Westfield Baseball Comes From Behind to Beat Phillipsburg

Westfield has decided to save its best for last concerning the North 2, Group 4 playoffs.

Down to their final out, James Barry blasted a home run over the left field fence to tie the game and then Tim Younger slugged one over the left field fence in the same spot to lift the second-seeded Blue Devils past 10^th-seeded Phillipsburg 5-4 Friday in a North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal at Westfield’s Robert Brewster Sr. Memorial Field.

It was one of the most dramatic, come-from-behind victories 29^th-year head coach Bob Brewster could ever remember.

This was a Westfield baseball win for the ages and one that fans will be talking about for a long time.

Barry and Younger, both seniors, went back-to-back in the bottom of the seventh and belly-to-belly as each produced their third home runs of the season.

Barry, Westfield’s No. 9 batter, connected for an RBI-single up the middle off Phillipsburg lefty Anthony Ciavaralle his previous time up in the fifth, pulling Westfield to within 4-2.

He hit a 1-0 fastball for his solo home run.

At that point, Westfield coaches Bob Brewster, Brian Sloan and Ken Miller had to calm the Blue Devils down after they mobbed Barry at home plate.

Westfield tied the game at 4-4, but it was not over.

Could this be another comeback like the one Westfield had Monday against Franklin?

Younger, Westfield’s leadoff batter, saw to it that it was. He connected on a fastball on a 1-2 count for the game-winning hit after grounding out his first three times up vs. Ciavarella, including a double play in the fifth.

You rarely see a team come back like that in two consecutive state tournament games, let alone win one of them with the No. 9 and No. 1 batters hitting back-to-back home runs with two outs in the final inning.

Westfield’s triumph over Phillipsburg was the epitome of the thrill of victory - Younger stepping on home plate to give the Blue Devils their only lead of the afternoon  - and the agony of defeat - the Stateliners having to go back to Warren County after a very tough loss.

Both teams excelled in a well-played state tournament clash.

Second-seeded Westfield won its fifth straight to improve to 22-4 and will next host third-seeded Hunterdon Central Tuesday in the semifinals. HC improved to 20-7 after beating 11^th-seeded Ridge 5-3 at home Friday in its quarterfinal.

Westfield is a win away from reaching the final for the first time since 2007.

Westfield has only captured North 2, Group 4 once back in 1988 and, according to head coach Bob Brewster, the program has only one other sectional title to its credit that was won in 1949.

Phillipsburg, the 10^th seed, drops to 11-12, but still has league games to play. Some of the players, including senior first baseman Justin Scuorzo – a quarterback going to James Madison for football – helped lead the PBurg gridiron squad to a convincing 35-7 home win over Westfield in the 2009 North 2, Group 4 semifinals.

Westfield was able to exact some revenge from that night on the baseball diamond Friday.

“This is what you live for as a kid and dream about,” Barry said.

“This is huge,” Younger said. “We have to ride this momentum into our next game.”

“That’s a thrill those two kids will never forget,” Brewster said.

Ciavarella, whose record evened at 3-3, had a four-hitter going into the seventh and threw an even 100 pitches through six. He retired the first two batters on ground balls to third and second.

However, No. 8 batter Brett Ryan was able to foul off three pitches in his seven pitch at-bat before he was retired. Perhaps his extension of Ciavarella’s pitch count might have had something to do with the fastballs Barry and Younger smacked off Ciavarella for their game-tying and game-winning home runs.

Pitch No. 111 was the home run Barry hit and pitch No. 115 was the ball Younger hit over the fence.

“I just wanted to pick a good pitch and put the ball in play,” said Barry, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, a single, a home run and he reached base all three times up, including on a fielder’s choice. “I knew every pitch he was throwing. The second pitch was a good one and I had a good approach on it.”

“It was so frustrating being 0-for-3 against him,” said Younger, who finished 1-for-4, with an RBI and a run. “Coach (Brewster) said to get focused and also said to me that I would get up with a runner on and get a hit to win the game.

“We have so much confidence in ourselves. We think we can hit any pitcher.”

“I did tell him to be ready, but told him that there would be a runner on base and he would drive that runner in – his home run was just as good,” Brewster said. “These kids just don’t quit. The time you hit a home run is usually when you don’t think about it.

“The air was light and the ball warm and this was the kind of day that you had a chance to see a lot of home runs.”

There were four total, including one hit over the right field fence by Westfield senior Dan Kerr leading off the second and getting Westfield on the scoreboard at 4-1.

“These were legitimate home runs, not like the kind you see at (Elizabeth’s) Williams Field,” Brewster said.

Westfield senior A.J. Murray produced the hardest hit shot of the day that went for an RBI-double over the center fielder’s head in the bottom of the sixth, scoring James O’Rourke and making the score 4-3.

O’Rourke, who struck out his first two times up, hung in there his third time against Ciavarella and led off the sixth by reaching on a walk in an eight-pitch at-bat that included two foul balls after he already had two strikes on him. He easily rounded the bases on Murray’s shot.

Steve Forgash led off the fifth with a slow roller in front of third base that went for a single. He was then able to move to second on a passed ball, which was a huge play, enabling him to get into scoring position. With one out, Barry drove him in.

