Mustangs complete another winning week

Rock, Sopko key victory over Vo-Tech

By: Rudy Brandl
   
   Kyle Sopko was asked to fill two different roles in Friday’s home baseball game vs. Somerset Vo-Tech.
   The Manville High junior accomplished both with flying colors, helping the Mustangs post a 7-5 victory to extend their regular season winning streak to seven straight games. After a loss at Pingry in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament stopped their four-game win streak, the Mustangs roared back and started a new three-game roll last week.
   Sopko was right in the middle of most of the key action in Friday’s win. Sopko was inserted in the No. 3 slot in the batting order with Chris Weber out of action with an injury. He responded with two hits, two walks and two RBI.
   "I had to fill Weber’s spot," Sopko said. "He’s a good hitter. I just put the bat on the ball."
   Later in the game, Sopko was asked to catch when senior backstop Jeff Opachinski went down with an ankle injury. He caught the final two innings without trouble for winning pitcher Tommy Rock.
   "I caught all my life, but I’m just backing him up," said Sopko, the team’s regular second baseman. "Jeff’s 10 times better than me and Tommy was pitching really good."
   Rock started slowly and hit a rough patch in the middle of the game before settling down and finishing strong. The senior right-hander gave up three runs in the fourth and MHS head coach Steve Venuto wasn’t sure Rock would finish the game. Rock (5-1) shut down Vo-Tech in the fifth and sixth innings before allowing one run in the seventh.
   "I was worrying about everything and not pitching," Rock said. "I just had to calm down and pitch the way I knew I could."
   "Tommy made a nice recovery," Venuto added. "He needs rest now. He’ll get another shot next week."
   Rock became even more focused later in the game, especially with his regular batterymate on the bench with a swollen ankle.
   "I just got excited," Rock said. "We had to win, especially with Jeff going down. Kyle did real good back there. I had faith in him. I knew he could catch."
   Sopko’s hitting helped get the Mustangs going in the very first inning, when they’ve scored in just about every game. Vo-Tech had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning but MHS responded with two runs and never relinquished the lead.
   Rock led off with a walk and stole second. After Opachinski hit a fly ball to center, Sopko ripped a single to left to tie the game. The left fielder misplayed the ball and Sopko sprinted to second base. Dennis Petrone blasted a two-out RBI double to left field to give Manville the lead.
   The Mustangs scored three times in the third inning. Opachinski reached on an infield hit and stole second. Sopko delivered another RBI hit, this time on a soft single to left. Anthony Palovick laid down a bunt single but Petrone lined into a double play.
   Joey Burnett and Robert Wood walked to load the bases with two outs. Angel Ortiz came up with the big hit in the inning when he drilled a 1-1 pitch to right-center field for a two-run single.
   Manville manufactured single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, thanks in large part to aggressive base running. The Mustangs stole 12 bases in the game and took the extra base whenever given the chance.
   "They had a lefty back there and we took advantage of it," Venuto said, referring to Vo-Tech catcher Charlie Johnson. "We have to force them to make the plays."
   Wood launched a double to deep center, stole third and scored on a base hit by Ortiz in the fifth. Sopko walked, moved up on a wild pitch and stolen base and scored on Burnett’s infield hit for the team’s final run.
   Rock allowed seven hits, five walks and hit two batters, but he struck out 14 batters to get out of many jams. He never struck out the side but fanned two batters in all seven innings. Rock also defeated Vo-Tech 10 days earlier in the first round of the Somerset County Tournament. He used that to his advantage last Friday.
   "They like swinging at the first pitch," Rock said. "After you’ve seen them once, you know what to throw."
   All things considered, Manville did well to complete another 3-0 week. The Mustangs started by avenging their only Sky Division loss with a road victory at St. Mary’s of Elizabeth, defeated Technology for the second time and held off a pesky Vo-Tech team in a close game.
   The Mustangs need Weber and Opachinski to get healthy for a stretch of key upcoming games, starting with today’s (Thursday) home battle vs. rival Bound Brook.
   "There’s five weeks left in school and we can’t lose focus," Venuto said. "We have to turn up the temperature."