Middletown South Pounds Howell To Advance In Shore Conference Tournament

Photo above: Scheuer lets one fly in Friday's 11-1 SCT win over Howell

MIDDLETOWN – Heavy-hitting Middletown South hung six first-inning runs on No. 15 seed Howell and went on to a five-inning 11-1 drubbing of the Rebels Friday afternoon in Middletown in a Shore Conference Tournament round of 16 game.

“The guys came to play today,” Middletown South head coach Ryan Spillane said afterwards. “We swung the bats really well especially in the first inning coming out and putting up a six spot; it was nice to see. Everybody hit one through nine in the lineup and that’s a good team over there.”

Middletown South was backed by a complete-game five-inning performance on the mound by senior right-hander Ian Scheuer who picked up his seventh win of the season against one defeat allowing one run on four hits while striking out two and walking six.

“It feels really good, it was a good team win today,” Scheuer said. “Our offense was really good again today. I had a nice cushion to pitch against. It felt great actually, any pitcher would ask for that (early six-run lead) to be honest. Pitching with a lead is probably the best thing in baseball.”

In batting around in the first inning, the Eagles pounded out eight hits including four doubles and four singles. Every hitter in the lineup came up with a hit in the big inning except No.2 batter Jeremy Joyce who grounded out. In all, the Eagles raked Howell pitching for 12 hits including five doubles and a home run.

“As you can see today our offense has been a big deal all season,” Scheurer added. “We’re hitting really well; we’re crushing the ball.”

Following Joyce’s out, the Eagles banged out seven straight hits that produced the six runs. If it were not for Ryan Ruziecki getting thrown out at the plate on a double steal attempt for the second out of the inning the damage could’ve been worse.

Leadoff hitter Tom Gannon was the table setter drilling a long double off the wall at the 355 mark in left-centerfield and moving to third on a groundout before senior Johnny Zega brought him home with an RBI single through the 5-6 hole for the first run of the game.

“I always just try and put the ball in play,” Zega said. “I never want to go down on strikes, especially with a man on third.”

Austin Markmann followed with a single before Jon Martin drove in Zega blasting a double over the left fielders head with Markmann holding at third.

Senior Zach Schild then bounced a chopper up the middle driving in Markmann and Martin for a 4-0 lead and sending Howell starting pitcher Donovan O’Malley to an early shower after only one third of an inning worked.

Designated hitter Ben Porpora then hammered an RBI double to the wall in left before Ruziecki brought him home with the Eagles fourth double of the inning for a 6-0 lead.

Scheuer battled control issues throughout the game, working in-and-out of trouble, but got the outs when he needed them. In the first inning after walking the leadoff batter, a wild pitch put runners on first and third with two outs before inducing Justin Steel to ground into a 6-4 out.

In the second, two walks and an error led to a run, but a 5-4-3 double play bailed him out from any further damage before he wiggled out of trouble again in the third. A hit, walk and passed ball put runners at second and third with two outs before he got Nick Ruzchyk to fly out to right.

A two-out walk, followed by a single, put runners on first and second in the fourth and again Scheuer found the pitch he needed getting Connor Fey to ground into a 6-4 out to end the inning.

He got two quick outs in the fifth before issuing his sixth walk of the game before closing out the game on a fly ball to right.

“Ian’s wild to the point he makes everyone uncomfortable,” Spillane said of Scheuer gutsy performance. “He makes the hitters uncomfortable and gets away with walking guys but he comes back and is able to throw strikes for outs.”

Johnny Zega put two more runs on the board in the second inning blasting his eighth homer of the season – a two-run shot - over the fence in dead centerfield pushing the lead to 8-1 before the Eagles tacked on another three runs in bottom of the third.

“He was struggling with his command,” Zega said. “First pitch he gave me a curve ball and I knew he wouldn’t do it again so I was just looking fast ball and I got one I could handle.”

“Johnny’s the heart of the offense,” Spillane said of his senior slugger. “He’s been great, I’d put him up there with pretty much anybody in the Shore right now as far as him as an offense player.”

Ruziecki cracked his second double of the game -just missing a homer - putting runners on second and third with no outs in the third. Frandsen then capped a 2-for-2 day dropping an RBI single into short center before a double steal produced a run and Gannon then picked up his second hit of the day with an RBI single to wrap up the scoring.

The Eagles will now host No.10 seed Colts Neck – a 4-1 winner over No. 7 seed Marlboro in the second round – in quarter final action.

“It’s going to be an interesting next couple of weeks,” Scheuer said. “We got to take on game at a time. Pitchers got to pitch their games - get the win - and hitters got to hit in clutch moments. And to be honest, we got the guys who can do it.”

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