Pennington’s ‘soggy’ season ends

Baseball

By: Mike Molaro
   It’s probably safe to say that the Pennington School’s baseball coach Jerry Russo never experienced a season like the one that concluded with a 7-6 home triumph over South Hunterdon on May 16.
   It’s not so much that the Red Raiders ended with a 6-6 record. It’s the fact that they had basically one third of their schedule washed out because of inclement weather.
   "We always have a few games cancelled, but never this many," said Russo, who estimates Pennington lost seven games due to inclement weather. "That’s the frustrating part. You want to play.
   "It seemed to affect us more than other teams. Whenever the weather was nice, we had practice. When we had a game, it rained. We were never able to get into a rhythm. The guys kept a great outlook and never complained or got down on themselves. It’s difficult to get any momentum when you don’t play regularly."
   Against the Eagles, Pennington surrendered a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning but won the game in the bottom of the seventh on a leadoff double by junior catcher Vin DeFazio, a fielder’s choice and a run-scoring ground out by freshman shortstop Chris Slanina.
   Senior second baseman Joe Persichetti was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, DeFazio had two RBIs, and Slanina drove in three runs. Sophomore Terry Wells picked up the win and ended the season with a 4-2 record.
   "We had first and third with none out in the seventh, and South Hunterdon played the infield back," Russo added. "I found that a little strange. When Chris (Slanina) hit the ball to second, the throw to the plate was too late to get Vin (DeFazio). I found their defensive strategy a little strange, but it paid off for us."
   Although the Red Raiders would’ve liked to make a little more noise in the New Jersey State Athletic Association’s Prep B Tournament, they found out some positive things about their underclassmen.
   "We have a good young core coming back," Russo said. "Vin (DeFazio) had a break-out year and batted .500. Chris (Slanina) hit .378 and showed a good glove at shortstop. (Sophomore) Adam Spadafora played a solid center field, and Terry (Wells) established himself as a solid pitcher. Even in the games he lost, he pitched well.
   "We will need another pitcher or two next season. We need to look at that."
   As is the case during any year, every team has one or two games it would like to bottle and one it would rather forget.
   "Beating Hopewell Valley (9-2) was a highlight," Russo added. "The way we played in the Mercer County Tournament, even though we lost, was commendable. The (10-4) loss to Princeton Day School in the state tournament was tough to swallow. We had beaten them a few days earlier."
   The Red Raiders are losing to graduation Persichetti, right-hander Jamal Mahmud and third baseman Brian McCarthy.
   "Joe (Persichetti) is an intense player," Russo said. "Over his four years, he was one of our best hitters and is probably one of the best hitters in Pennington history. He injured his shoulder during the football season and played in pain. He gutted it out. That’s the kind of intensity we will miss.
   "Jamal (Mahmud) didn’t have the year pitching I thought he would. But he will be one of the arms we need to replace for next year. This was Brian (McCarthy’s) first year as a starter. He brought a lot of energy to the team. He always hustled. That example will be missed."
   The Red Raiders never had an opportunity to show what type of team they were. Because of numerous frustrating postponements, they spent almost as much time practicing in the gym as they did playing games on the field.
   Russo hopes he doesn’t experience anything like that again.