Red Bank Catholic Advances In Monmouth County Tournament

Photo above: Ipsen on the mound in an earlier game this season

RED BANK – Bryant University commit John Poccia picked up his fourth win of the season tossing five-plus innings of six-hit ball, allowing three runs (two-earned runs), while striking out two and walking three as the Caseys beat Ocean Township 6-3 Saturday at Count Basie Fields advancing to next Saturday’s Monmouth County Tournament semifinals versus Howell Township.

Side-arm righty Jack Ipsen closed out the game entering in the top of the sixth with no outs, a runner at second and two runs already in cutting the Caseys lead to 5-3. Now suddenly a two-run game, the DeSales University-bound Ipsen proceeded to mow down the next three hitters in order including striking out the final batter of the inning to snuff out the Ocean threat.

Red Bank Catholic then tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on three straight singles with Naval Academy commit Aaron Ahn dropping an RBI base hit into short left field driving in Evan Madigan for the Caseys sixth run.

Ipsen then quickly disposed of Ocean’s first two batters in the top of the seventh before a walk put a runner at first with two outs setting up his dramatic strike out to shut the door on the Spartans and close out the game. In picking up the save for Poccia he tossed two innings of scoreless relief giving up one walk and striking out three batters.

“Ipsen’s been huge for us coming out of the bull pen and throwing strikes,” Red Bank Catholic head coach Buddy Hausman said. “He’s invaluable. To be able to have a stopper like him at the end of the games it’s pretty much over when he comes in to pitch; that helps a lot.”

“I just had to come in and throw strikes and let my defense do the work behind me,” Ipsen said. “I try to take it a pitch at a time, use the corners and just try to get them out. Poccia’s means a ton to this team just like last year; he carry’s the team. Every time he’s out there we have confidence we’re going to bring home the win.”

“Poccia’s pitched well for us all year,” Hausman added. “He’s got four wins against good teams and today he grinded it out like he has all year.”

Ocean (14-5, 7-3), ranked No.8 in the Shore Conference, took an early 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the top of the third before the Caseys jumped on Ocean starter J.T. Toomey for four runs in their own half of the third.

The heavy hitting Madigan – who will play for Bucknell University next year - surprised everyone laying down a perfect bunt for a base hit with one out before a walk to centerfielder Dom Caraballo put runners on first and second. Ocean catcher Marc Chernin then threw the ball into right field on a pick-off attempt moving the runners up for Ahn who laced an RBI single into right field scoring Madigan.

Senior catcher and Howard University commit Doug Facendo followed with line-drive RBI hit to center for the second run and after a ground out moved Ahn to second, Rowan University-bound Mike Spinelli drilled a two-run double into the right field corner to take a 4-1 lead.

In the fourth, Ahn drove in his second run of the game plating left fielder Connor Caizza who reached on a base on balls to make it 5-1 entering the fifth.

At this point, Poccia was on cruise control having retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings before running in to trouble in the sixth and turning the game over to Ipsen.

“We just got to take it day by day; we have six games next week,” Ipsen said. “Each game means a little more than the next one so we just got to take one game at a time for now and we’ll end up where we want to be if we just keep working hard.”

Madigan picked up his 100th career hit for the Caseys in the win going 3-for-4 with two runs scored while Ahn finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored with Spinelli adding a two-run double in three at bats.The Caseys (13-1, 9-0) are currently the No.1 ranked team in the Shore Conference and 12th in the state.

“I’m definitely happy at where we’re at,” Hausman said. “Up to this point we’ve met expectations but we really haven’t won anything yet. Everyone wants to knock us off. Anyone who beats us it makes their season, so we don’t want to make their season here.”

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