Livingston Gains Edge on Weather

Livingston's U-14 baseball team had walloped West Essex twice in the regular season, so when Livingston batted around in the first inning of Friday night's first-round Suburban League playoff game and scored five runs against the Knights at the Heritage Middle School diamond, players and coaches on both sides might have figured a similar outcome was bound to happen.

But West Essex nearly pulled off an upset.  

In fact, the West Essex 14U baseball team was two outs away from securing a victory before Mother Nature stepped in.

After fifth-seeded West Essex scored twice to take a 10-9 lead in the top of the sixth inning, the sound of thunder and a flash of lightning stopped the game with one out in the bottom of the frame.

As darkness settled in, there was a brief discussion with the umpires before the game was halted, reverting the score back to the last complete inning—the fifth—and provided fourth-seeded Livingston a 9-8 victory.

"It was as tough one, but we beat that team twice big and they came back to us strong today,'' said Livingston coach Anthony Battista said. ""We'll take the win. Their coach is a good guy. He said to me that they would like to lose to the champions and wished us good luck.''

"It is what it is," West Essex coach Tom Carragher said. "I can't control Mother Nature."

While Livingston advances to face either Cranford or Springfield on Monday, West Essex ended its season at 7-8-1.

After handily beating West Essex earlier this week, by 11-1, Livingston bolted to a 5-0 lead after the first inning on Friday.

Livingston answered with one run in the bottom of the second to regain the lead.

West Essex went back up 7-6 in the third only to see Livingston tie the game with one in the bottom of the inning. The two teams traded runs in the fourth before Livingston went ahead for good on Tyler Zuppa's leadoff double and an RBI double by Omarie Beubian.

Beubian had a big game. He went 2-for-3 with a long home run to left field in the third. He also earned the win on the mound, striking out the side in the fifth.

"Omarie carried us in that game, when he wants to play he can play,'' said Battista.

West Essex took a 10-9 lead on a two-run triple by Jack Limongelli in the sixth. When Tony Lipari opened the seventh by striking out Brian Sorrentino it looked like the Knights were in good shape. But that's when the weather got in the way.

"Third time was definitely a charm for us, I'm glad we didn't lie down and just come out flat,'' Carragher said. ""The kids came out with a lot of heart, a lot of energy, a lot of passion. They wanted to come out and win. Especially against t a team that beat us up. Being down five runs in the first, they never gave up and fought until the end.'' 

Zuppa had a good night. He went 2-for-2 with a two-run double in the first, an RBI sacrifice fly in the second and then the double and game-winning run in the fifth. Leadoff man Mark Battista scored three runs and had two stolen bases.