Spartans Season Ends in Heart-Breaking Loss

Nobody saw it coming.

With the Howell Spartans three outs away from advancing to the Jersey Shore Baseball League semi-finals, and their dominant closer Joe Quinones on the hill, the victory against the Point Pleasant Merchants seemed automatic.

The defending champion Merchants rallied however, for three two-out runs to beat Howell, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at Point Pleasant Borough High School.

After issuing a lead-off walk on four pitches, the runner advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch.

Two batters later, runners were at first and third following a bloop single to right field.

Eventually, the Merchants scored their first run of the seventh inning an infield single to shortstop. Howell's Travis Escalante could not get enough on his throw to first base, as the bases remained loaded.

The next Merchants batter belted a ball to third basemen Chris Dole. The ball richotched off Dole's leg, and landed in left field, allowing the tying and winning runs to score.

"No, we never saw it coming," Spartans head coach Don Ebinger said, "We weren't over-confident. We had to get three outs and we only got two."

Howell jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, scoring two un-earned runs, due to two fielding errors by the Merchants.

After Joe Sandomierski reached on an error by Point's first baseman, Vin Avella followed him with a single to center field.

Brian Blood, who was the courtesy runner for Sandomierski, and Avella both scored when Dan Avella's fly ball to left field dropped in.

Howell added to their 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth, when Chris Collins' single to center field scored Dan Avella, who started the inning with a one-out double down the right field line.

Point scored its first run in the bottom of the third. With runners on second and third and one out. Spartans starter Craig Ebinger yielded just one run, forcing the next two batters to ground out to short and fly out to left field.

The Spartans had oppurtunities to cash in on runs, especially in the sixth inning.

After Avella crossed home plate, the Spartans had runners on second and third and one out, but Dole struck out and pinch-hitter Joe Blood lined out to short stop.

"I don't think we gave away too many at-bats," Ebinger said, "Missed oppurtunites hurt. You always want to tack on runs when you get the chance, but having said that, we had our closer on the hill and good defense behind him. We just did not execute."

The younger Ebinger lasted five innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and struck out one batter. He also walked three batters.

Quinones threw the final 1.2 innings, striking out three batters, walking two and allowing two hits. He allowed all three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but only one of them was earned.

"We had respect for them, but at the same time, we thought we were the better team," Ebinger said, "Clearly we're not since they beat us."

The Spartans compiled a regular season record of 16-11-1, which was third-best in the National League.