to spots and uses his breaking ball very effectively. Boysen and Csaki are your classic hard-throwing power pitchers. Each threw low-hitters. Csaki had a two-hitter in his win while Brach had a nine strike out, one-hitter and Boysen, a two-hitter in the final against Middletown in a game that went four innings.

Not that they need it with just five runs surrendered in five games, but the trio of Csaki, Brach and Boysen received plenty of help from their defense and an offense that was unrelenting.

"Our defense was fantastic," said Brach. "Our outfield and infield play was great. Kamron Nelson ran down fly balls in centerfield and Csaki at shortstop, Mike LaCava at third base and Jesse Shenker at second were outstanding. Catcher Marc Hubbert called a great game behind the plate."

Offensively, Freehold hit well in the clutch getting big hits with runners on.

"Our hitters were very aggressive," Brach pointed out. "We only had two strikeouts in the entire tournament."

Boysen proved the power with three home runs. He had a pair of boundary blasts in game one, that 5-1 win over Marlboro North and hit his third fence-clearer in the final.

Nelson, Ryan Cuneo and LaCava delivered important RBIs in the 14-0 win over Manalapan American in the team’s second game.

Freehold Township’s moment of truth came against Marlboro North, in its third game. Marlboro jumped out to a 3-1 lead and held it into the bottom of the fifth when Township struck for four big runs. Csakai and Nelson opened the inning with back-to-back triples to cut the lead to one. With two outs, Hubbert picked the team up with a clutch double that tied the game. Boysen came up with the game-winner, a two-RBI double.

Boysen, who went the distance, made the two runs stand up and picked up his first win of the tournament.

"Marlboro North was a very good team," said Brach. "The triples by Csakai and Nelson were the big plays of the game."

Jason Nardi and Shenker had the biggest hits when Freehold Township beat Middletown 9-1 to advance to the District 19 final. This was Brach’s nine strikeout, one-hitter.

Middletown earned a second shot at Freehold Township by emerging from the loser’s bracket to play them for the title. But, they offered little resistance, falling 14-0 as Boysen struck out six and gave up two hits in his four innings of work.

Andrew Archer, Steve Fernicola and Rodger Wilmot also contributed to the championship with the bat and glove.

Mike LaCava and Alan Shenker were the Freehold Township coaches.

Although Freehold Township did not advance through the Section III Tournament that followed, it did little to spoil what the team had accomplished this summer.

"The kids did a fantastic job," concluded Brach.

—Tim Morris