Baseball all-stars hoping to rebound
By: Rich Fisher
HAMILTON Even in a loss, sometimes a team’s positive character can be established.
Manager Rich Bongiovanni hopes that was the case with his Cranbury-Plainsboro 12-year-old All-Stars on Wednesday night, after they dropped a 9-5 decision to Washington in a Pool B, first-round District 12 game at Six-Eleven.
C-P hung tough for four innings and only trailed 2-1 entering the fifth. That’s when Washington exploded for five runs, which pretty much could take the heart out of a team that late in the game.
But the locals barely blinked, as they bounced back with four of their own in the bottom of the fifth to keep the pressure on.
"At the time, their heads were not down, their heads were up," Bongiovanni said. "They came right back and put a four-spot up. If we got another big hit we could have tied it.
"But they did come right back, they weren’t down when it was 7-1. They knew it was just a bad inning they had, and we bounced back. So I’m happy with it."
C-P actually had a chance to do more damage in the fifth as it had runners on first and second with two outs. But a strikeout ended the threat, and maintained a tone that Cranbury-Plainsboro established earlier in the game.
"If we just could have gotten some more crucial base hits," Bongiovanni said. "We left guys on base all game. If we could have gotten that key, two-out hit it would have been even closer."
As it was, Washington showed its own ability to bounce back as it scored two in the top of the sixth to pretty much seal the game.
But when it was over, the manager had no qualms.
"I’m proud of the way they played," Bongiovanni said. "We hung in there. A 9-5 game is nothing to be ashamed of."
Starting pitcher Ryan Dontas and his defense showed some character in the second inning. Washington put a runner on third with one out. Washington’s Shawn Flynn then bounced to P.J. Silva at third, and Silva alertly threw home to catcher Chris Ciccodicola, who blocked the plate and tug out the runner.
Washington put runners on first and second later in the inning but Dontas got a ground-out to end it.
In the fourth, Washington’s Drew DeAngelis homered for the game’s first run, and it looked like Dontas might be unraveling when he allowed a single and a walk. A stolen base put runners on first and third, but the hurler bore down and got a strikeout and soft liner to second to quell the threat.
C-P came right back to tie it in the bottom of the inning when Mike Morabito singled, reached third on a throwing error and scored on a wild pitch.
Washington took another one-run lead in the fourth, then appeared to have put it away with their five-run fifth.
"We just made some mistakes," Bongiovanni said. "They got a couple of dinks and we made some errors after we played a real good first four innings. But they’re kids, that will happen."
And the kids were hardly fazed, as witnessed by the bottom of the inning. Morabito drew a lead off walk, Drew Bongiovanni reached on an error and Dontas walked to load the bases.
Washington brought in a new pitcher, and he got a pop out before Silva ripped a base-clearing double down the left field line. One out later, Scott Benerofe delivered a run-scoring double to make it 7-5. A walk to Naleesh Satpute put runners on first and second, but C-P could not capitalize.
Washington, which looks to be a solid team, added two in the sixth to put it away.
"We had the one good inning to get back in the game, and P.J. Silva got a real nice hit," Bongiovanni said.
C-P returned to action Thursday night against Sunnybrae, which beat Chambersburg in its first round game. Then comes a 5 p.m. game against Princeton at Princeton Saturday, and they wrap up with a 6 p.m. game with Florence at West Windsor Tuesday.
Dontas and Bongiovanni were not available to throw Thursday due to their pitch counts against Washington, but are available for Princeton.
"I’m lined up pretty good with the pitching," Bongiovanni said.
As for his team’s outlook, the manager said there was no tightness on opening night, nor does he expect any the rest of the way.
"They weren’t nervous," he said. "They were very relaxed. They were loose before the game, clowning around, having fun. I didn’t see any nervousness.
"Once the game started they were into it from the get-go. It just ended up coming down to a couple of big innings."

