The season came to halt last week for the J.P. Stevens High School baseball team after the Hawks lost a tough one to North Hunterdon in the NJSIAA North 2 Group IV semifinals by an 8-7 score.
Stevens was tagged early by North Hunterdon’s Tom Zengel. Zengel belted a two-run homer in the early stages of the game to put his team ahead 2-0. With the score 2-1, Zengel left the yard a second time to give North Hunterdon a 3-1 edge. Despite the hot hitting of Zengel, North Hunterdon could not slam the door on Stevens. The Hawks battled back to eventually take a 6-5 lead going into the seventh inning.
“It was a see-saw battle and a very exciting game,” Stevens head coach Dave Marzano said. “North Hunterdon hit a fly ball in the sixth inning to center field where a drainage ditch came into play, and the play resulted in two unearned runs. We were up 4-3 at the time, but went down 5-4 on that play to centerfield.”
The Hawks recaptured the lead in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a throwing error by North Hunterdon pitcher Jason Knapp. After fielding a Billy Dumchus bunt, Knapp’s throw to first was off target and Stevens’ Connor Medler and Brad Newman raced home to give the Hawks a 6-5 lead.
Unfortunately for Stevens, the Lions were hardly finished providing their own heroics. Stevens closer Zinno took the ball for the seventh and was immediately touched up for a leadoff double from North Hunterdon’s Zengel. Zinno plunked the following batter to put two aboard for catcher Jeff Melillo.
The injury-hobbled catcher took a Zinno pitch and sent it to the wall in left center. The ball hit the top of the padding and took a North Hunterdon bounce that sent it over the wall to give the Lions an 8-6 lead.
Stevens did not go quietly, as senior Anthony Montalbano left the yard to lead off the bottom of the seventh. With a runner aboard and one out, it looked like more late-game heroics were in order, but in the end North Hunterdon prevailed.
Stevens finished the season 17-8 with a second-place finish in the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division. Despite ending the season with a loss, the Hawks battled North Hunterdon’s pro-prospect Knapp. A flame-throwing pitcher with a 95 mph heater, Knapp has accepted a scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina.
“We knew he was one of the best in the state,” Marzano said. “Our guys weren’t intimidated and made things very interesting.”
Along with Montalbano, Stevens will see its ace pitcher Medler graduate this spring. Medler finished his senior season 9-1 for the Hawks. Other graduates include first baseman John Stillitano, outfielders Sattler and Newman, and catcher Jay.
Expected to lead next year’s team is Zinno and Dumchus. In addition to being this year’s closer, Zinno batted close to .400. He will be expected to fill the void left by Montalbano, who led the team with a .450 average.