Game of the Week: Late Fort Lee Rally Falls Short in 10-5 Loss to Mahwah

The Fort Lee baseball team rallied from a nine-run deficit Wednesday afternoon, but the Bridgemen were not able to complete the comeback in a 10-5 loss against Mahwah.   

The visiting Thunderbirds took the early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Brandon Block, and then added to it with an RBI triple by third baseman Andy Shuart.

Down 2-0, Fort Lee fell further behind in the second inning when the Bridgemen committed a few errors.

“We didn’t make the plays early,” said Fort Lee head coach Mike Raftery. “In the first two innings we gave up 4 runs on 2 hits and 3 errors…we have to mentally focus and we got to come out from the first pitch and be ready. Right now, that is not happening.”

Mahwah’s Andy Shuart then struck again with an inside the park home run to begin the third inning, a frame in which the Thunderbirds would bat around against Fort Lee. After Shuart was retired for the final out of the inning nine hitters later, the Bridgemen were facing a possible mercy rule defeat if they allowed another run while also failing to score one themselves.

“If you fall behind 9-0, it’s a tough hole to dig out of,” Raftery said.

But Raftery's Bridgemen team had an opportunity to do so with the relief pitching of senior Bryan Halpern. After sophomore starter Patrick Darcy threw just two plus innings, Halpern only allowed a pair of runs the rest of the way for Fort Lee.

“We slowed down after three or four innings,” said Mahwah coach Jeff Remo. “Give credit to the relief pitcher that [the Bridgemen] brought in.”

With Halpern holding the Thunderbirds from scoring any more runs, the Bridgemen began their comeback against Mahwah pitcher Chris Baldi. Fort Lee interrupted the one-hit effort of the righty by scoring two runs on a single by senior infielder Troy Mattesich. Then, down 9-2, Fort Lee was looking for even more until shortstop Stephen Neer made a diving play to his right to end the inning and prevent any additional runs from scoring.

The score would remain the same until the top of the seventh inning when Mahwah added another run for an eight run advantage.

Not going down quietly, the Fort Lee Bridgemen greeted new pitcher Ian Curry with a barrage of base runners to cut the lead down to five. But following a mound visit from Remo, Curry was able to record the final two outs retiring senior John Hroncic and sophomore Kris Doidge to secure the 10-5 win.

“It scared me a little bit,” said Remo. “It is a credit to them. [Fort Lee] never gave up.”

The Mahwah Thunderbirds improve to 6-2 this season as the Fort Lee Bridgemen see their record fall to four games under .500.

“We know we are a better team than 4-8,” said pitcher Bryan Halpern. “This Mahwah team is a good team and we know we can compete with them on any given day. We just have to put it together for seven innings instead of three like we did today."

NOTES: Fort Lee pitcher Bryan Halpern also went 2 for 2 at the plate with a pair of RBIs on a single in the seventh inning. He pitched five innings, recording six strikeouts and allowing just two total runs (one earned). Junior outfielder Nick Gogic was 1 for 2 in the game with a walk and two runs scored.

THE NEXT GAME: Fort Lee is back in action on Saturday, when the Bridgemen host Bogota High School at 11 a.m. The game will be played at the Lewis F. Cole Middle School baseball field.