By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Needing some great starting pitching, the West Windsor-Plainsboro American Legion baseball team got it Sunday to keep its District 3 chances alive.
Ryan Dontas fired a four-hitter in WW-P’s 2-0 shutout of North Warren Post 258, then P.J. Silva went the first six innings unscathed before Ryan McGovern shut the door in the seventh inning of Game 2, another shutout, this by a 3-0 score over Brooklawn Post 72 Blue.
”The pitching was really clutch today,” said WW-P shortstop Ben Ruta. “We’ve had some injuries and lost some guys to Babe Ruth, so we’re kind of low on pitching. To not have to use the bullpen was huge so we have a good amount of pitchers going into tomorrow to do whatever we have to to win.”
WW-P was scheduled to play Mount Laurel on Monday for the right to represent District 3 in the state’s Final Eight along with District 3 champion Brooklawn Post 72 Red. Since losing their district opener to the Brooklawn Red, WW-P has won three straight after Sunday’s doubleheader sweep followed a 7Ò innings gem by Jeff Paskewitz in last Thursday’s 6-4 win over South Amboy Post 62.
”They just went out and played,” said WW-P manager Don Hutchinson after improving to 19-8. “They seem pretty relaxed. They’re having fun. They have a chance with one more win to move on to the state final. They just enjoy playing.”
Dontas, who expects to play club baseball at Boston College next year, was looking for another outing after being the tough-luck loser of the Mercer County American Legion League playoff opener the previous weekend. After nine innings in the loss to Bordentown, WW-P was without his services for their first two games of districts.
”The Bordentown game was great, but unfortunately we didn’t end up with that win,” Dontas said. “After we lost to Brooklawn, I was nervous that was the last game I’d pitch. Jeff Paskewitz came up huge. I was ready to go Saturday and it got pushed to Sunday. I tried to make everything of what I have.”
Dontas did such a good job that he felt like starting the second game of the doubleheader.
”I was pretty efficient in the first game,” he said. “I probably threw less than 80 pitches. If we played right after, it would be kind of like going 10 innings. My arm felt really good today.”
WW-P had to wait more than two hours to play their second game Sunday, but Silva was ready to do his best to match the standard set by Dontas.
”The shutout was probably my best,” Dontas said. “That’s the first time I’ve held a team with no runs in a complete game in a while, all year. I really can’t explain it. In my school season, I didn’t pitch how I liked. This Legion year, everything has come together, I’ve got a lot of confidence, my team is making wonderful plays behind me, and I’m riding this wave of confidence to the very end.”
The end keeps being extended with terrific pitching. He lasted all the way into the seventh before McGovern recorded the final two outs.
”His arm stiffened up a little bit in the seventh inning,” Hutchinson said. “He got one out in the seventh and had to come out. That was probably his best outing of the summer, or one of his best. He threw all of his pitches for strikes. He’s struggled when he hasn’t had command of his second pitch. He got ahead of most of the guys. We played pretty good defense as the game wore on. He grew more confident as he got more and more out.
”Dontas, as the season’s worn on, he’s been good all season, but these last two outings in particular, he was so good. He mixes his pitches up well. He believes he’s going to get these guys out. He threw a nice mix of them. He didn’t walk anyone. His pitch count was low. He wanted to pitch the next game too.”
WW-P is just happy to live another day and step another game closer to making the state’s final eight. The pressure to do so hasn’t gotten to this bunch that has stayed loose while coming up clutch.
”It shows how resilient we are, and how one loss isn’t going to put us down,” Ruta said. “We take it one game at a time. Tomorrow is one more game. We just have to win to keep our season going.
”When we’re playing, we’re not putting too much pressure on ourselves. It’s like we want to win for the team, and when you think like that, good things happen.”
Ruta scored the game-winner in the first game Sunday when he doubled, moved up a base on a fly out by Casey Litwack and scored on a wild pitch. Litwack drove in the only run that Silva and McGovern would need on a single after Dontas singled and moved to second on a Ruta out.
”Both our opponents threw pretty good pitchers,” Hutchinson said. “We didn’t have any big innings where we got a lot going. We did a good job of moving runners. We did some things that put us in position to score some runs.”
Said Ruta: “We had a lot of opportunities again, and most of our runs were small ball. I have a feeling we’ll break out soon. We’ve been on a little lull, and we’ve been a good offensive team all year.”
WW-P didn’t need much offense thanks to its pitching performances Sunday. The mound masterpieces came in some of the most critical games of the year.
”I know they’re huge games,” Dontas said. “I think the pressure kind of aids me. I like to pitch in big games. All starting pitchers like to pitch in big games. I knew we had to win today’s game and I knew we had to win the Bordentown game. Desperation helps my pitching. I get focused and I know exactly what I need to do. The last two times, I’ve executed.
”P.J. came up huge. He’s been a starting pitcher all year. I think that’s the first game it’s all come together for him. We had 14 innings of scoreless ball, that’s all you can ask.”
