Baseball
By: Jim Green
Right-hander Dave Waseleski has a deceiving record this season for the Lawrence American Legion Post 414 baseball team.
And while some observers might look at Waseleski’s 0-7 start and assume he is not a strong pitcher, Hopewell manager Bruce Nocar knew otherwise. So Nocar was the least surprised person at Eggerts Crossing on Tuesday, when a brilliant performance by Waseleski carried Lawrence to a 12-1 win.
"He (Waseleski) did a nice job," Nocar said. "He’s a good pitcher despite that record."
Waseleski hurled all five innings, striking out nine and walking only one while allowing one earned run on one hit. Waseleski picked up his first win of the year, while Lawrence snapped an 11-game losing streak. Lawrence improved to 3-17 and pulled within one game of Hopewell (4-16) in the battle for 10th place in the Mercer County American Legion League.
"He (Waseleski) had a real nice slider that was breaking, and we were chasing it," Nocar said. "He was making us chase the ball out of the zone. You tip your hat to the kid."
Waseleski received plenty of support from Lawrence’s suddenly red-hot lineup. Post 414 pounded out 10 hits and has totaled 25 runs on 24 hits over its last two games.
First baseman Charlie Park went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, shortstop William Birch was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a run scored, and second baseman Jared Smith was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Left fielder Rich Carabelli was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, right fielder Dan Martin went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, and catcher Joe DeRose had a single, a run scored and an RBI. Center fielder Tim Larkin scored two runs and stole a base, while third baseman Ryan Robbins had an RBI and a run scored.
The Post 414 offensive barrage knocked Hopewell pitcher Brett Hansen from the game after two innings. Hansen, who hurled 3 1/3 shutout innings against Lawrence on July 6, gave up seven earned runs on five hits and five walks Monday.
"He (Hansen) went into the game real confident," Nocar said. "He had a lot of trouble with the mound. He just wasn’t getting strike one over, and they (Lawrence hitters) were sitting on his fastball."
Lawrence was coming off another offensive outburst Friday at Eggerts Crossing. Post 414 bashed out 14 hits including five for extra bases in a 19-13 eight-inning loss to a strong North Trenton team.
Larkin had as good a game as a leadoff hitter can have, going 2-for-4 with a double and five runs scored. Martin, who has heated up in the season’s final weeks, was 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and six RBIs. Park was 3-for-4 with a double, four RBIs and a run scored, and Carabelli was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. First baseman Mike Frascella was 1-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. The first five batters in the Lawrence lineup were a combined 11-for-20 with four doubles, a homer, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored.
On most days, 13 runs would have been plenty for Lawrence to win. But Lawrence right-hander Vince Warren had an off day, surrendering six earned runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. And Park gave up 13 runs only four earned in five innings of relief.
A six-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth gave Post 414 a 10-7 lead, but Park could not hold it. North Trenton eventually took a 13-12 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but Lawrence rallied for a run to force an extra frame. In the top of the eighth, however, North Trenton exploded for six runs to put the game away.
Post 414 was not as explosive offensively last Thursday against West Windsor-Plainsboro. Larkin went 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs, but Lawrence lost 7-3.
Waseleski started and suffered from wildness, walking nine and striking out three while allowing four earned runs on three hits over six innings. Frascella gave up one earned run on a hit and a walk in one inning of relief. Both pitchers were betrayed by poor defense behind them, as Lawrence committed five errors on the day.
Carabelli was 1-for-3 with a run scored, and Robbins had a single and scored a run. Martin, Birch and Park each had one hit.
Lawrence will look to continue pounding the ball when it faces last-place Mitchell Davis (0-20) in its season finale at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Eggerts Crossing.