By tim morris
Staff Writer
FARRAH MAFFAI Keith Cantwell pitches for the Tinton Falls Junior League All-Stars during their game against Freehold Township in the Eastern Regional Tournament on Aug. 7.
Tinton Falls Little League’s Junior League all-stars got a second chance to prove that they were indeed a good baseball team.
By hosting the Little League’s Junior League Eastern Regional last week, the Tinton Falls team received an automatic berth into the field. But Tinton Falls wanted to be more than a host team that was be happy just to be there, bow out gracefully to the other teams and not be a spoiler. Tinton Falls had other ideas. The 13-14-year-old all-stars wanted to show that they belonged with the state championship team from Maine down to Maryland. Mission accomplished.
Right out of the gate, Tinton Falls played the role of spoiler, knocking off the Delaware state champion Cape Henlopen, 6-0, behind Keith Cantwell’s four-hit complete game. The hard-throwing right-hander, with a curve ball that drops off the table, struck out eight.
Cantwell also contributed an RBI single to the host team’s cause. Steven Liska, Rich Browne and Peter Geronimo delivered RBI hits as well and Tinton Falls moved on in the winners’ bracket.
FARRAH MAFFAI First baseman Peter Geronimo stretches to complete a putout during Tinton Falls’ Eastern Regional Tournament game on Aug. 7.
Pennsylvania champion DuBois knocked Tinton Falls off, 13-3, sending them down to the losers’ bracket for an elimination game with an old foe, Freehold Township.
The game that Tinton Falls most coveted was Wednesday, Aug. 7, against Freehold Township. The teams had played last month during the District 19 tournament and Township had won, 4-2.
Since that win, Freehold Township went on to win the District, the Section III and finally, the state championship to earn the right to represent New Jersey at the Eastern Regional.
With Cantwell set to go for Tinton Falls and Freehold Township’s ace Jason Elo starting for them, a classic pitchers’ duel was anticipated. Neither pitcher disappointed.
Tinton Falls struck first in the last of the first. Robert Wyrwa started it off with a line-drive single to left field. A fielder’s choice put Wyrwa in scoring position and with one out, Steven Liska’s single to center scored Wyrwa, giving Tinton Falls the early lead. Cantwell was flawless through the first three innings, retiring all nine batters he faced.
In the top of the fourth, A.J. Rusbarsky got Township going with a lead-off single. A sacrifice bunt moved him to second and then
Cantwell hurt himself when he hit Michael LaCava with a pitch and walked Brett Brach. Township had the bases loaded with two outs.
Jesse Shenker, down 0-2 in the count, hit a slow-rolling grounder that forced an errant throw. Rusbarsky and LaCava scored on the error, and it was 2-1 Freehold Township.
Elo was touched up early, but was getting stronger. He was not offering Tinton Falls any chances. He was countering Cantwell’s baffling curve with one of his own that had the Tinton Falls hitters frustrated.
Down to their final at bat, Tinton Falls would get the tying run to second base. Pinch hitter Jeffrey Roche gave the home team hope with his one-out single to right field. With two outs, Wyrwa hit rope to left field that was gathered in by Township’s Shawn Boysen for the final out.
"That’s baseball," said manager Mike Daly. "In games like this you have to make plays.
"Elo kept us off balance," he added. "Keith pitched a fantastic game. I couldn’t ask for more from him."
Daly said that his team had proved their point.
"This was a lot of fun for the kids, a great experience," said Daly. "I think our kids are a pretty good team. Freehold Township is a very good team that will represent the state well."
The Tinton Falls Junior League All-Stars are: Jeff Roche, Ryan Vetterl, Bo Browne, Gil Hernandez, Nick Coppola, Mike Daly, Chris Mackin, Steve Liska, Matt Conte, Pete Geronimo, Keith Cantwell and Robert Wyrwa.
Mike Daly is the manager and John Roche and Ray DeFazio the coaches.