By tim morris
Staff Writer
FARRAH MAFFAI Ocean’s Michael Chirarella pitches for the Monmouth Junior American Legion All-Stars in a game against the Mid Monmouth Babe Ruth All-Stars in Manalapan Sunday.
The first All-Star Game pitting the Junior American Legion against Mid-Monmouth Babe Ruth was such a rousing success on Sunday that plans are being made to make it an annual event.
Manalapan Recreation Center was the site for the first-ever all-star meeting of the two baseball leagues of 16-year-olds. It was the Junior American Legion that prevailed in Sunday’s nine-inning game, 9-7.
Dan Bellino was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and William Miller was 2-for-4 with an RBI to pace the Legion attack.
Mid-Monmouth’s Steve Morreale had the game’s biggest extra-base hit, an RBI triple. He was 1-for-4. Michael Nunes was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Jordan Noval was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
George Rothweiler, president of Mid-Monmouth Babe Ruth, and Tom Garrettson, chairman of Monmouth County American Legion, put their heads together this year to come up with the idea of an all-star game pitting the best from the two leagues against each other.
"The 16-to-18-year-old age group hasn’t been focused on," said Rothweiler, whose Mid-Monmouth home field hosted the game. "The fan turnout and support were great. It was a great game. We’re going to do it again next year at the site of an American Legion team."
The Junior American Legion all-stars were Robert Fox, Ocean; Michael Chirarella, Ocean; Daniel DiArchangel, Tinton Falls; Claude Jones, Tinton Falls; Christopher Bacque, Red Bank; Michael Livingston, Red Bank; Ryan Driscoll, Colts Neck; Daniel Bellino, Jackson; Jesse Toma, Atlantic Highlands; Matthew Pignatello, Middletown; James Coolahan, Red Bank; William Miller, Fair Haven; John Walsh, Manalapan; Christopher Murphy, Manalapan; Christopher Luick, Manasquan; and Glen Jacobsen, Allenwood.
The Mid-Monmouth 16-year-old all-stars were Chris Affinito, East Brunswick; William Binamonte, North Howell; Billy Brown, Matawan; Danny Cocco, Freehold; Jason Cochran, Manalapan; Robert Drako, East Brunswick; Bill Franks, Manalapan; Shawn Hanrahan, Hazlet; Chris Marino, Manalapan; Kyle Masterson, Madison Park; Steve Morreale, Freehold; Tom Nastro, Manalapan; Jordan Noval, Manalapan; Mike Nunes, Hazlet; Shawn Walsh, Hazlet; and George Williams, Matawan.
Rothweiler was the manager and John Miel and J.P. Nopval the coaches.