Winston Wills Braves to Win, Advancing to SCT Semi-Finals

Throughout the 2011 season, the Manalapan baseball team has had few challenges, coasting to a number of landslide victories.

Perhaps then, pitcher Jake Winston might have felt the pressure when ninth-seed Jackson Liberty scored three unanswered runs to draw within a tally, mid-way through their Shore Conference tournament round two, match-up, Wednesday, May 25.

Winston had different intentions.

Following a second inning where he walked a batter, hit another, and allowed two runs on one hit, the tall left-hander would rebound impressivley, allowing just one more hit and an unearned run, as he went the distance for all seven innings, and the top-seeded Braves took the game, 7-3 at l.

"Jake [Winston] has a lot of confidence in his stuff," Manalapan head coach Brian Boyce said, "He didn't pitch bad [in the second inning]. He walked a guy, we made an error, but he beared down and did his job."

After the Braves were held hitless from innings two through five, Alex Decastro gave Manalapan some life in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Hanging onto a 4-3 lead with Jackson Liberty on the brink of a rally, Decastro belted a two-run home run to left field, giving the Braves the 6-3 advantage.

Nick Kreiger reached base with a one-out single to right field. He then stole second before Decastro's home run.

Winston helped out offensivley, as well. In the bottom of the sixth, he legged out an infield single, and advanced to second as the throw ended up in the bleachers.

Courtesy runner Nick Benevento then stole third and scored on a beautiful suicide squeeze by Derek Kawa, giving the Braves the 7-3 lead.

"Their pitcher did a great job," Boyce said, "Second time through the order we were able to get to them on Alex's [Decastro] home run, but you have to give a lot of credit to them [Jackson Liberty]."

Manalapan struck first with a huge first inning, making the win possible.

Rich Ricciardi and Kreiger lead the game with singles, and Decastro notched his first run batted in of the game when his single to left field scored Ricciardi.

Later, Kreiger scored on a sacrifice fly as Brian Lamboy hit a deep fly ball to left field.

Decastro then scored on an RBI single by Marco Ferrante. Ferrante came around to score on a throwing error by Liberty's catcher on an attempted double play, giving Manalapan the early 4-0 lead.

Winston's gem played perfectly into Boyce's gameplan, as Manalapan has games in the next two days, both with critical playoff implications.

Tomorrow, Manalapan will host Red Bank Catholic in the Monmouth County semi-finals. The game will be played at Manalapan High School.

On Friday, Manalapan will be home again, hosting Pennsauken in the second round of the Central Jersey Group IV state playoffs.

"The strength of our team is the depth of our pitching," Boyce said, "Tomorrow we're going to throw someone out there and they will do good, same thing with Friday. I think that's why we are so competetive."

The Braves will next play in the Shore Conference Tournament, next Wednesday, June 1, when they take on the winner of 12-seed Ocean and fourth-seeded Red Bank Catholic.