By: Sean Moylan
Two years and two heartbreaking Group I South Jersey playoff losses for the Florence Township Memorial High School boys’ varsity baseball team.
This year the final blow for the Flashes came at New Egypt last Friday where they lost a 4-3 decision on Andrew Weingart’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
The winning run was set up by a quirky one-out play where Florence’s second baseman tagged a runner going into second. Originally the runner was called out, but when the Flashes’ infielder dropped the exchange from glove to hand attempting to make a double play, the umpire reversed his decision, thus opening the door to the Warriors’ comeback.
However, for Florence’s wonderful Coach John Gray, who will be leaving the team to care for a sick relative, the game came down to missed opportunities. "We had our chances," noted Coach Gray. "We had a lot of guys on we just couldn’t get the key hit."
Florence’s Taylor Lovejoy did blast a bases-loaded double in the first to plate two runs, however.
Matt Ordog drove in Florence’s other run in the fourth to stake the Flashes to a 3-1 lead, which they held until the bottom of the sixth.
Like last year, Ordog was the tough luck loser in Florence’s only playoff game.
"He (Ordog) threw 69 strikes and 32 balls. He’s going to be a good player," said Coach Gray, who thinks this young team can go places in the coming years. And maybe next year Florence will have the luck in the playoffs.
Florence won a 7-3 game at Maple Shade last Thursday. Lovejoy picked up the win with five solid innings of work. Nick Schmidt closed it out for the Flashes with two fine innings of relief.
Lovejoy (outfield), Ryan Lee (first base), Joe Spahn (utility) and Ordog (pitcher) were all selected as First Team Freedom Division All-Stars. Florence second baseman Anthony Cardone was chosen to the second team.
Florence will miss Coach Gray. He took a Florence team with just a handful of returning players and turned it into a 13-9 winning unit. Brought together by a mutual love and knowledge of the game, Gray and his players worked well as one cohesive unit this year.
"I’d like to thank Florence for the opportunity of coaching," said Coach Gray.
With great baseball coaches like Gray and Tom Hoglen before him, Florence has been a lucky team in recent years. Gray’s replacement will have some mighty big shoes to fill.
BRHS
Like any great player, Danny Sasso rebounded from last week’s tough playoff loss and pitched the Bordentown Regional High School boys’ varsity baseball team’s 5-3 victory over Allentown at Gilder Field last Thursday afternoon.
"Sasso threw real well and he hit his spots," noted Bordentown Coach Joe Sprague.
Sasso pitched a complete game and only allowed two earned runs while striking out five and walking only one.
Matt Gabriel, Bordentown’s selection for BCSL Scholar-Athlete, tripled and drove in a run. Kevin Cumming (two runs, four steals, a single, RBI), Brandon Fraser (hit, run), Ian Mathews (two RBI, two sacs), Vince Campanaro (1-for-3) and Taylor Martucci (1-for-2 with a sacrifice) all did the little things to get Bordentown runs. Nonetheless, it was a 3-3 game until Bordentown broke it open with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Then, on Friday, Bordentown won a 10-3 home decision over Palmyra. Mathews tossed a complete game six-hitter and struck out seven batters. He also provided Bordentown with a great 3-for-3, 3 three RBI day at the plate. Gabriel also had three RBI while Sean Malloy, Ted Gola and Campanaro each knocked in a run. Sasso had a multi-hit game. Even so, the game was up for grabs in the early innings.
"We came out real flat and we didn’t have many hits through four innings. Then, we came out of it," noted Coach Sprague. "(Meanwhile) Ian (Mathews) threw real well."
On Saturday, though, Bordentown’s record fell under .500 (11-12) when it lost an 11-0 decision at Delran. Gola took the loss and Kevin Malloy had Bordentown’s only hit in its final game of the year.
"He’s going to be a good player," Coach Sprague said of Malloy.
Gabriel and Mathews made First Team Patriot Division. Matt Bell, Sasso, Cumming and S. Malloy were Second Team all-stars in what was a good year overall for Bordentown baseball.
NBC
The Northern Burlington County Regional High School boys’ varsity baseball team didn’t quite stay over .500 for the season.
On Thursday Burlington Township edged NBC, 8-5. Zach Perkins suffered the loss and Matt Dunaway had NBC’s only hit.
Then on Monday, Holy Cross beat NBC 14-0 in the Greyhounds’ finale.
Andy Hoyer, however, did go 2-for-2. Dunaway took the loss.
"Our shortstop (Jeff Van Guilder) is still out with mono," said NBC head coach Rick Doppler, who had to shuffle his lineup with his starting shortstop (Dunaway) on the mound and his backup (Van Guilder) sick.
Coach Doppler, however, believes this 10-11 season was a very good one overall.
Dunaway made the All-Liberty team.
Coach Doppler will be running his annual baseball camp from July 19th to the 23rd at NBC. Players ages 9-14 interested in learning the finer skills of the game can reach Coach Doppler at (609) 298-3900, extension number 2942. The cost of the camp is $100.
