By Wayne Witkowski
Allentown High School’s baseball team looked like it was in danger of falling into something it has not encountered through most of the first month of the season: a slump.
The Redbirds, coming off a 2-1 loss to Nottingham High School April 24, had fallen behind Hamilton High School West, 3-0, in the early innings of the following game April 28.
The Redbirds rallied back into the lead with a three-run fifth inning, capped by Brian Anderson’s sacrifice fly, and beat Hamilton West, 4-3, to go to 10-1 on the season.
Aydon Chavis belted a solo home run among his three hits, and winning pitcher Ryan Huth helped his own cause with a run-scoring hit. Huth had allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings pitched with nine strikeouts and two walks.
“This gave us motivation to keep going and to do it game by game,” pitcher Jordan Winston, who is 4-0, said. “We’re over that loss. We have to keep on moving up.”
“We had our chances and didn’t capitalize [against Nottingham] and played just well enough to beat [Hamilton] West,” coach Brian Nice said. “We got great pitching once again.”
In a battle for first place between two 3-0 teams in the Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division, Nottingham got a leg up in New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Central Jersey, Group III bracket behind Nick Houghton, who pitched a five-hitter with six strikeouts and three walks. He struck out the side in order in the last inning to end the game. He also lashed a run-scoring single in the top of the seventh inning to win it after Jacob Fanning singled and advanced to third base on a bunt and a groundout.
Allentown lost its 1-0 lead off an RBI hit by Chavis on a pair of errors in the sixth inning — the latter allowing the tying run to score. Allentown center fielder Ryan Baber threw out a runner at the plate to end the inning. Colton Johnson pitched well in the loss.
Allentown left the bases loaded in the sixth inning on a fly ball for the final out.
Allentown looked to continue its pursuit of a favorable seed when it played Hamilton West again May 1 and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South May 3. The Redbirds take on Holy Cross High School the following day and Robbinsville High School at home May 5.
“This week is definitely important to get a good seed [for the tournaments],” Winston said.
Softball
Allentown (8-7) won its fourth straight game, 10-0, over Hamilton West April 28 to rekindle its tournament hopes.
Sam Einstein pitched a two-hitter in a game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule, striking out five and walking one. Alyssa Notarianni belted a two-run homer — her team-leading third this season — and Grace Dawson drove in two runs with two hits. Madison Storey, Heather Devine, Shae Dominici and Lauren Coiante each batted in a run.
On April 27, Allentown edged Monroe Township High School, 3-2, as Sarina Campanella batted in two runs and Notarianni knocked in the other while slugging two hits in support of Devine’s five-hit pitching. Devine leads the team with a .439 batting average, and Storey has 13 RBIs.
Allentown also beat Nottingham High School by a 10-0 score April 24. Coiante cleared the bases with a triple, and Notarianni tagged a two-run homer. Einstein allowed five hits over four innings.
Girls’ lacrosse
Colonial Valley Conference Colonial Division champion Allentown comes off a 13-0 blitz of West Windsor-Plainsboro South April 25. Alyssa Sloane scored three goals and had two assists, while goalkeeper Jillian Rekulak made five saves. Danielle Sullivan had two goals and two assists, and Marin Hartshorn assisted on five goals and scored one herself.
Hartshorn leads the way with 35 goals and 24 assists. Sullivan has 26 goals and 11 assists, and Sloane follows with 16 goals and eight assists.
Allentown was scheduled to play North Brunswick Township High School May 1.
Boys’ lacrosse
Connor Provost and James Neebling each scored two goals with an assist and Mike Surace had two scores when Allentown (3-8) lost to Hopewell Valley Central High School, 9-7, in a nondivision game April 28.
Allentown had its strongest showing of the season April 25, when Provost and Surace each scored four goals and Danny Drew put in three in a 17-2 victory over West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North. Nick Stagnitti and Jared Jordan each scored twice and goalkeeper Zach Powdermaker made five saves for the Redbirds, who split their last six games with the victory.
Provost leads the way with 28 goals and also has 14 assists. Surace has 20 goals. Neebling has 18 assists, and Drew has 14.
The Redbirds played Toms River High School North May 1.