By Wayne witkowski
Staff Writer
Brick American left no doubt that it would reach the District 18 championship game of the Junior 14-year-old League All-Stars.
Joe Piezzo tagged a three-run home run in the first inning, after Vin Falkiewicz drilled a run-scoring double that sent the Americans on their way to a 13-3 victory over Holbrook of Jackson. The game was stopped in the fifth inning by the 10-run rule.
It could be an all-Brick district final, depending on the survivor of Monday’s losers bracket game between Brick National and Holbrook. The championship round was set for last night at 7:30 at Manchester. If Brick American, 6-0 in the tournament, lost, it will play again on Wednesday at the same site and time.
"We expected them to do this well, and that makes it harder for you when you’re expected to do well," said Brick American coach Dan DeJianne.
"But these guys just play so well together," DeJianne said. "If one guy is down, two others pick him up. When it comes to chemistry, these guys have it."
Joe D’Amato, a right-hander parlaying a fastball and curve, was the fortunate recipient of Brick American’s generous offense against Holbrook. D’Amato allowed three unearned runs in four innings of four-hit ball.
Falkiewicz batted in four runs with three hits, all of them doubles. John Rutowski slugged a two-run single while Mark Cerrachio lofted a sacrifice fly and Matt Freeman drove in another run. Sam Sciamarelli slugged two hits.
On Saturday, Piezzo scattered eight hits and smashed two hits himself for an RBI as Brick American rolled past Point Pleasant Boro, 9-3. Mike Galeotafiore connected for a two-run home run to left center field after a walk to Cerrachio, to give Brick American a 6-3 lead. It came after Point Boro pulled to 4-3 with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Galeotafiore collected three hits for three RBIs, including a run-scoring double in the sixth inning, after Freeman grounded in a run.
Brick National stayed alive in the losers bracket on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Point Boro as right-hander Bob Mattliano scattered six hits with an effective curve ball. Mattliano also batted in a run with a single in the fifth inning that tied it. John Vitale drove in the winning run in the sixth with a single.
"The thing is we had no errors; that was critical because when we lost to Holbrook (11-5 last Wednesday) we committed seven errors," said Brick National manager Bob Mattliano.
Vitale belted a two-run homer, and P.J. Lucchetti slugged tow doubles and batted in a run against Holbrook.
The team bounced back against Toms River American with a 14-4 victory as Vitale’s grand slam dramatically ended the game in the fifth inning because of the 10-run rule. Anthony Nardone drove in a run, and he and Craig McNelis each hammered two hits. Chris Sorice pitched the first three innings for the victory. Mattliano hurled the next two.