Madison Baseball Rolls Behind Another Strong Pitching Effort

MADISON–It's early, but a winning pattern seems to be emerging for the Madison High School baseball team: score runs in bunches early, let the starting pitcher do the rest.

After the Dodgers scored six runs in the third inning against Boonton Wednesday, it was Connor Higgins' turn to lock it down. He did.

Higgins allowed just one run over five strong innings to lead Madison to its second win of the season, beating the Bombers 7-3 at Madison High School.

"That was the Connor we saw in our last scrimmage," said Madison coach Mickey Ennis. "He shut down Old Tappan completely, and Old Tappan might be a top-20 caliber team in the state."

Alex Brownlee and Jake Meister picked up a pair of hits each for the Dodgers (2-1). Andrew Dundon picked up four hits, three stolen bases and an RBI for Boonton.

Higgins was excellent in locating his fastball, and finding the strike zone with his slider and changeup. He gave up eight hits, but fought to keep the Bombers (0-3) off the board with runners in scoring position.

"I just wanted to trust in our defense," Higgins said. "I trusted my fastball. I wanted to challenge their hitters."

Encouragingly, Higgins provided the third straight quality start for Ennis, the first-year coach who believes Madison can be a contender with solid performances from his three primary starting pitchers - Higgins, Meister and Connor Allen, all underclassmen.

Allen allowed two runs over five innings last Thursday in the 10-2 win over Kittatinny, while Meister battled, giving up four runs but just six hits in 4 1/3 in Monday's 6-1 loss to Parsippany.

"I'm thrilled at the three starts," Ennis said. "I said it before the season, we seem to have some pitching depth. That's what our season is going to come down to."

Higgins struck out five and walked none, bringing the three starters' season strikeout-to-walk ratio up to 15-to-3. He threw just 71 pitches (51 strikes), getting ahead in the count early and often - Higgins threw 18 first-pitch strikes to the 23 hitters he faced.

The sophomore hurler had almost no offensive support until the third, when the Dodgers took advantage of two hits, four walks, and three Boonton errors to put together the decisive six-run frame.

Boonton pitcher Joe Vasta was solid if inefficient in the first two innings, striking out three and allowing just one baserunner, but throwing 40 pitches. Running up Vasta's pitch count was by design, though.

"We talked about it, and we found out we were 0-9 with the count at 0-0," Ennis said. "And they weren't hard-hit outs, either. We wanted the kids to get deeper in the count, taking the 0-0 pitch like it was 2-0. Today we got much better in that area."

The Madison lineup showed plenty of patience, and then some, sending 12 hitters to the plate in the third and leaving the bases loaded. Vasta threw 60 pitches in the inning.

Centerfielder Dilan Kluge led it off with a double to the gap in left center, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Alex Ruiz scored him on a fielders' choice, moving to second on a throwing error.

Alex Brownlee made it 2-0 after reaching on an infield single, and the high, late throw to first base scored Ruiz.

Back-to-back walks by Tom Tracy and Connor Allen loaded the bases with one out, and then a tough Jamie Hunter grounder hopped over the glove of Boonton third baseman Mike Giordano, scoring two more.

Kluge, in his second plate appearance of the inning, walked in Madison's fifth run two batters later. Ruiz hit a 3-2 pitch sharply to short with the bases loaded and two out, but a hustling Mike Haughey - running on delivery - beat the throw at third base, scoring Jimmy Finelli and giving Madison a 6-0 lead despite just two hits.

"We thought we could take advantage [of Boonton's defense]," Ennis said. "We rolled the dice on the basepaths, making them make plays. They did in the one instance [Finelli caught stealing at third base in the first inning], but we had to force them to beat us."

Higgins cruised in the fourth before allowing back-to-back singles by Dundon and Vasta, the latter scoring Boonton's first run.

Boonton scored their final two runs off of reliever Michael Wulff, who struck out three in two innings but had trouble locating his pitches in the 7th.

Madison has scored 18 runs this season, but 16 of those have come in just three of the Dodgers' 20 innings - the first and second against Kittatinny, and the third Wednesday.

"We're so big physically, and you sometimes sit there hoping they'll catch one," Ennis said. "Because they can hit it far. But we have to just adjust and start grinding it out."

NEXT UP

Madison will face its biggest test of the 2010 season thus far Friday afternoon, when the Dodgers hit the road to face Morris County power Pequannock. First pitch for Madison's second NJAC-Independence contest is scheduled for 4 p.m.

The Golden Panthers were 23-6 last season, winning the Group II championship behind the mound mastery of senior Jordan Tabakman, whose ERA hovered near 1.00 most of the season. Ennis said the Dodgers were prepared to face Tabakman, the ace of a deep pitching staff.

This season, Pequannock has rolled through its first two games, beating Newton 12-1 and Blair Academy 16-6.

The game is scheduled to be broadcast Monday, April 12 at 8 p.m., as the MSG Varsity Game of the Week.


BOX SCORE
Boonton  0  0  0  0  1  0  2  -  3 / 10 / 4
Madison  0  0  6  1  0  0  x  -  7 /  7 / 0
W: Connor Higgins (1-0)
L: Joe Vasta (0-1)

BOONTON (0-2)
-Carey, cf/p                   0-3, BB, R, SB
-Miller, c                       1-4, 2B
-Dundon, ss                  4-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, 3 SB
-Vasta, p/1b                  2-4, RBI
-Petonak, 2b                 1-4, RBI
-Oot, dh/p                     0-3, BB
-Noonan, 1b                  2-2
----Hangler, rf                 0-1
-Giordano, 3b                0-3
-Ferati, lf                       0-3

-Vasta, sp                    3 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 H, 2 K, 5 BB, 100 pitches thrown
---Oot, rp                      2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 38 pitches thrown
-----Carey, rp                 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 K, 0 BB, 16 pitches thrown

Left on base: 9

MADISON (2-1)
-Alex Brownlee, 2b          2-4, RBI, R
-Jake Meister, ss             2-4, 2B, R
-Tom Tracy, 1b                0-2, BB, R
----Danny Phillips, ph        0-1
-Connor Allen, 3b             1-3, RBI, BB
-Jamie Hunter, dh            0-2, R
----Mike Wallace, lf           0-1
-Connor Higgins, p           0-2, BB, CS
-Mike Haughey, rf            1-1, BB
----Kyle Flanagan, ph        0-1
-Dilan Kluge, cf                1-1, RBI, 2B, BB, R
----Jimmy Finelli, pr/ph      0-1, R
-Alex Ruiz, c                    0-2, 2 RBI
----Tom Kennedy, c           0-0, BB

-Connor Higgins, sp          5 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 H, 5 K, 0 BB, 71 pitches thrown
----Mike Wulff, rp              2 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 K, 2 BB, 43 pitches thrown

Left on base: 7