Porpora's Bat, Zega's Arm Give MIddletown South 3-2 Win Over Wall

Photo above: (L to R) Ryan Ruziecki, Jeremy Joyce, Ben Porpora and Joe Sprake

MIDDLETOWN – With the memory and sting of last season’s 3-2 loss to Wall in the Central Jersey Group III quarterfinals as the No.1 seed still weighing on his mind, senior third baseman Ben Porpora stepped to the plate leading off the bottom of the sixth in a 2-2 ball game.

Looking at a hitters count at 3-1, he sent the next pitch over the dead centerfield fence to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead in a game they’d eventually win by that same score.

“It was definitely in the back of my mind,” Porpora said. “We talked about it a little in practice but we knew a win today wouldn’t avenge that loss; that was a really tough loss. Again, it’s still good to beat them but we want to get them again later in the year.”

Wall had tied the game in the top of the sixth on a hit batter, balk, a sacrifice fly that moved the runner to third and a wild pitch before Porpora’s heroic’s in the bottom half of the inning.

“It was a 3-1 fastball a little outside and I just stayed back on it long enough,” Porpora said. “On my 2-0 swing I swung pretty hard but I fouled it back, so after that I was just trying to get a hit up the middle. I didn’t think I got it, I think the wind helped a little.”

Wind or no wind, Porpora crushed it. The homer was a no-doubt shot into the deepest reaches of Walter Woods Memorial Field that easily cleared the fences in dead center.

“That (the loss to Wall) was definitely a little bit of the motivation for us today,” Middletown South head coach Ryan Spillane said. “Especially with Robbie Zega on the mound today; we talked a little about it before the game.”

In last year’s crushing loss to Wall, Zega’s older brother Johnny – a freshman at Monmouth University hitting .391 in 10 games for the Hawks – let the go-ahead run in on a two-out error in the top of the seventh after putting the Eagles up 2-1 on his 10th homer of the season in the bottom of the sixth.

Only a sophomore, Robbie Zega picked up his second win of this young season going six strong innings allowing two runs (1 earned) on two hits, striking out three and walking five on 89 pitches.

“I wasn’t on the team last season but I was watching the game,” Zega said referencing the playoff loss to Wall. “I knew we had to get our win we deserved. It was nice to be able to get it for the team.”

The Eagles (3-1, 1-1) got on the board first in the bottom of the first on a line-drive double down the third base line by senior centerfielder Ryan Ruziecki – who made an outstanding over-the-shoulder running catch in deep center in the third to save at least a triple by leadoff batter John Volpe - followed by a RBI single into right by Porpora for a 1-0 lead.

Wall (3-2, 2-2) answered with an unearned run in the top of the second to tie the game at one before the Eagles tacked on a run of its own in the bottom of the fourth when Zega helped his own cause with an RBI single into right center to take a 2-1 lead.

Zega worked out of trouble in the fifth after giving up a leadoff single to Dylan Richey, a sacrifice bunt and walk to Shane Richey putting runners at first and second with one out. Richey was then picked off first on a perfect throw by sophomore catcher Trevor Brey before Zega gave up another base on balls to John Perrino again putting runners on first and second but with two outs now. Zega then got out of the inning striking out cleanup hitter David Howarth with a tailing fastball.

After Wall tied the game in the sixth and Porpora gave the Eagles the lead in the bottom half, Spillane turned to Jack Roesch in the top of the seventh to preserve the lead. The sophomore righty didn’t disappoint getting the first two batters on fly balls followed by a single before striking out Perrino to end the game on just 13 pitches for the save.

Porpora finished 2-for-3 with his first homer of the season, a double, two RBI and a run scored, while junior first baseman Joe Sprake was 2-for-3 and Zega 1-for-3 with an RBI. Ruziecki had a double and a run scored in three at bats including a HBP.

“I’m proud of our effort today,” said Spillane. “I thought Zega threw great and Ben came up with the big home run when we needed it; it was a big win for us today.”