Engel enjoys first day on job

New leadoff hitter delivers win for WW-P South baseball

By: Justin Feil
   Rob Engel found out Tuesday that he was moving to leadoff hitter for the West Windsor-Plainsboro South baseball team’s Wednesday game at Lawrence.
   "I had a tough night sleeping," said the Pirate senior. "I was a little uncomfortable."
   But when the seventh inning of a scoreless game rolled around, Engel found himself in a very comfortable and confident position. With runners on second and third and one out, Engel delivered a single to shortstop for the first run in a 2-0 WW-P South win over Lawrence. Moved to the traditional role of a table setter, Engel never could have imagined he’d be in position to deliver the game-winner.
   "My job is to get on base and let the big hitters knock me in," Engel said of the leadoff spot. "But it worked out in the end."
   It was the second time this season that the Pirates have defeated Lawrence in their final at bat. This time it made a winner of Joe Huttner, who pitched the full seven innings and allowed just two hits. It was a pitchers’ duel for six innings as Huttner’s counterpart, Mike Darbee, didn’t allow a run but left after the sixth inning.
   "It was the same pitcher for them as last time," said WW-P South head coach Don Hutchinson, whose team improved to 10-5. "Last time he pitched a complete game. This time, he pitched six innings. I don’t know why he came out, if he was tired or what. I was happy to see him go. He’s a little lefty and throws a lot of different stuff. We’ve had some problems with some lefties. They brought in a harder righty and we hit better."
   "We were really happy," added Engel. "It was like batting against a whiffle ball pitcher (with Darbee). You didn’t know where the ball was going. Our team really enjoys hitting straight fastball pitchers. Our eyes lit up."
   In the seventh, Brian Morris singled and Ross Hoenig followed with another single before Andrew Morgan delivered a key sacrifice bunt to move them over and force the Lawrence infield up for Engel.
   "I enjoy hitting that type of pitching," he said. "I enjoy hitting with runners on base. The infield was halfway. Ever since I went to Florida, I’ve been hitting the ball well."
   Engel has become a much more dependable hitter this season. It’s a matter of maturity for the senior, who’s been delivering solid plays in the outfield for the Pirates for the last three years.
   "He’s a very good defensive outfielder," Hutchinson said. "He’s been playing there for three years for us. He hasn’t hit that much for two years. He would get away with it because of the way he plays defense in center. This year he’s added the offense."
   Engel has been consistent enough to prompt Hutchinson to give him a shot at the leadoff spot and take some pressure off the usual leadoff, Steve Odachowski.
   "Rob’s hitting in the low- to mid-.300s," Hutchinson noted. "He’s got a good eye. He’s very selective. He doesn’t swing at a lot of bad balls. He can run a little bit. He’s good for a leadoff hitter. He was batting eighth usually."
   Adding more offensive input was something that Engel was confident he’d be able to do in his final year with the Pirates. Hits like the game-winner Wednesday, which delivered his eighth run batted in this season, have shown how far he’s come in one year’s time.
   "Being a senior helps a lot," he said. "The last couple years, I used to go up intimidated because everyone was older than me. Now I’m facing kids I grew up against, so there’s no intimidation factor.
   "I knew with the loss of Evan (Cheresnick) and Scott (Sanders), two very good hitters, we needed more offensive production because the rest of the team had low batting averages."
   Engel hasn’t lost a step in center field either. He’s continued to be a leader in the outfield, which is very familiar territory for him.
   "This is my third year in center," he said. "I’ve been there ever since I’ve been on a normal-sized baseball field. That’s where I like to shine."
   The Pirates defense has helped back up the pitching, which has answered the call after losing two of their top hurlers last year. It’s a big circle. They’ve had enough performances like Huttner’s on Monday to take some pressure off the offense.
   "Our pitching has been very good," Hutchinson said. "Even in the Notre Dame game (a 5-2 loss Monday in which Engel went 2-for-2), we certainly pitched well enough to win. Our defense has been adequate. We were bad one game at everything. If I had to pick one thing, our pitchers have kept us in every game."
   "I don’t think it’s a surprise," Engel said of how good the Pirates’ pitching has been. "I grew up playing with Joe. He always won games. And I always knew Chris Ruiz had it in him. He’s pitching the best he has since freshman year."
   WW-P South expects another quality start when they send Ruiz to the mound when they host Princeton High in the Mercer County Tournament on Saturday.
   "I think that’s going to be interesting game," Engel said. "They’ll probably throw the same pitcher against us again. We struggled last time. The team is fired up to play Princeton. We think they deserve to lose.
   "I think the key is hitting. We’re going to throw Chris on the mound. We just need to push a couple runs across. I think we’re primed for a run in counties."
   Engel has been a part of the last two WW-P South teams that reached the semifinals. Three years ago, he was in the Waterfront Park stands as an interested fan when the Pirates made the finals.
   "Our goal is to get back to Waterfront," Engel said. "I was a freshman and I went to watch it. We lost in the semifinals last year. I would be amped to get there."
   And he’d be excited to help the WW-P South baseball team try to win the county crown. Whether it takes his defense or his hitting, Rob Engel has shown he’s ready to deliver as he did Wednesday. It made for one restful night.