Madison Baseball Falls To Pequannock

Mike Wallace and Tom Tracy each picked up two hits, but it wasn't enough for the Madison baseball team, which fell to Pequannock, 6-1, in an NJAC-Independence game Monday at Madison High School.

The Dodgers (8-12, 2-8) equaled the Golden Panthers in hits, but a three-run fifth inning proved to be too much to overcome. Madison has lost four of their last five games.

Pequannock (15-2, 9-0) got four solid innings of pitching from starter Steve Rizzi (1 earned run, 7 hits, 0 strikeouts, 0 walks) before turning it over to Adam Zaccardi, who was lights out in relief.

Zaccardi picked up the save by pitching the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, allowing just one hit - an Alex Brownlee double in the seventh. Seven of the nine outs he recorded were strikeouts.

"Once he came in, it was pretty much lights out," said Madison coach Mickey Ennis.

Jordan Tabakman put Pequannock ahead with an RBI groundout in the first inning; a fielder's choice RBI groundout and a double steal of second base and home plate made it 3-0 after two innings.

The Dodgers had their best chance in the fourth inning, loading the bases with no out. Dilan Kluge singled to score Madison's first and only run.

The next batter, starting pitcher Kyle Flanagan, popped up for the first out, and Brownlee hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. It was a questionable call, Ennis said - he thought Brownlee might have beaten the throw - but instead of trailing by one run with runners on the corners, Pequannock escaped further damage.

The next half-inning, Flanagan was pulled in favor of Connor Higgins with two on and two out. Higgins walked Tabakman to load the bases, and Nick Gencanelli hit a bases-clearing double on a 3-2 fastball to make it 6-1.


NEXT UP
The Dodgers hit the road for their second-to-last league game Wednesday afternoon at Chatham High School. Game time is set for 4 p.m.

Connor Higgins is the tentative starter, though that could change depending on Madison's state tournament bracket.

The Dodgers unofficially qualified - the NJSIAA has yet to release the brackets - with an 8-10 record as of last Friday's cutoff date. They are likely to be a No. 14 or No. 15 seed, and could travel to either West Essex or Mountain Lakes for a first-round game.

Coach Mickey Ennis said he expected the NJSIAA to release the brackets by Tuesday night, and that first-round games for North 2, Group II would likely be played Thursday or Friday. Connor Allen would start the state tournament game if that were the case.


BOX SCORE
Pequannock   1  2  0  0  3  0  0  -  6  8  0
Madison         0  0  0  1  0  0  0  -  1  8  0
WP: Steve Rizzi (3-1)
LP: Kyle Flanagan (1-2)
SV: Adam Zaccardi

NOTABLES:
MAD: Tom Tracy 2-4; Mike Wallace 2-3; Alex Brownlee 1-4, 2B
PEQ: Nick Gencanelli 3 RBI; Adam Zaccardi 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 7 K