Hopewell Valley baseball
By: Mike Molaro
After the Hopewell Valley Central High School baseball squad dropped a heartbreaking 5-4 eight-inning decision to Ewing on April 25, Ken Harrison hoped that his guys learned a painful but valuable lesson.
The Bulldogs (9-3 overall, 7-2 in the Colonial Valley Conference) have ripped off three straight victories since that setback. Not only have they responded like champions, but they just might be peaking at the right time.
"We are starting to gel, as far as having a complete game with hitting, defense, and pitching," the HoVal head coach said of his CVC Patriot Division leaders. "For a while, our hitting was carrying us, but now our pitching and defense are there.
"I read a quote that said ‘Defense wins games, but offense decides by how much.’ That’s how we are playing right now. Good defense and solid pitching are keys. I like to think we are done with football scores."
Senior Dan Hogan had his second consecutive outstanding outing in Monday’s 8-1 thumping of visiting Princeton. The right-hander upped his record to 3-0 and struck out eight in his 5 1/3 innings of work, as the Bulldogs won their third straight game.
"Dan threw strikes and challenged the hitters," Harrison said. "Our pitchers have made great strides over the last week-and-a-half. When your defense makes the plays, it takes a lot of pressure off the pitching."
Junior center fielder Matt Lanouette led the 10-hit attack against the Little Tigers with a double, triple and three runs scored, while sophomore left fielder Steve Giovacchini went 2-for 2 with an RBI, and senior third baseman Chris Zsenak drove in a pair of runs.
Senior right-hander Mark Yuhas, making his first start of the year after missing all of last season with an elbow injury, allowed just one earned run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings last Friday as HoVal on the road defeated Nottingham 5-1. He also struck out five Northstars.
Zsenak went 2-for-2 with a run scored and two RBIs and picked up his CVC-leading fifth save, while junior designated hitter Frank Lovero drove in two runs.
Nottingham came into the game averaging 11 runs a game including two games of 20 or more runs and was riding a five-game winning streak before Yuhas and Zsenak silenced the Northstar bats by allowing just four hits combined.
"We wanted to get Mark back into the mix at least by midseason," Harrison said. "He has a good curve ball and a fastball with natural movement that’s almost like a cutter.
"He was hitting his spots. With his stuff, we felt that he would be a good pitcher to throw against Nottingham."
It wasn’t a "statement" game, but it was a win HoVal was looking for.
"We wanted to prove that we can go out and beat a quality team," Harrison said. "We finished this game. We didn’t let Nottingham back in. We had them down, and we finished the job.
"I am proud of my guys. They felt they had something to prove after losing to Ewing. They knew Nottingham was 10-2 and leading their division."
Hogan allowed just three earned runs and struck out six Rams in an 8-5 home triumph over Hightstown on April 27. Yuhas at shortstop drove in two runs, scored once, and went 2-for-2, while Lanouette was 3-for-3 with an RBI and four runs scored, senior catcher Angelo Pagano drove in two runs, and Zsenak had an RBI, as the Bulldogs made the most of their seven hits.
"Dan is doing his job like a senior should," Harrison said. "He is providing leadership and taking control of the game on the mound."
HoVal will need its full complement of mound strength, as it began a stretch of five games in seven days with Wednesday’s visit to Hamilton. The Bulldogs play host to West Windsor-Plainsboro North tomorrow and Lawrence in Saturday’s first round of the Mercer County Tournament. They host Ewing next Monday and host Delaware Valley in a non-league contest next Tuesday.
"We are ready," Harrison said. "We are now playing a full game of baseball. We’re winning games 8-1 and 5-1 instead of 20-10, like we were earlier in the year.
"You can see the confidence of this team growing. Our pitchers have stepped up, and our defense is solid. I like our chances every time we take the field."
Sometimes it takes a loss for a team to discover its winning touch.
NOTES: HoVal is seeded third in the MCT, and Lawrence is seeded 14th. Notre Dame earned the top seed, and Nottingham is second-seeded. The cutoff (.500 record or better) for the state tournament is Friday, May 13. The Bulldogs have all but locked up a berth and are looking for a high seed and possible first-round bye.

