Union Catholic's Junior Legion Team Eliminated from State Tournament

A successful summer season came to an end for Union Catholic Vikings Baseball's Junior American Legion team Sunday. It lost to Cherry Hill 4-2 in double-elimination District 3 Tournament play at Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains. 

Cherry Hill, which lost to Matawan 3-2 in its first game Saturday, will next play in Monday's 2 p.m. game against the loser of Sunday's Watchung Hills-Tabernacle contest.

Union Catholic's first loss in the state tournament came Saturday against Mount Holly. It was one of two teams from the Union County League to advance to District 3. The other was regular season champion Watchung Hills. 

Left hander Rich Birch, a rising senior at Union Catholic, pitched Sunday for the school. In an 82-pitch, six-inning stint, Birch tossed a complete-game, four-hitter that included three strikeouts, just one walk and one hit batter. Because of three Union Catholic errors, only one of the four runs he allowed were earned.

"Every time Rich has gone out for us he's pitched well," coach John Becht said. "He's had a great summer pitching and he's a leader too. The team reacts when he's on the mound. He pitched great today." 

Birch pitched perfect second and sixth innings and retired the last five batters he faced. He also fielded his position well, throwing three batters out at first base. Of the 24 batters he faced, only eight reached base. Birch picked off the final batter that reached base against him, with the baserunner who was attempting to steal second tagged out on a 1-3-4 play.

"A couple of guys really stepped up for us pitching-wise this year," Becht said. "We're a young team, so young pitching is needed everywhere, so that was a good sign."

Union Catholic finished the regular season with seven wins and nine losses. It entered the county qualifier as the ninth seed. It defeated eighth-seeded Westfield 7-1 in the first round, and then eliminated top-seeded Watchung Hills 5-1 in the quarterfinals (as the county's first seed, Watchung received a first-round in the state tournament). Union Catholic lost to 12th-seeded and eventual county champion Elizabeth 7-1 in the semifinals. But as one of the county's top three seeds, it advanced to the state tournament.

In Sunday's game, Cherry Hill took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after taking advantage of two Union Catholic errors. Alex Injahn drove-in the first run on an opposite field RBI-single to right.

Union Catholic quickly tied the game 2-2 in the top of the second, scoring two unearned runs of its own. With the bases loaded and two outs, leadoff batter Christian Mora hit a pop fly to the left side of the infield. Cherry Hill third baseman Injahn called for the ball, but could not hold on to it. Brian Cautillo and Birch scored on the play from second and third.

Cherry Hill took the lead for good at 3-2 in the third when Injahn delivered his second RBI-single, this one to center field on a 3-2 pitch that scored leadoff batter Andrew Ohanian, who earlier in the inning singled and stole second base.

Cherry Hill's insurance run in the fourth came as the result of a bad throw to first.

For Cherry Hill, Injahn went 2-for-3, with two singles and two RBI. Also hitting safely was Ohanian with a 1-for-3 day that included two runs and No. 2 batter Brad Machinski, who was 1-for-2, with a walk, a run and a single.

Union Catholic banged out seven hits and had at least one in every inning but the seventh. Cautillo was 2-for-3, with two singles and a run, while Christian Mora, Oscar Mujica, Ian Donahue, Jimmy Weyand and Birch also produced singles.

There were no extra base hits in the contest.

Winning pitcher Brian Everett, a righty who will be a senior in the fall, allowed two unearned runs on seven hits in six complete innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

Cherry Hill relief pitcher Matthew Binder, also a right hander, pitched the seventh and allowed only a walk to the first batter he faced.

DISTRICT 3 DOUBLE-ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT AT UNION CATHOLIC

Union Catholic Vikings Baseball (0-2)              0   2   0     0   0   0     0 - 2  7  3

Cherry Hill (1-1)                                                     2   0   1     1   0   0     0 - 4  4  2

PITCHERS OF RECORD:

Union Catholic Vikings Baseball: Rich Birch, left hander, six innings.

Cherry Hill: Brian Everett, right hander, six innings.