By Warren Rappleyea
Staff Writer
Raritan’s Rich Russomano lets a high pitch go by during the Group II final.
The ability to score runs by the truckload, and six players having 20 or more RBIs and eight hitting .300 or better, propelled the Raritan High School baseball team to the NJSIAA Group II championship.
Trailing 2-1 in the top of the sixth against Hanover Park in the title game, Raritan sent 14 batters to the plate and exploded for eight runs to take a seemingly commanding lead.
After catcher Shawn Hanrahan reached second base on a throwing error with one out, freshman Rich Russomano singled, plating the inning’s first run. Alex Mautone followed with an RBI triple, and scored on a bunt single by Steve Plagianakos. After Plagianakos stole second, Steve Bilowus knocked him in with a double, chasing Hanover Park starter D.J. Cunningham (who is headed to Seton Hall in the fall) out of the game.
Sal Straneiro then welcomed new pitcher Mike Oceho by reaching on another error, and Mike Nunes followed with an RBI single, as did Shaun Walsh, before back-to-back walks forced in another run. Courtesy runner Jared Pflug (for Walsh) then scored a wild pitch for the Rockets’ eighth run of the inning.
PHOTOS BY FARRAH MAFFAI Raritan’s Shaun Walsh fires a pitch during the Rockets’ win over Hanover Park in the Group II final on June 10.
In the bottom half of the inning, Rockets starter Shaun Walsh ran into serious trouble. But the crafty senior, pitching for just the third time since returning from a thumb injury in late April, got out of the inning after allowing four runs.
Despite the struggle, Raritan coach T.J. O’Donnell stayed with his pitcher in the seventh and the decision paid off, as Walsh raised his record to 6-1 and the Rockets celebrated their championship. Hanover Park closed to within 9-7 before Walsh closed the book on Raritan’s first group championship.
"Our hitting put us over the top all season long, but our pitchers did the job," O’Donnell said. "That was a concern back in April."
Entering the season, both Walsh and top starter Greg Casha were nursing shoulder injuries. The Raritan offense helped there, too, ending several games after five innings and limiting the number of pitches thrown by each. Several postponements didn’t hurt, either.
Raritan High School’s Greg Casha (r) can’t take his eyes off the trophy winning pitcher Shaun Walsh holds after Raritan won the Group II title, beating Hanover Park, 0-7.
In addition, freshman Rick Russomano emerged as a valuable hurler, going 7-1 with a 2.64 ERA. Overall, Casha went 5-0, junior Nunes was 4-2 and sophomore Mark Maglione went 2-2.
Meanwhile, Raritan’s offense was simply dominant.
Walsh, the DH when not on the hill, led the team with a .446 average, while whacking five homers and driving home 27 runs. Second baseman Straneiro hit .442 and set team records with 40 RBIs and 50 hits, and the sophomore also connected for five round-trippers.
Nunes gave the Rockets a third .400 hitter, ending up at .404 with 18 RBIs. Senior shortstop Mautone was at .387 with 20 RBIs, and catcher Hanrahan, a junior, and Russomano had identical stats, as each player averaged .381 with 29 RBIs.
Raritan players celebrate their first ever Group state championship on June 10 in Toms River.
Casha hit .312 and drove home 19 runs, and left fielder Steve Plagianakos hit an even .300 with 20 RBIs.
"Out of our top 10 guys, six will be back next year," said O’Donnell, whose team ended the year at 24-6. "But this was a special season and things went our way. It’s tough to get back to the top spot, though that’s what we’ll be looking to do."
Following the state title win, the Rockets went on to lose a hard-fought Monmouth County Tournament title game to defending champion Ocean Township, 2-1. However, that loss could not diminish the excitement that came along with the Rockets’ first-ever Group II title.