Sean Moylan Sports Writer
Before Monday’s home game versus Hopewell Valley, Robbinsville High baseball coach Tom Bretell ran threw his entire lineup in his head looking for the right pitcher to lead the Ravens to the state tournament.
When he got to the name Ryan “Leader,” Brettell’s choice became obvious and the rest, as they say, is history. In what was probably the biggest game of his young career, Leader pitched Robbinsville to a 2-1 win.
“He (Leader) threw a great game. He pitched all seven and threw 92 pitches,” noted Brettell of Leader. Using his fielders to ýPage=011 Column=001 Loose,0053.09þ
record most of the outs, Leader surrendered just four hits and allowed three walks while fanning two.
The Ravens got on the board first when Ryan Casey roped a single to plate Matt Hill in the bottom of the fourth. After Hopewell scored a run to tie it in the fifth, Robbinsville got a lucky break to win it.
“We got a run by mistake in the sixth. Mark Magariello (1-for-2) got picked off second but they threw the ball way on the play and he scored,” said Brettell.
For some reason, most people treated Robbinsville’s 4-2 road win over Hun in Saturday’s Mercer County Tournament opener as a huge shocker. HowýPage=011 Column=002 OK,0046.09þ
ever by the time the actual game rolled around, Robbinsville had a better record than Hun (8-6 to 8-7) and was probably the better all-around baseball team. Moreover, Robbinsville starter Brian Flynn was simply magnificent, hurling a complete game six-hitter while walking two and fanning two.
“After the game I told him (Flynn) ‘I’ve been coaching for eight years and that’s the gutsiest performance I ever saw from a pitcher,” said Brettell.
Freddie Ulisse went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Eric Strano smacked a double and knocked in a run. Magariello had a pair of RBI and a hit in three at-bats. Casey (run) and DeAngelis had Robbinsville’s ýPage=011 Column=003 Loose,0046.09þ
only other hits in the contest. Greg Hunter drove in a run and Cory Karagjozi scored once.
Last Friday Nottingham won at Robbinsville, 6-2.
Hill went 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI. Karagjozi clubbed a pair of hits and scored a run. Hunter was 1-for-2 with a run batted in.
Last Thursday Brian Greubel pitched Robbinsville to a 7-3 win over Princeton. Hopewell batters manufactured just two runs while striking out five times in Greubel’s five innings of work. Leader hurled two solid innings of relief, giving up an unearned run along the way. Robbinsville broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning. Magariello drove in three ýPage=011 Column=004 OK,0046.09þ
runs, had two hits and scored a run. Greubel (1-for-3, two RBI), Ulisse (2-for-4, two runs, RBI), Strano (2-for-3), Hill (RBI), Flynn (two runs) and Kowalski (run) also got the job done offensively.
“In the win against Princeton we came out and did what we had to do,” said Brettell.
After winning just a couple of games last season, the entire Robbinsville team was proud to make the playoffs on Monday.
“For the team that was our number one goal coming into the season,” said Brettell.
Robbinsville (10-6) was scheduled to play Princeton Day School in the MCT quarterfinals on Tuesday. Yesterday (Wednesday) Robbinsville was ýPage=011 Column=005 OK,0046.09þ
scheduled to host Allentown. Robbinsville is scheduled at Princeton today (Thursday) and Hopewell tomorrow (Friday). Robbinsville is scheduled to host Howell on Saturday. Robbinsville is scheduled at Allentown next Monday.
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