Post 414 preps for playoffs

AMERICAN LEGION

By: Tim Falls
   It’s been a while since the Lawrence Post 414 American Legion team has been a playoff contender.
   Lawrence is in the thick of it this year as one of the top baseball teams in the Mercer County American Legion League.
   Post 414 defeated Princeton, 8-4, on Monday to improve to 15-6. Lawrence was scheduled to play North Trenton last night (Wednesday).
   The MCALL playoffs start Saturday. Bordentown led the league with a 17-3 record before a game against second-place West Windsor-Plainsboro (16-5) yesterday. Ewing matched Lawrence with a 15-6 record before its game Wednesday against Princeton.
   "It’s the first time since I’ve been on the team that we’ve made the playoffs," said Dan Ciccone, a two-year veteran of Post 414.
   Ciccone struck out seven, going the whole game, in Lawrence’s win over Princeton.
   "I just threw my game and it worked out well," said Ciccone.
   Matt Parsons and Matt Russo combined to knock in four runs against Princeton, while Mark Speidel added an RBI.
   Christian Cox doubled for Post 414 and scored two runs in the win. Parsons and Kyle Good win also scored twice, while Sean Gafgen and Russo scored once.
   Cox, Jason Zegarski, Goodwin, Speidel and Joseph Sparano all had a hit.
   Ciccone said he was glad to get the win after pitching in Lawrence’s losing effort against Broad Street Park.
   "Coming off BSP I wanted to come out strong," said Ciccone. "I wanted to get my confidence back."
   Lawrence also enjoyed a 16-0 shutout victory over Hopewell Post 339.
   Kyle Goodwin had a game for Lawrence, accounting for five RBI and pitching a three-hit shutout through five innings.
   Goodwin went 2-for-2 and scored a run along with hitting a sacrifice fly.
   Parsons homered and doubled while going 3-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored.
   Zegarski went 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs scored.
   Bobby Marx homered and had two RBI, while Geoff Kimmel and Russo had an RBI and a run scored.
   Matt DeMille went 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored.
   After returning from the break, it took Lawrence eight innings over two days to defeat Mitchell Davis, 9-5.
   Lawrence fell behind 5-1 after two innings before scoring a run in the third and three in the fifth to tie the game.
   Dan Zuccari struck out seven in the first six innings, and Ciccone came in to pitch in the seventh when the game was suspended last Monday with the game tied 5-5.
   Parsons and Pat Fedorko broke open the game in the top of the eighth to give Ciccone the win as the pitcher of record, while Goodwin pitched in the bottom of the inning to earn the save.
   Parsons had a two run double and Fedorko drove in two runs with a single in the eighth inning to make the difference in the game.
   Goodwin went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored, Kimmel went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and Russo, Speidel, Thomas Lannigan and DeMille all had an RBI.
   The victory over Mitchell Davis proved once again Lawrence’s ability to pull together when they need to play well.
   "We have a good team," said Ciccone. "We’ve proven ourselves this season."
   Lawrence may still be an underdog against teams like Bordentown and WW-P, but not by much.
   "We’re right up there with those top teams," said Ciccone. "We’ve beaten WW-P and the games we lost have been one-run games."
   Lawrence only needs to execute like its shown it can and Post 414 could be victorious.
   "We’re going to have to play as a team," said Ciccone. "Everything has to be working, the pitching, the batting, the fielding, everything. We should do pretty well."