Playoff loss does not spoil '11 season for Spartans

BELLEVILLE - The New Jersey Spartans baseball season ended with a thump with a loss to the Meadowland's A's.
    But for the Spartans, who call the Belleville High School field home, it was a playoff game for the young organization in only its third season.
    New Jersey lost 9-0 to Meadowlands in the first round of the Metropolitan League last week. "We were just happy to be in the playoffs," said New Jersey manager/player Giancarlo Cifelli.
    Against the A's it was a tough day for pitcher Javier Cruz, a Belleville High School graduate, who was not helped by the fielders behind him as the Spartans played a sloppy game. "There were a few errors behind him and they are a good hitting team," said Cifelli summing up the playoff loss.
    New Jersey finished their record with a 10-15 mark including the last spot in the Met League playoffs. The 2011 season had a different feel from the start. "This year is the first that we had players come to us," said Cifelli.
    Before the playoff game, New Jersey had played some of its best games against the A's, winning two out of three with the lone loss, a 1-0 defeat in eight innings.
    The loss finished off a five-game losing streak for the season as four of the five losses came to Met teams that made it to the league semi-finals. "It was getting late in the season and we had a lot of back-to-back games," said Cifelli about the slide.
    But that slide was countered with one stretch of the season as the Spartans went 5-3 in the middle of July. "We had a lot of clutch hitting and positive attitude," said Cifelli. "Everything was going well for us."
    For Cifelli and the Spartans, New Jersey clinched a postseason spot in what turned out to be the last win of the season, 4-0, over Teaneck on July 19. "That pretty much clinched it and everybody was hitting," said Cifelli.
    One of the top pitchers for the Spartans this season got the win against Teaneck in Matt Larangera who scattered five hits as his slider and fastball were on target that night.
    For Larangera it was a big season with quality starts in what turned out to be his first season as a starting pitcher. As a reliever for University of Rutgers-Newark and will be hopefully starting for them next spring. Larangera had a 1.25 ERA with two wins and led the team in strikeouts with 36.
    Also giving them valuable innings was Cifelli who said that he felt the best after several injuries over the years including a recent back injury. "I was in good condition this season and I had all my pitches," said Cifelli about his mound work and who had three wins for the season and a 2.56 ERA.
    One of the top players for the season actually was gone halfway through as Michael Cassese received an invite San Diego Surf Dawgs in the  Arizona Summer League where there are plenty of major league scouts. "He was our team leader at the time," said Cifelli.
    While playing 12 games for the Spartans, Cassese hit .405 for the season with eight RBI and four doubles and a .514 slugging percentage.
    Another big offensive player this season was third baseman Andrew Brennerman, another Belleville High School graduate. Brennerman hit .333 for the season with a .477 on-base percentage with seven runs scored.
    While for this season they just made the playoffs, the Spartans will be looking to make a bigger drive in the Met League postseason.