Both No. 9 batters hit home runs, with Phillipsburg senior Alex O’Leary blasting a shot over the left field fence on the first pitch he saw with two outs and nobody on in the second.

Phillipsburg scored all four of its runs with two outs and nobody on – two in the first and two in the second. Mike Murray walked in the first and scored on an opposite field RBI-double to right-center by cleanup batter Scuorzo in the first. Devin Grade then drove in Scuorzo with a single to left to make it 2-0.

After O’Leary’s home run, Ciavarella reached on a bunt single, moved to second on a wild pitch and was then brought home by Ryan Luke, who produced an opposite field RBI-single to right on a high 1-2 fastball, going with the pitch.

That put Phillipsburg up 4-0.

Ciavarella was 1-for-4, with a run, while Luke was 2-for-4, with two singles and an RBI. Scuorzo was 2-for-3, with a double, single and an RBI, while Alex Martin was 2-for-3, with two singles, the last one on a bunt.

Barry was the only Westfield hitter with two hits. Murray was 1-for-3 and reached base twice – once on an error – while Kerr was 1-for-2, with a walk. Murray and Kerr each drove in one run.

Westfield overcame grounding into double plays in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, although the Blue Devils were able to at least score one run in the fifth and sixth. Westfield hit into inning-ending double plays in the fourth (6-4-3) and fifth (5-4-3). The double play the Blue Devils hit into in the sixth was a 6-4-3 for their first two outs.

Both No. 3 batters have the same last name, Murray, and are both seniors, Mike for Phillipsburg and A.J. for Westfield. A.J.’s older brother Mike is playing in the San Francisco Giants’ organization.

Both first baseman are seniors and were quarterbacks of their football teams – Justin Scuorzo for Phillipsburg and Dan Kerr for Westfield, who will play baseball in the Ivy League at Brown.

Each Westfield outfield had one outstanding catch, which turned out to be huge plays in the game.

Forgash in right field, who had five putouts, dove to his left to make a fine, running, one-handed catch to end the top of the first.

Junior leftfielder and lefty glove Matt Varakian, with one out in the fifth, went back and up against the fence to rob Scuorzo of what could have been a home run by making a fine, one-handed catch.

“Matt has been our DH a few games lately, but we needed him back in left field for his glove,” Brewster said.

O’Rourke, Westfield’s junior center fielder, raced back and made a nice one-handed catch on a ball hit by Ciavarella with one out in the seventh.

After yielding four runs on five hits in the first two innings, Westfield senior right hander Justin White (5-2) allowed no runs on four hits the rest of the way in a 105-pitch complete game that included five strikeouts, just one walk and perfect fourth and fifth innings during a streak where he retired eight in a row at one point.

“In the first inning my curve was hitting the dirt, because the ball was slipping out of my hand, which was moist because of the heat,” White said. “I put my hand in the speed dry and after that gained more confidence.

“Once I got my curve over, my changeup was then working and that’s all I needed.”

Westfield has not been scoring as many runs lately as it had for most of the year when it averaged 10-11. The Blue Devils have scored only 10 runs in one of their last six games.

“We’ve been getting better pitching and defense, which is important,” White said.

“This is the kind of game Justin pitches, he guts it out,” Brewster said. “We knew their top five hitters were good.

“Justin’s best pitch was his curve, then he lost if for awhile, but was able to get it back.”

Ciavarella was one out away from sending Phillipsburg to HC. The Stateliners had a right hander warming up from the sixth inning on, but he was never used.

“Their pitcher was still throwing strong,” Brewster said. “He had a fastball, changeup and curve and he kept us off balance.

“We’ve seen two good pitchers now in these state games.”

Westfield expects to see a third Tuesday.

The Blue Devils are alive and well for at least another three days.

NORTH 2, GROUP 4 BASEBALL QUARTERFINAL

AT WESTFIELD’S ROBERT BREWSTER SR. MEMORIAL FIELD

10-PHILLIPSBURG (11-12)                    2   2   0     0   0   0     0 – 4  9  2 

2-WESTFIELD (22-4)                             0   1   0      0   1   1     2 – 5  6  0

PHILLIPSBURG PITCHER:

Anthony Ciavarella, junior left hander (3-3)

6 and 2/3 innings complete, 115 pitches: 5 runs, all earned, 6 hits,

3 strikeouts (2 swinging, 1 looking), 4 walks

Pitch count: 1-15. 2-14. 3-17. 4-12. 5-17. 6-25. 7-15. Total: 115.

WESTFIELD PITCHER:

Justin White, senior right hander (5-2)

7 innings complete, 105 pitches: 4 runs, all earned, 9 hits,

5 strikeouts (2 swinging, 3 looking), 1 walk

Pitch count: 1-25. 2-16. 3-14. 4-9. 5-16. 6-8. 7-17. Total: 105.

DOUBLES: Phillipsburg – Justin Scuorzo. Westfield – A.J. Murray.

TRIPLES: Phillipsburg – None. Westfield – None.

HOME RUNS: Phillipsburg – Alex O’Leary. Westfield: Dan Kerr, James Barry, Tim Younger.

TUESDAY, MAY 31 SEMIFINALS

4-Woodbridge at 1-Perth Amboy

3-Hunterdon Central at 2-Westfield