Livingston Loses Heartbreaker to Nutley

NUTLEY, NJ—When the Livingston boys baseball team faced Nutley on Monday afternoon, they were looking to improve on their Super Essex Conference record and to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

Livingston was sitting on top of the American Division of the Super Essex Conference at 4-1 and Nutley not far behind at 3-2.

But the Lancers were not able to take charge of the conference and let a 6-0 lead slip away as they were defeated by the Red Raiders 10-7.

Livingston took an early lead in the top of the first as St. John's-bound catcher Frank Schwindel crushed a solo homerun over the left field wall.  Then Seton Hall-bound outfielder John Beaubien walked and scored on an error by Nutley right fielder Anthony Liaci.

After junior Sean Rucker shut down the Red Raiders in the top of the first, the Lancers continued to pounce on Nutley starting pitcher Kevin Garcia.  Senior Nick Kozlowsky hit a RBI triple that plated Greg Gamba and then Schwindel hit a three run homer, his second homerun in as many innings.

"During my first two at-bats, I had solid swings and made good contact with the ball," Schwindel said. 

But Nutley started to chip away in the third inning and took advantage of Livingston's defensive miscues.  The Red Raiders put the ball in play and were able to score four runs in the third inning, three of the runs being unearned.

In the top of the fourth, Livingston senior Jimmy Napolitano followed in Schwindel's footsteps and hit a towering solo homerun increasing the Lancer lead to 7-4.

Nutley came soaring back in the fifth led by seniors Joe Dispoto and Antonio Sibilia.  Dispoto hit an RBI double that scored Bryan McDonald and Sibilia followed with a triple that plated Dispoto.  However, the Red Raiders added one more on an error by Livingston third baseman Greg Gamba.  Nutley tied the game 7-7 heading into the sixth inning.

Livingston went one, two, three in the top of the sixth. 

Rucker was finished after five innings and coach Scott Schroeder brought in junior Nick Grande.

Nutley's first batter up in the sixth inning was James Tuscano and he reached on yet another Lancer error.  Bryan McDonald then laid down a bunt base hit and Nutley had men on first and second with no one out.  Nick Capozzi then bunted both runners over to give Nutley men on second and third with one out.  Once again, Dispoto came through in the clutch lining a single to left field, which scored Tuscano and McDonald.

With Bill McLellan up, Dispoto stole second base and McLellan hit a single to give Nutley an insurance run as they led 10-7 after six innings.

Livingston came up in the seventh and could not get anything started as all the momentum shifted to Nutley in the previous two innings.

"Today will be a tough one to get over," Nick Kozlowsky said.  "But we have to forgot it because we have a big game tomorrow against a very good Roxbury team."

"We made some mistakes today and they hurt us.  But tomorrow we will come back and get back to playing Livingston baseball," Schroeder concluded.