Late Rally Not Enough for Howell

After a solid opening day win against Freehold Township on Saturday, the Howell Rebels started their week with their first loss of the season against a determined squad from Middletown South. 

Anthony Carbajal started for the Rebels, who hoped to find the same success starter Dan Watson had in his complete game shutout of the Patriots. In the end it was not meant to be as the Eagles picked up a 7-5 win in A North action.

Carbajal started shaky with two first inning past balls that led to a South run, but buckled down until running into trouble in the top of the fourth.

"His pitch count was getting high, and he was getting tired out," said Howell head coach Eric Johnson.

After getting the first batter of the inning to strike out and the second in an 0-2 hole, Carbajal walked the second batter. That is where Howell's trouble began.

Following the walk, Carbajal got his second strikeout of the inning and fourth in five batters. With two outs, two straight hits were surrendered, giving South a 3-2 lead and taking Carbajal out of the game. Mark Doyle was called in, but he faced trouble as well, giving up an RBI double before he got the final batter of the inning to ground out.

Howell's bats were hot early, but went quiet for much of the middle innings. Junior Kyle Conrad continued his brilliant start going 2-4. In the first inning, Conrad picked up an RBI with a single as Brian Blood came home to score. Carmine Palummo went 2-4 also and scored off Brody High's first inning double, giving the Rebels a 2-1 lead.

"He's becoming an elite player in the Shore Conference and were happy he's only a junior," said Johnson of Conrad, "as good as you could expect defensively as well."

The Rebels did not score again until Joe Raccuglia's solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the South lead in half to 4-3.

In the top of the sixth, Middletown South expanded their lead to 7-3 after Howell could not keep the Eagles off the bases.

"We walked three of five batters," said Johnson, "that can't happen against a team this good."

Howell scored a run in each of the final innings but it was not enough as they fell 7-5.

After Conrad's second RBI of the game came in the seventh and final inning, and the tying run on first, Brody High grounded into a double play to end the game.

"The thought of sending another runner home on Conrad's hit crossed my mind, but anytime you can get a chance to have Brody High up as the winning run, in this field especially, you have to give him a shot. Fly balls can easily turn into home runs here." said Johnson.

The Rebels will be back in action on Wednesday, as they will travel to Marlboro for battle with the Mustangs at 3:30.