After a Wild Night, Toms River East American Takes District 18 Title

When Tyler Folger walked to give Toms River East American a base runner in the bottom of the 14th inning, Rob Spillane was certain of one thing.

"I was going to send him no matter what," said Spillane, the manager of the Toms River East American Junior League team, who was coaching third base. "We were running out of time because Berkeley has a strict curfew."

It had been a wild game already, and sending Folger was sure to create another exciting play.

As it turned out, Spillane's plan wasn't a big risk. Matt Corsi drilled the first pitch of his at-bat over the left fielder's head for a triple to drive in Folger and finally clinch the District 18 championship with an 8-7 victory over Lacey on Saturday night at Berkeley's Leiter Field.

Toms River East American advances to the Section 3 tournament, which opens Tuesday in Old Bridge. Toms River plays on Wednesday, facing the winner of the District 11 vs. District 13 game.

"People often underestimate Matt because he's a smaller guy, but he's a powerhouse," Spillane said. "But he really drove the ball. You could see the left fielder looking up immediately and see it was going over his head."

Pandemonium broke out, kids spilling out of the dugout and mobbing Corsi at third, a response to the roller coaster they'd been on for what was the equivalent of two games and nearly 4-1/2 hours. Skip Sommerer, who owns a T-shirt shop, presented the kids with T-shirts reading "District 18 champions" that he'd been hiding for 14 innings.

Everyone was giddy, Spillane said.

"It was exciting but it was a lot of hours of playing," Spillane said. And draining, too, he said. Not surprising, because there had been no shortage of dramatic plays, especially as the game progressed. Players who'd displayed nerves early in the game, making mistakes on plays that were normally routine, turned tough outs later in the game when the pressure was mounting.

With Toms River East American leading 4-2, Lacey appeared ready to break the game open in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with one out. But only Dan Greener was able to score, on a one-out, bases-loaded walk, as Toms River East American's Anthony Carfora closed it out with back-to-back strikeouts.  

In the bottom of the sixth, Toms River East loaded the bases on an error, a walk and a fly ball that bounced off the fielder's glove. But just as quickly, Lacey shut down the scoring threat when Justin Weigand turned an unassisted double play at third base, snaring a screaming line drive then doubling off the Toms River East runner who'd started toward home plate. Lacey then got out of the inning on a fly ball, keeping Toms River East American's lead at 4-3.

In the top of the seventh and with Lacey down to its last out, George Peddie smacked a double to deep center field and Connor Davies followed with a single to left to bring Peddie home and tie the game.

Lacey took a 7-4 lead in the top of the 10th. With two outs, Mike Bocchini singled then stole second and third. Gennero Illaria walked, and Joe Cosaluzzo's fly to right field fell in, driving in Bocchini and Illaria. Cosaluzzo then scored on a gutsy steal of home when pitch in the dirt got away behind the plate.

Toms River East American didn't blink. In the bottom of the 10th, with Randy Spillane at first, Noah Clark singled, then Folger doubled, scoring Spillane. Then Joey Iorio came up and smacked a single to right, scoring Clark and Folger. It appeared Toms River East American was on the verge of winning the game, when Lacey's pitcher, Davies, surprised everyone by pulling off the hidden ball trick.

"It was tough," Spillane said. "Everyone was focused on home plate. I felt bad for Joey."

Toms River East American turned a nifty play of its own in the top of the 11th. Lacey's Greener singled, and after taking a ball, Davies hit a hard fly to center field. Josh Sommerer made the catch, and with Greener tagging up on the play, fired a strike to catcher Randy Spillane to get Greener out by three steps.

Toms River East American tried to put the game away in the bottom of the 12th inning. Spillane walked and stole second, and Clark walked, but Spillane was thrown out at home, and Lacey go out of the inning with a couple of ground balls.

Toms River East American took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when Tyler Folger scored on Justin Arnold's fly ball to right field.

Lacey took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth. Cosaluzzo reached on a bunt down the third-base line, Kyle Hanula singled to left, and Peddie singled down the right-field line, scoring Cosaluzzo. Then Hanula scored when Dan Greener's fly fell in to short right.

Toms River East American answered in the bottom of the fourth, when Corsi reached on a fielder's choice. Corsi's courtesy runner, Josh Sommerer scored on Joey Iorio's single to left. Then Jeff Cannova drove in Iorio with a single to short center for a 3-2 lead.

Toms River East American added a run in the fifth when Shiffer walked, stole second and scored on Corsi's double to left.

Now Toms River East American must turn its attention to the Section 3 tournament, where they only have to win two games to advance to the states, because there are only three teams playing in the section.

He would like to see the team get back to playing seven-inning games, too.

"Even though they were wins, I'm hoping it's not a trend," he said with a laugh. "I was spent."