Zega, Lotito Lead Middletown South Into First Place In A North

Photo above: Stars of the game, #4 Chris Lotito and #2 Robby Zega

MIDDLETOWN – After last Tuesday’s 4-3 extra-inning win over Howell, Middletown South head coach Ryan Spillane was kicking around different scenarios that the Eagles could use to catch first place Manalapan and have a shot at winning the division; but he could only come up with one.

“Realistically, we need to win out this week to give ourselves a legitimate chance of catching Manalapan,” Spillane said on Tuesday. “So we need to take care of our own business first.”

Well, the No.9 Eagles (11-4, 10-2) did just that going 4-0 this week, including Friday’s huge 8-5 win over the No.1 Braves (15-2, 9-2) which vaulted them into sole possession of first place in the A North a half a game ahead of Manalapan.

Middletown South has two division games remaining with Long Branch while Manalapan has two games against Marlboro and a makeup game with Howell.

“We did it,” said Spillane referencing his teams 4-0 week. “I couldn’t be more happier or proud of these guys. We basically treated this week like the tournament. We had to win to advance in order to give ourselves a legitimate shot and we played tough baseball all week against some tough teams and we grinded it out. Today was no different against the No. 1 ranked team in the Shore and we’re ready for anybody, anybody that comes our way we’re going to be ready.”

Manalapan jumped on sophomore starter Jack Shea to take a 3-0 lead after two innings. Sophomore third baseman Tom Guidice laced an RBI double in the first inning and senior catcher Nick Serrentino roped an RBI double and scored on an RBI single by senior centerfielder Michael Kulver to take a 3-0 lead.

The Braves threatened again in the top of the third loading the bases on Shea with a chance at breaking the game wide open. Spillane, however, opted to go to his pen bringing in junior Chris Lotito in relief.

Lotito immediately got junior Hunter Serrano on a line-drive out to right field on his first pitch to get out of the inning unscathed.

“I’ve been coming in relief all year that’s what my job is,” said Lotito. “I’m used to the pressure and the kid had a good swing on it but Danny (Minze) was there and we got out of the inning.”

Middletown South answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Senior Trevor Brey (2-for-4, R, RBI) and Minze (2-for-3, RBI) hit back-to-back RBI singles and junior Chris O’Connor brought Minze home lacing an RBI double down the third base line to tie the game, 3-3.

Lotito then got in a groove striking out the side in order in the top of the fourth before the Eagles took the lead when senior second baseman Johnny Zega led off the inning with towering blast into the tree’s in left field for a 4-3 lead.

“We knew this was a big game and we had a good week,” said Zega. “It was a 3-and-1 count and I knew he didn’t want to put me on base so he came in with an inside fastball, I turned on it and got all of it and it was gone.”

Zega’s home run even impressed his coach, “That shot reminded me of Johnny Zega (former Eagles star and Robby’s older brother now starting for Monmouth University). That was a bomb over the trees probably right next to one of his brothers balls out there. That was hit, holy cow. He was locked in today. He’s really starting to hit the ball and we need him down the stretch and he was certainly there for us this week – he was awesome.”

Lotito ran into some trouble in the top of the fifth. With one out he gave up a line single up the middle to Guidice before striking out cleanup hitter Nick DePietrantonio for the second out of the inning. However, he uncorked a wild pitch putting Guidice in scoring position at second for Ben Levine, who lined an RBI single to left scoring Guidice while taking second on the throw home.

Andrew Lore ran for Levine bringing up senior DH William Walters, who promptly laced a single to centerfield that Jack Kinsella fielded cleanly and unleashed a laser to the catcher Brey who applied the tag on Lore for the final out of the inning.

“He (Lotito) kept telling me, ‘This is my game, I want these guys,’” said Spillane. “I knew I was going to go along with him, I just didn’t know how long. He threw 76 pitches today, that’s the most in his varsity career. But he’s a big strong kid and he was able to handle it - he’s just a really tough kid.”

With the score now 4-4 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Eagles put two more runs on the board and once again it was Zega, who finished 3-for-3 with two RBI, three runs scored and a walk, that put them in front for good.

Junior first baseman Anthony Esposito drilled a two out single to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Spillane then brought in the speedy Matt Pontari to run for Esposito, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and it paid off handsomely. Zega drilled a single to left and with two outs Pontari was running all the way and slid under the tag on a very close play at the plate for a 5-4 lead.

Zega went to second on the throw and scored a batter latter on an RBI double by Kinsella deep into left that pushed the lead to two, 6-4.

“I was watching the at bats before me and he was throwing a lot of curve balls,” said Zega. “I didn’t see any fastballs, just curves and he got me to swing at it two times so waited back and he just floated one in there and I put a good swing on it.”

Lotito gave up a lead off double in the top of the sixth but struck out the next two batters before getting the third out on a short fly ball to right field.

“That was big, I knew I had to put the team on my back there,” said Lotito. “I let up the double then I just bared down, threw some strikes and that was it.”

The Eagles tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away. Minze lined a single to right before sophomore Joe Stanzione drilled two-out single off the third base bag putting runners on the corners. Lotito then was intentionally walked for second time in the game to load the bases for Kensella, who cashed in on a two-run bad hop single increasing the lead to 8-4.

Levine grounded a two out RBI single up the middle to make it 8-5 in the top of the seventh but Lotito closed out the game getting Serrano to ground out to second.

In a tremendous outing, Lotito evened his record at 1-1 tossing 4 1/3 innings of six-hit ball allowing two runs while striking out seven without walking a batter.

“Manalapan’s a great team and we knew they weren’t going to quit,” said Spillane after the game. “They kept coming back at us and we just kept fighting and fighting and it was an exciting day of baseball and a great week for the Eagles.”

“It feels great, we had a lot of momentum coming into the game,” said Zega. “Now we’re going to have a target on our backs and we’re going to have to come out everyday practice hard and play hard.”

The Eagles will travel to Long Branch on Monday then host them on Wednesday and you can be sure they won’t be looking past the winless Green Wave.

“We’re going to be ready,” said Spillane. “The guys are going to be ready. I told them, look, I’m bringing you to Chipolte tonight and I’m giving you the weekend off if you promise you’ll be ready to play Monday. I don’t care who we’re playing, they’re fired up ready to play and they want to finish off this division.”

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