Lancers and Minutemen Add to Essex All-Stars

UNION — A pair of Lancers and Minutemen played in the first Essex and Union County Underclassmen Baseball All-Star game on Saturday at Jim Hynes Stadium at Kean University.

Newark Academy juniors David Webster and Adam Seltzer took the field, along with Livingston juniors Matt Rehm and Brian Drapeau.  Just as all four helped contribute to the success of their respective teams during the season, they were just as helpful on Saturday and contributed to the 4-4 tie in the end between the Essex and Union County All-Stars.  

It was a tight but fun game, to be sure, with  Union County making a comeback with a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game at four.   Both sides agreed prior to the game that extra innings wouldn't be allowed, so the tie stood.

Rehm went 1-for-3 on the day, including a base hit and a walk. Drapeau went 0-for-2, but smacked a hit all the way to straight centerfield before Union County's Corey Ryan made a falling catch at the warning track. The junior Livingston first baseman said that he thought the ball was out of the park.

"Oh yeah, right when it came off the bat," said Drapeau after the game. "I saw the kid stop at the track and I said 'you are kidding me.' You can't win them all."

For the Newark Academy hitters, Seltzer went 1-for-2 with a base hit in the top of the ninth inning. Webster went 0-for-2 in the game. Seltzer played at second and shortstop while Webster was out in centerfield.

Seltzer and Drapeau were part of a double play in the eighth inning. With Union County's Ryan grounding the ball to Jared Guglielmino, he flipped it to Seltzer, who tagged second and fired it to Drapeau for the double play.

But as important as the play was, in a way, the game for solely for fun and honors.

"It is an honor to be a part of this group with many of the names being a big part of Essex County this year," said Rehm after the game. "To be by their side is an honor."

Drapeau agreed.

"It is just an honor to be one of the top underclassmen and to play with these kids that you played against and combine the talent, it is a good feeling," said the Lancers' first baseman.