By: Kyle Moylan
With three wins in four games this past week, the New Egypt High School baseball team improved to 7-5 on the year and is starting to play the kind of ball that could take it a long way in the playoffs.
"The pitching and defense have been consistent the entire season, but now we’re starting to really hit the ball," noted New Egypt Coach Rich Carroll. "The last five games we scored 61 runs. We’ve never been on a tear like this before and we’ve done it against some pretty good teams."
The pitching was great last Thursday as Marcus Heredia tossed the third no-hitter in New Egypt history. Heredia walked three and struck out 10 in a game stopped after six innings by the blowout rule.
Rick Fennel had a double and three RBI in the win. Scott Stiles had a double and two RBI. Don Bunce, Heredia and Rick Mackesy each had a double and RBI. Bob Miranda also had a RBI.
New Egypt opened last week with an 11-3 win over West Windsor North. Partyka tossed a complete game, allowing nine hits but only two earned runs. He struck out four and walked two.
Don Bunce had two hits, three runs scored and two RBI. Andrew Weingart had three hits, two runs scored and a RBI. Mike Wendel and Rick Fennel each had three hits, two runs scored and two RBI.
Even in a 14-8 loss to Princeton, New Egypt kept hitting. Ramos and Weigart each had three hits and a run scored. Fennel had three hits and a RBI. Matt O’Connell and Bunce each had two hits.
This past Monday, New Egypt beat up on a talented Riverside team, 13-2. Riverside entered the game with a 11-4 record.
"We just jumped all over them," Carroll said.
New Egypt scored two in the first, five in the fourth and six more in the fifth. It had 14 hits.
Fennel had a single, double and three RBI to lead the offense. Wendel, Bob Miranda, Stiles and O’Connell each had two hits. Wendel and O’Connell had two RBI, Mackesy, Miranda and Weingart added one each.
"Basically, the kids are taking a good approach at the plate. They are getting a good pitch and hitting it hard. (Against Riverside) we didn’t have anybody strike out. Everyone put the ball in play."
Bunce benefited from all that offense to improve to 3-2 on the mound. Bunce allowed six hits and one walk while striking out five in his five innings of work. The game was stopped after the fifth by the blowout rule.
New Egypt was scheduled to play Burlington City on Tuesday. It will be at Delsea today and Walkill Valley on Saturday for a doubleheader. On Tuesday, New Egypt will play at Florence.
"A win against Florence will give us a good chance to take a strangle hold in the division," Carroll noted.
New Egypt leads the Freedom Division with a 6-1 record. Florence is 4-1 and Riverside is 6-2.
AHS
The Allentown High School baseball team has shown some signs of being a strong offensive team, but it is still searching for its first win of the season.
Following action this past Monday, Allentown is 0-9 in the year.
Allentown’s most recent setback was 12-7 to West Windsor North this pats Monday. Matt Grinkevich (two runs, RBI), Vinnie Pugliese (run) and Kevin McCreary (run, two RBI) each had two hits in the game. Gallagher and Kubik (run) each had a hit and RBI.
In other action this past week, Allentown was defeated by Hightstown, 9-1.
