Lukach delivers walk-off hit
By: Rudy Brandl
Even in the middle of the summer on the American Legion baseball diamond, Hillsborough and Immaculata produce high drama.
After the high school teams played two classic games in the spring, including a 10-inning marathon in the Somerset County final, the rivals went at it again in Sunday night’s do-or-die Legion tournament battle. This time, Hillsborough prevailed on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh to remain alive in the double elimination tourney.
Ryan Lukach stroked a single to center field scoring Bob Peck with the winning run. Peck, the leadoff hitting center fielder, opened the inning with a double over the right fielder’s head and moved to third on a ground ball out by Ron Guido. Mike Hansford was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners for Lukach, who delivered the clinching blow in an 8-7 triumph that eliminated Immaculata.
"It’s always fun," said Mike Hansford Sr., the team’s assistant coach who took over as manager with Jim Schwalje out of town. "It’s not like you’re playing the varsity, but it’s nice. These kids have a lot of pride."
The players may have been different but the flow of the game was much the same as any Hillsborough-Immaculata war. The Spartans took the lead with two runs in the top of the first but Hillsborough roared back with four in the bottom of the inning and added two more in the second for a 6-2 lead. As usual, Immaculata wouldn’t go away. The Spartans rallied and eventually tied the game at 7-7 with a four-run fifth before Hillsborough won it in the seventh.
"It was a typical Hillsborough-Immaculata game," Hansford said. "They came back and it went down to the last inning."
Hillsborough, which earned the top seed in the tournament after just missing the Legion state playoffs by one game, opened with a bad performance in a 9-6 loss to Ridge. Hansford made sure his players understood the magnitude of Sunday’s game.
"We beat ourselves against Ridge and I told them that was the only game we could afford to lose," Hansford said. "It’s a new tournament and it’s a new season. The kids understood that. They had to step up."
The Raiders played without two of their three returning varsity players. Ricky Schwalje and Sean MacDonald were away at a showcase in Connecticut, leaving Hansford’s son Mike Jr. as the only player with varsity experience on the Legion diamond.
Hansford overcame a rough start to pitch well in the middle innings before tiring in the fifth. Lukach came on in relief and hurled two perfect innings to pick up the victory.
Hillsborough responded to Immaculata’s first blow by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first. Peck legged out an infield hit to shortstop and walks to Guido and Hansford loaded the bases. Catcher Matt Mosko worked a one-out walk to force in the first run and third baseman Justin Worden drilled a bases-clearing double to left field to make it 4-2.
Sloppy play by Immaculata gave the Raiders two runs in the second. Ricky Devlin was hit by a pitch and was nearly stranded on the bases after Peck and Guido were retired. Hansford kept the inning alive with a base hit and Lukach reached on an error that scored Devlin. Hansford raced home on a wild pitch to give the Raiders a 6-2 lead after two frames.
Hillsborough maintained a 7-3 lead after four but Immaculata knotted the score with a four-run fifth. Lukach retired six straight Immaculata batters before winning the game with a base hit in the bottom of the seventh.
The Raiders joined North Warren and Skillman in the consolation bracket with one loss apiece, while Ridge (3-0) has the upper hand with a perfect tournament record. If Hillsborough wins Tuesday night’s game, it will get another shot at Ridge. However, the Raiders will need to sweep Ridge to win the tournament.
"We’ve beaten them already (6-4 in regular season) so we can do it," Hansford said. "I think our chances are pretty good against the rest of these teams. It’s going to be a knockout game the rest of the way."

