Baseball Team Triumphs in Game Against JP Stevens

This is how the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High baseball team sets you up for the kill.

The Raiders start out by banging out eight hits and scoring seven runs in the first inning. Then they catch their breath a bit in the next two frames, but still manage to plate one more run. Next comes the exclamation point when a six-run inning includes five more hits and two walks against the opposition's second pitcher.

On Saturday morning in the home-opener at Park Middle School, it added up to a matter-of-fact 14-4, five-inning triumph over Middlesex County foe JP Stevens of North Edison.

After opening the season with a 16-0 Union County Conference-Watchung Division win at Plainfield Thursday afternoon, the Raiders banged out 16 hits against two Hawk right-handed hurlers.

So far, a 2-0 start includes two 10-run, mercy rule triumphs.

"That's what we're going to try to do this season, see how many teams we can 10-run rule," said junior third baseman Marcus Rivera, who was 3-for-3 with three singles, two runs and one RBI. "We think we can do every one."

Rivera was also a perfect 3-for-3 on ground balls hit to him, ending up with three assists from the hot corner.

All nine batters in the lineup hit safely and also scored, with the only inning the Raiders did not score in being the third.

In last year's 22-5 county championship season, the Raiders averaged 10 runs. With seven starters back, there's reason to believe that Scotch Plains could round the bases quite a few more times this season.

It's a lineup that can't wait to step up to the plate, no matter who is on the mound. It's also a lineup that isn't satisfied unless it produces double-digit numbers in runs and hits.

"Our theory as a team is to get a hit, create small ball, don't try to yank it, just get a person in, score runs, 10-run rule and then get out of here as quickly as we can," Rivera said.

On Saturday that meant a game that lasted exactly an hour and 20 minutes.

The beneficiary of 14 runs on 16 hits was junior left hander Sean Reilly, who pitched quite well in his first varsity start. Reilly, in his first year on the varsity, hurled the first four innings complete. He allowed four runs - of which two were earned - and five hits, while striking out two and walking two.

After throwing 25 pitches in the first inning and 21 in the second, Reilly threw only five in the third because of an impressive snare of a line drive by first baseman John Maxwell that turned into an unassisted inning-ending double play. All five JP Stevens batters faced only one pitch in the third.

Reilly (1-0) finished with a pitch count of 62 and will - barring rainouts - be on the mound next for Thursday's 4 p.m. game vs. Elizabeth at Elizabeth's Williams Field.

After JP Stevens pushed across two unearned runs in the top of the first, Scotch Plains came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the frame.

Senior Joe D'Annunzio, arguably the best leadoff batter in the county, got things going with an infield single to short on the first pitch he saw from Hawk sophomore pitcher Jasdeep Buttar. On a throwing error by the shortstop, D'Annunzio quickly moved to second.

After Gary Binkiewicz was retired by Buttar unassisted on a ball he thought he fouled off his foot, the next six Raider batters all hit safely.

Maxwell singled to right on a 3-1 count to make it 2-1. Senior shortstop and cleanup batter Mike Ridge then - after fouling off a bunt attempt on the previous pitch - blasted a shot down the left field line that went for an RBI-triple that tied the game at 2-2.

Rivera then connected on a single up the middle that drove home Ridge. His hit proved to be the game-winner, giving Scotch Plains the lead for good at 3-2.

Senior catcher Louis Mazzella then smacked an opposite field single to right on the first pitch he saw, with senior Jeff Sirdashney going in to run for him.

Senior center fielder Ricky Shevlin followed with a shot down the left field line that went for an RBI-double, put Scotch Plains ahead 4-2 and put runners on second and third with still only one out.

On an 0-1 pitch, senior designated hitter Mike Lauricella stroked a two-run single to left field to make it 6-2. After No. 9 batter Taylor Schon flied to center, D'Annunzio collected his second hit of the inning, which was an RBI-single off the pitcher's glove to make it 7-2. The inning ended when Binkiewicz also flied out to center as Scotch Plains sent up 11 batters.

Scotch Plains increased its lead to 8-2 in the second when Ridge scored while Rivera was in a run down that he was eventually tagged out in.

