By Rich Fisher, Packet Media Group
When pushed to the limit, Ewing-Hopewell pushed back.
The result was the first Babe Ruth SNJ State championship since the two leagues combined last year, as E-H defeated West Windsor-Plainsboro 3-1 in a winner-take-all game at West Windsor last Friday.
Ewing-Hopewell grinded out close wins throughout the tournament. After defeating Pennsville 5-2 in the opener, E-H beat Mount Laurel, 6-5 and WW-P 13-12 in the winner’s bracket final.
WW-P came back to defeat E-H 3-2 in 11 innings on Friday to force the “if” game in which Ewing-Hopewell prevailed to advance to the Mid-Atlantic Regionals in Albany, N.Y.
“The boys had to battle throughout the states,” said manager Al Kandell, who took over the team when Joe Gambino was hospitalized with a serious illness. “All the games were close, our hits were timely but not as many as we would have liked.
“As a team, our batting average was fairly low, but I think teamwork and heart carried us through. We have no superstars on our team but everyone contributes in some way to allow us to come out on top.”
With the bats scuffling, E-H relied on superior pitching and defense. Dominic Gambino led the way on the mound against both Pennsville and WWP. Nick Psomaras also came through, shutting down both Mt Laurel and WWP in the final game. Knuckleballer Andy Blake was stellar in relief in the championship game.
Timely hitting was key, as Jack Kandell, Adam Wijaya, Jake Tobia, and Jake Storer paced the offense. Stellar baserunning by speedster Sid Spencer helped put runs on the board throughout the tournament.
Catcher Kenny Sullivan provided critical defensive support in the final WWP matchup in addition to some timely run scoring hits. Sam Margulis, who played for the HVCHS varsity and is key to the attack, was able to come off the injured reserve list during the final matchup with WWP to provide two hits after a three-week layoff due to a broken hand.
Max Brass and Michael Savas provided both offensive and defensive support when called upon.
After the championship, Al Kandell gave props to Gambino for building the team’s foundation and for still helping despite his health issues.
“Even though I am named as manager, anyone close to the team knows Joe Gambino — who is just a phone call away — still plays an active role. He has managed the team since these boys were nine, molded the team and has been a major contributor regarding baseball strategy. He played a major role in this year’s success and we wish him a speedy recovery.”
E-H leaves today (Thursday) for Albany, where it will play in Pool B. The locals open against West End (Pa.) at 2 p.m. Friday; play Community Athletic (Del.) and 9:30 a.m. and Frederick County (Md.) at 4 p.m. on Saturday, and meet Niskayuna (Eastern NY) at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The top-three finishers in each pool advance to bracket play.
“We’re hoping the bats come alive and we hit like we know we can,” Kandell said. “Dominic Gambino and Nick Psomaras have been doing a fine job on the mound. Our hard throwing righty, Jack Kandell has been struggling with control issues but we hope to have that resolved before regionals.”
To follow E-H’s progress in Albany log onto http://marbaberuth.org/.
