Mountaineer Baseball Team Roll Past Belleville

The West Orange High School baseball team ended a bountiful week Saturday night with a 13-1 thumping of Belleville at West Orange High School.

The Mountaineers improved their overall record to 7-2, and their Super Essex Conference Liberty Division mark to 5-1 with the victory. West Orange leads the division.

"I'm so happy with the way we're playing right now," said head coach Steve Zichella.  "The kids are having fun and they are loose. They're playing hard for one another."

West Orange didn't give Belleville a chance, scoring six runs in the first inning and five in the second and ran away with the game. The contest ended after Belleville batted in the fifth inning because of the mercy rule, which is employed when a team is 10 or more runs ahead after at least five innings.

Mountaineer junior righty Adam Miller was outstanding on the mound, throwing a complete-game, three-hitter, striking out two and walking one. He's 3-0 on the season.

"He really pitched a good game," said Zichella.

Senior catcher Thomas Attamante had two hits and an RBI; senior third baseman Corey Feigenbaum went 2-for-3 with an RBI and senior first baseman Giovanni Loreto went 3-for-4 with three RBI, three runs scored and a double. Junior second baseman Anthony Piserchio went 1-for-1 with two RBI and a walk. The Mountaineers pounded out 12 hits.

West Orange also beat another division rival - Montclair - 3-2 last Thursday. Feigenbaum went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Loreto went 2-for-3. He also threw a complete-game on the mound, allowing four hits, striking out four and not allowing a walk. He's 2-0 on the season.

The Mountaineers are scheduled to play three road games this week  - at Columbia in Maplewood Monday, then at Caldwell Thursday and at Millburn Friday. 

The Super Essex Conference Tournament will be seeded Tuesday, so it's possible the Mountaineers will have a county game Saturday, but it's likely they will have a bye.