Hillsborough wins SCT in extra innings
By Bob Nuse, The Packet Group
The Hillsborough High baseball team has made a habit of playing its best at the end of the season.
This year is no exception.
The Raiders captured their fifth Somerset County Tournament title when they got past Ridge, 4-3, in nine innings on Monday at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater.
”We tend to start out slowly but if you check a lot of our past years, we come on at tournament time,” Hillsborough coach Norm Hewitt said. “When we went to the state final in 2012 we were 8-10 when the tournament started. Over the years when we try to teach the game sometimes it is frustrating for the kids. We dump a lot of information on them so it can be frustrating at times. But in the end you play for tournaments and we always strive to get at least one game in the stadium. Our fans and community are wonderful and they show up and support us. The high school kids are so respected by the little guys so it is always a big goal.”
The Raiders had gone extra innings to defeat Bernards in the semifinals and then needed extra frames in the final as well. They led, 3-2, entering the bottom of the seven when Ridge tied the score with two outs. In the ninth, Mike Ricca singled to start the winning rally. He was bunted to second by Andrew Zitel and then Eric Zickert came in to pinch run. Brian Cole’s single got Zickert to third base and he scored on Matt Hornich’s ground out.
Hornich, who pitched the Raiders into the final, was excellent on the mound once again and was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
”We played a very good team and I was fortunate that our kids battled and battled,” Hewitt said. “It is amazing how much energy you can have when you’re excited. We’ve been fortunate to get to the big game a couple times and the kids have plugged it out.
”It was a great show of character by our guys. We played 17 innings against North Hunterdon and then 12 innings against Bernards, the No. 1 seed, and then (Tuesday) went extra innings and lost in a close one to Hunterdon Central. It shows the character of these young men and how hard they battle. It’s a wonderful thing.”
The Raiders have been doing wonderful things on the baseball field for years and Hewitt is quick to spread around the credit.
”I have a wonderful coaching staff that has done a marvelous job for our team and guided me with a lot of tough decisions,” the veteran coach said. “We wouldn’t be where we are without our assistant coaches. My volunteer coaches as well are a big part of it. Frank Quadrino has been with me 14 years and also Tim Zavacki. It takes a team and is not just one guy.”
As a group the Raiders have played a lot of baseball over the past couple weeks and now have a county title to show for it as they get ready for the state tournament.
”Our guys are tired right now,” Hewitt said. “My catcher has been a bulldog. He has caught every inning of every game. Brian Cole is on another level when it comes to toughness. This team has become very unselfish. Mike Ricca had the big pinch that became the winning run. The key to any tournament is the team that makes the least amount of mistakes usually ends up winning. We played solid defense and our pitching has been good.”
And that helps a team win championships, which the Raiders continue to do.
”This win was for our high school, community, parents and players,” Hewitt said. “It was a real team effort. I am very proud of these young men. Matt was the MVP and the kid has been a bulldog for us all year. Now that our hitting is coming around I hope we can run this out to the states. We have certainly had a lot of at bats.”