By: Sean Moylan
After a tough playoff loss to Bordentown Post 26 a couple of weeks ago, it was obvious the Hightstown Post 148 Junior American Legion team still had some baseball left to play this summer.
Hightstown’s Junior Legion team was able to prove how good it was by going out and winning Saturday’s Mercer County Lou Gehrig Tournament in Hamilton.
Because of weather problems, the tourney ended up being single-elimination and held on one day. But Hightstown manager Rick Kerr’s fantastic squad made sure it was a Saturday to remember when it beat a Lou Gehrig 15 and 16-year-old All-Star team, 6-2, in the first game and then trounced a Trenton and Hamilton Junior Legion squad, 14-8, to win the championship.
Brian Connaughton pitched brilliantly to win the first contest, hurling five innings of three-hit, one-run ball. Nick Calabrese came in to finish it off.
Dan Westfall and Chris Rosensteel each had a pair of hits and drove in two runs. Matt Santarsiero also had a great game.
"Matt Santarsiero had two hits and two RBI and turned two double plays in the field at second base," said Kerr.
In the championship win over Trenton-Hamilton, Santarsiero was even better.
"Matt Santarsiero had three hits, four RBI and turned two more double plays at second, including the game-ending double play," added Kerr.
Rosensteel started and got the win. Hightstown broke out to an 8-0 lead in the first frame. Rosensteel was sharp over the first three innings, but when he got in trouble in the fourth Kerr put in Calabrese to put out the fire. Nevertheless, Trenton-Hamilton was inching closer and had cut Hightstown’s lead to just 8-6. But Hightstown had a secret weapon it was about to use.
Zach Katcher, who caught the first game and was the Senior Legion’s catcher the entire year, then closed it out.
"He (Katcher) pitched really good for us. He came in to pitch a stellar final three innings," added Kerr. Rosensteel had a multiple hit game as well but nearly the entire Hightstown lineup was productive in the finale.
Post 148 kids have a rich tradition of playing Lou Gehrig baseball. Senior Legion stars Chris Kubik, Marcus McLeod, Ryan Pierson and Curtis Schickner all used to play Lou Gehrig baseball. But Saturday was a special day, nonetheless, because Hightstown won a big tourney and proved to the world what an excellent baseball team it is.

