Baseball
By: Mike Basford
With its postseason hopes already dashed, the Lawrence baseball team was looking to end the regular season strong against two local Colonial Valley Conference foes.
After two losses, the Cardinals will have to settle for a 10-14 regular season.
Notre Dame used a six-run fifth inning to break open a close game, while Nottingham scored eight runs in the ninth inning to grab an 11-4 victory.
Against Nottingham, Dave Waseleski smacked three hits and had three RBIs, but suffered the defeat for Lawrence.
Jason Scarlata scored the go-ahead run, then capped a wild eight-run ninth inning with a two-run double that essentially sealed the Cardinals’ fate.
Derek Shunk, Dan Czepiga and Don Petito had RBI singles as Notre Dame gave starting pitcher Harold Grant plenty of run support.
Lawrence’s season was highlighted by an early-season victory over North Hunterdon, which at the time was one of the favorites to win the Central Jersey Group III sectional title.
In the Mercer County Tournament, the Cardinals were shut down by West Windsor-Plainsboro South, which needed a no-hitter from its ace pitcher to advance. Lawrence got plenty of base runners via walks, but could not deliver the key hit for score any runs.
When the state cut-off date approached, the Cardinals were sitting on the doorstep of earning a playoff berth, so Lawrence scheduled two games (one versus Lawrenceville Prep and one versus WW-P South) in less than 24 hours.
After edging Lawrenceville Prep, Lawrence saw a four-run lead evaporate late in the game and lost to the Pirates, 11-7.
"If we had played better earlier in the season, those games would have simply been a tune-up," said head coach Brian Carter. "As it was, we put ourselves into a difficult situation. The kids fought, though, and I couldn’t have asked for better effort. It was a unique experience to play a doubleheader in that situation."
The Cardinals were led in virtually every statistical category this season by infielder Michael Bruschini, who will continue his career next season at nearby Rider University.
"The fact that he’s a lefty will add some versatility to their lineup," said Carter. "The fall will be an important time for him. He’ll have a chance to get his feet wet and adjust to the college level. By the time the spring rolls around, he’ll be ready to contribute."
Carter in encouraged by the fact that his top five pitchers are all underclassmen, and at different points in the season, they showed flashes of consistency.
"In high school baseball, pitching comes at a premium," said Carter. "I saw some good things out of the staff this year, and hopefully there is a carry-over into next season."