Walk-Off Grand Slam Highlights Chiefs' Win

Hopatcong picked up where it left off Monday, receiving an excellent pitching performance and two huge offensive innings en route to its home-opening 15-3 win over Dover at the . It was the Chiefs' second straight victory.

IN SHORT

Sixth-year head coach Chris Buglovsky had reason to smile after the game. His starting pitcher, lefty Matt Cautero, gave him six strong innings, allowing just a run while mixing his fastball and curveball and staying in the zone. And his bats came alive. Again. Catcher Frank Fendrock's single started a five-run fourth-inning barrage which saw three hits and as many walks. But the Chiefs put things away in the fourth. Capitalizing on the Tigers' lack of arms, eight different Hopatcong players scored in the frame, which junior right fielder Ryan Frace capped with a walk-off grand slam.

CHIEF OF THE GAME

Cautero—Five strikeouts, one walk, seven hits, one earned run in six stellar frames.

The junior southpaw had everything working Tuesday. "Hitting all the spots," he said. "Everything was just going good." Cautero blanked Dover through the first four innings. He said his conditioning and staying in the strike zone were keys to his success.

OTHER KEY PERFORMANCES

Frace—2-for-4, two runs scored, a grand slam, a single and a walk.

After pitching five tough innings in Monday's 10-8 victory of Pequannock, Frace kept it up Monday. The junior ended the game with his a bomb over the center-field fence on a 1-1 fastball. Frace said he was sitting heater. "I got a fastball and I just turned on it," he said. "He wasn't throwing anything but fastballs, so I just waited back on it." It was also Frace's first career home run. The right fielder ignited Hopatcong's game-sealing frame with a leadoff single.

Designated hitter Adam McLagan—3-for-4, three runs scored, a double and two singles.

First baseman Ray Annett—1-for-2, a double, a walk and two runs scored.

Fendrock—2-for-4, two runs scored, two singles.

THEY SAID IT

"It's always a big thing going on a winning streak when going to Hackettstown because they've had our numbers for the last few years now. We've only beaten them once. It's just big."—Shortstop Ryan "Scootie" Fischer.

"I explained to them in the dugout after the game today you should maybe try the team being chased this year. Have that kind of mentality and not try and chase teams and chase wins. Let's try and be the pace car. Let's try and get these wins under our belt."—Buglovsky

Up Next—Hackettstown on Thursday at 4 p.m. at Hackettstown High School.