JP Stevens managed single runs in the third and fourth to pull to within 8-4. In the third, an RBI-single by lefty cleanup batter Pete Pronticki brought in lefty-hitting Kyle Herron, who tripled. In the fourth, an RBI-double by No. 9 batter Chris Lee, who is a freshman left fielder, drove in Nick Montalbano, who singled.

Then Scotch Plains went back to work offensively in the fourth, with Binkiewicz leading off with an opposite field double to left. He was brought home by Maxwell on a bloop single to center.

Shevlin then belted a three-run double to the left-center gap, Schon produced an RBI-single on a ball hit hard off the shortstop's glove and the final Raider run came across the plate after an errant pickoff attempt at first base by JP Stevens catcher Derek Patrocinio.

"I think we have enough bats in our lineup," seventh-year head coach Tom Baylock said. "One through nine can all hit the ball at any time. Our bats were the story today."

Maxwell pitched a scoreless fifth for Scotch Plains, allowing only one batter to reach base on a hit-by-pitch. Maxwell tossed nine pitches in the frame, getting three outs on two fly balls to left and a ground ball to first.

NOTES: On paper, Scotch Plains has five games this coming week. It begins with a 3:45 p.m. contest at Bridgewater-Raritan Monday and then continues with a home game against Piscataway Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Park Middle School, a matchup at Elizabeth Thursday at 4 p.m., a game vs. Edison at North Brunswick's Community Park next Saturday at 6 p.m. and concludes with a game vs. Dayton at Somerset Patriots Stadium Sunday, April 11, at 1 p.m.

Baylock said that Binkiewicz will start vs. Bridgewater-Raritan, senior righty Jordan Bayroff against Piscataway and Reilly vs. Elizabeth.

Although Scotch Plains was unable to turn an inning-ending double play in the first, the Raiders finished with two inning-ending double plays total, with the Maxwell effort in the third and a 4-6 execution of a line drive that was caught by Binkiewicz in the fourth, with him flipping to Ridge for the shortstop to step on second base.

JP Stevens is now 0-2, with the Hawks falling at Piscataway 10-4 Thursday. 

NON-CONFERENCE GAME AT PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL

JP STEVENS (0-2)                                            2     0     1        1     0 -   4     5   2

SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD (2-0)                7     1     0        6     x - 14   16   1 

SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD OFFENSE:

7-Joe D'Annunzio, senior left fielder: 2-for-3, one run

infield single to short and scored in first, rbi-single off pitcher in first,

walked on four pitches in fourth

40-Gary Binkiewicz, senior second baseman (bats lefty): 1-for-4, one run

opposite field double to left and scored in the fourth

33-John Maxwell, senior first baseman (bats lefty): 2-for-3, one run

RBI-single to right and scored in first, RBI-bloop single to center and scored in fourth

44-Mike Ridge, senior shortstop: 2-for-3, two runs

RBI-triple to left and scored in first, singled to center and scored in second

42-Marcus Rivera, junior third baseman: 3-for-3, two runs

RBI-single up the middle in first, singled to left in second,

opposite field bloop single to right and scored in fourth

34-Louis Mazzella, senior catcher: 1-for-2

opposite field single to right in first, walked in fourth

3-Jeff Sirdashney, senior courtesy runner: scored runs in the first and fourth

another run was scored by a Scotch Plains baserunner

11-Ricky Shevlin, senior center fielder: 2-for-3, two runs

RBI-double to left and scored in first, 3-run double to left-center gap and scored in fourth

10-Mike Lauricella, senior designated hitter: 1-for-3, one run

2-run single to left and scored in first

18-Sean Reilly, junior pitcher: did not bat

13-Taylor Schon, senior right fielder: 2-for-3, one run

singled to center in third, RBI-single off shortstop's glove and scored in fourth

SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD PITCHERS:

Junior left hander Sean Reilly (1-0): 4 innings complete, 62 pitches (39 strikes, 22 balls),

4 runs (2 earned), 5 hits, 2 strikeouts (both looking), 2 walks (both on 3-2 counts).

Pitches: First-25. Second-21. Third-5. Fourth-11. Total: 62.

Senior left hander John Maxwell: 1 inning complete, 9 pitches (6 strikes, 3 balls),

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 strikeouts, 0 walks.