Wood bat team in split mode

‘Boro slips to fourth place

By: Nick Vaccaro
   
   The last two weeks of action have yielded similar results for the Hillsborough GSBL Team. Hillsborough sits fourth in the league standings with a 7-4 record after splitting doubleheaders the past two Sundays.
   On July 1, Bob Pucciarello’s squad faced off against the rival Moonachie Panthers, the same team that Hillsborough battled in last year’s championship game. Ernie Lukacs suffered his first loss in two seasons in the first game. The highlight of that one was Robbie Restaino’s fourth outfield assist in his last eight games.
   Game 2 went much better for ‘Boro and their bats. Hillsborough jumped on top in the first, scoring two runs off a Chris Sasso RBI and a bases loaded hit by pitch to Jason Scala. The Panthers came back to score two unearned runs in the bottom of the second, but ‘Boro responded swiftly in the third.
   Andrew Infante sparked the third inning rally with a single to center. Andy Pogorzelski followed with a brilliant bunt single down the third base line. One batter later, Sasso hit a sharp ground ball down the first base line and into the right field corner for a double, which scored Infante and Pogorzelski.
   Keith Laufhutte followed with a single to score Sasso, and Nick McKee also contributed with an RBI single to center which scored Laufhutte. After all was said and done, Hillsborough put up a four spot, which ended up being more than enough for Sasso, who pitched phenomenally. Sasso went all seven innings, allowed only two hits, and struck out 15. At the plate, he was 2-for-3 with three RBI.
   "That was about as dominant a game as a player can have, offensively and defensively," Hillsborough player/coach Adam Siegel said. "His fastball was untouchable that day."
   Last Sunday, Hillsborough traveled to Ocean Township and split two games in 95 degree heat against the Ocean Veterans
   Lukacs bounced back from his loss and led Hillsborough to a 3-0 victory in the opener. All of ‘Boro’s three runs came in the third inning. Andy Perhac beat out a ground ball to short for an infield single which was followed by another infield hit by Kyle Pucciarello. Siegel then loaded the bases as an attempted sacrifice bunt turned into a single. Perhac, Pucciarello, and Siegel succeeded in loading the bases all while keeping the ball in the infield.
   During the next at-bat, Perhac scored on a wild pitch making it 1-0. Pucciarello and Siegel moved to second and third and later scored when Laufhutte hit a ground ball up the middle past a drawn-in infield.
   "Keith has excellent bat control," Siegel said. "Balls off his bat just find holes. It’s amazing how many ways he finds to get hits."
   Lukacs improved his record to 5-1 with the complete game shutout. Laufhutte caught both games and threw out both runners that attempted to steal, marking the eighth and ninth runners he’s gunned down so far this season. Pogorzelski had the defensive play of the game as he ran out to short left-center field from short to catch a soft line drive at full extension while at the peak of his jump to rob one of the Veterans of a hit.
   "There was no way I thought he was coming close to that ball," Siegel said.
   Hillsborough will be playing at home this Sunday against the New Jersey Braves. The games will be played on Hillsborough High School’s junior varsity field.