HILLSBOROUGH: Positive experience for Junior Legion

By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
   Tony Melfi would have liked his Hillsborough Junior American Legion baseball team to have a few more games together.
   A few hits more and they might have. The Hillsborough manager had nothing but positive things to say about this year’s group that came up just a game short of earning a playoff bid. Hillsborough finished 12-6, good for third overall in the Pyramid Baseball League.
   ”I thought they did a great job,” Melfi said. “The things I could depend on was them never giving up, always fighting to the end, supporting each other, picking each other if someone made an error or made a mistake. They were positive about it and didn’t get down on each other. That really stuck out at that age group.”
   It’s the sort of character that Melfi believes can carry this team far. The freshmen and sophomores will be building blocks for the Hillsborough High School baseball team’s future. This summer gave them a good start.
   ”I think some of the kids were surprised how well they did,” Melfi said. “I wasn’t surprised. I expected them to do well.”
   After some early adjustments, the Hillsborough Legion team took off. They were 1-3 to start the season with two of the losses coming at the hands of Warren Hills. Hillsborough reeled off eight straight wins to move into contention for a playoff bid.
   ”They were very competitive,” Melfi said. “Aside from one game, we lost every game by one or two runs. We were in every game. It was a key hit here or there. It was a key hit here or there that made the difference between winning or losing.”
   Hillsborough defeated eventual league runner-up North Warren, 4-2, in the midst of its winning streak. And they were right there with league champion Warren Hills.
   ”I was happy with the way the kids came together and showed they can play with anyone,” Melfi said. “We lost to the first-place team, 3-1 and 1-0. No one else played them that competitively. It could have gone either way. They were never out of a game.”
   That same resiliency could carry his players far next spring as they try to move up in the HHS program. They are hoping their summer play helped them acclimate to another level.
   ”I think what the kids showed is not only did they play well and play together, but they all contributed,” Melfi said. “They showed they can play at a higher level, they have the skill set.”
   They won’t take much time off before many of them resume playing games in the fall. They have the opportunity to blend with some of the older players from the Hillsborough Senior American Legion baseball team. It’s a way for them to continue to step up their level of play.
   ”A lot of them have varsity interest,” Melfi said. “They realize playing Legion and fall ball is a way to develop their skills.”
   Melfi is hopeful that he will see some of them return to play next summer for him. The others will move up after a productive summer that fell just short of their playoff goal.
   ”When we asked kids at the beginning, one of their main goals was to get better and have fun,” Melfi said. “I can definitely say they got better, and I hope they had fun.”
   The Hillsborough coaching staff enjoyed working with this group for a couple of months, and Melfi is expecting bigger things from them down the line as they gain more experience.
   ”I’m more than happy with this season,” he said. “I’m very, very happy with what we saw.”