Stone Bridge Middle School’s baseball team in Allentown, typically a contender for its division championship, went through a subpar 5-9 season but has some key returning players as it expects to bounce back strongly next season.
“We lost some key people. Our pitching was suspect, and it was a very challenging season,” said longtime coach Rich Freccia, who worked this season as a co-coach with Rob Graham. “Pitching has been our strength, but we’re optimistic for the future.”
Stone Bridge got an impressive 10-7 victory at the end of the season over Melvin H. Kreps Middle School of East Windsor. Jake Bossi belted a key home run in that game. Seventh-graders Dan McCarthy and Mark Alpaugh showed signs of pitching well along with eighth-grader Ryan Welsh and will get bigger roles next year, as will seventh-graders Will Hassett at first base and Drew Hutch in right field.
Stone Bridge had signature victories over Millstone Township Middle School, 10-8 and 12-11, on seventh-inning rallies behind a game-winning hit by cleanup hitter and catcher Ryan Miller and some key hits from eighth-grade second baseman and pitcher Carson Rider. Stone Bridge also cut an 8-3 deficit to 8-7 in its loss to John Witherspoon Middle School of Princeton.