Jackson Memorial High School’s Bryan Soloman reaches second base just ahead of a tag by a Randolph High School infielder during the Group IV state championship baseball game on June 5 in Toms River. The Jaguars’ bid for a state crown ended in an 8-4 loss. For more photos, visit gmnews.com. LAUREN CASSELBERRY BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Correspondent
Getting to a state championship game is a great feeling, a great sense of accomplishment in high school baseball. But coming up empty three times takes some of the glint off the season for Jackson Memorial High School baseball coach Frank Malta.
“We’re not satisfied just getting to the championship game. We wanted to win it,” Malta said after the Jaguars’ 8-4 loss to Randolph High School in the NJSIAA Group IV state championship game at Toms River East High School on June 5.
With the loss, the Jaguars closed a 25-7 season.
New Egypt High School’s Kayla Soles tries to turn a double play during the Group I state championship softball game on June 5 in Toms River. The Warriors defeated Wood-Ridge High School, 3-0, to win the state crown and put the wraps on a 29-2 campaign. ERIC SUCAR staff Jackson Memorial had reached the state finals twice before, winning the Group III championship in 1972 and losing in the Group IV title game in 2002.
But Ian Booth, whose two-run homer pulled Jackson Memorial to within 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning, did not feel his team was deflated or had its confidence shaken when it lost the Shore Conference Tournament championship game to Toms River South, 7-3, two days earlier.
To some it may have appeared that way when Randolph (28-3) struck for five runs in the top of the first inning on a basesloaded walk by Tom Travaglia, before Chris Hugg followed with a grand slam, his third home run this season, off Jaguar starter Dan Falvo (6-2).
“I thought that gave us more of an edge and got us more fired up,” Booth said of the loss to Toms River South. “I thought we had tough losses before and bounced back.
“After we lost [in the Shore Conference Tournament championship game], it was a miserable feeling and we knew we had to regroup. When I saw the guys at school [on June 4], I thought we were all right and would just come back and try to win a state championship. Everyone tried to forget about that loss and [thought] we would come back better,” he said.
Booth was one of three seniors in the starting lineup, with shortstop Brandon Adams and pitcher/third baseman Bryan Soloman.
“We haven’t been down 5-0 after the first inning,” said Malta. “It was gut check time. Danny gave us what he could.”
But Booth admitted another big comeback like many in the season that set a school record for victories was dimmed when Randolph answered in the top of the fifth inning with Travaglia’s run-scoring double, and another run-scoring double in the top of the sixth inning by Brett Zaziski, who then scored on an error on the relay.
“When we gave up five runs, I didn’t think it was the end of the world and I thought we could battle back, Then when I hit the home run, I thought we had a good shot, but they came right back and we couldn’t capitalize,” said Booth.
Travaglia, who raised his pitching record to 12-0 for the Rams, scattered 10 hits over six innings before reliever Rob Berger retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh inning with an array of off-speed pitches.
Matt Meleo drove in a run in the bottom of the sixth with his second single of the game. Joe Ogren slapped a run-scoring single in the first inning for Jackson Memorial, which got typically solid relief pitching from Nick Schulman.
That scoring wasn’t enough against a Randolph team batting a collective .369 and looking for its first title after reaching the state finals four of the last five years.
With Jackson Memorial hitting 62 home runs coming into the Group IV championship game, the Rams’ coaches advised their pitchers to keep the Jaguars’ hitters offbalance and to capitalize on the wide strike zone by keeping their pitches outside.
Alex Herceg showed the home run power the Jaguars enjoyed primarily after midseason when he connected for his seventh home run of the season to cap a comeback from a 6-4 deficit in the sixth inning for an 8-6 victory over Washington Township on June 2 in the Group IV semifinals.
Soloman slapped a run-scoring single to start the comeback against Washington Township, and Ogren connected for a sacrifice fly while another run scored on the play on an error.
Two days later in the Shore Conference Tournament championship game, the Jaguars again found themselves in pursuit of an opponent after losing a 3-2 lead provided by a two-run single by Mike Folk as Toms River South ace Andrew McGee, headed this fall to Monmouth University, scattered eight hits to beat Jackson Memorial for the third time this season.
“As a senior, I couldn’t have a better year, an awesome year, winning the state sectional championship and getting the school record for most wins. But when you make it so far, you always have that doubt in the back of your mind that you didn’t capitalize when you had the opportunities,” Booth said in reflecting on the 2010 campaign.
Malta said his team at least could come away with the distinction of winning the Central Jersey Group IV state sectional championship, and having many players expected to return in 2011 to set their goals on return trips to the tournament finals.