Brick National wins the title that got away

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

After dropping an ideal opportunity to win the District 18 Junior baseball title a year ago, Brick National sealed the deal this time around.

The team, managed by Brian Ashton with coach Bill Pett, lamented a year ago going into the championship round unbeaten and then dropping two games. This time, it also advanced to the championship out of the winners' bracket and knocked off Toms River American, 8-4.

Tim Carney went the distance with a five-hitter, and Sean Henry and Brandon Chapman each batted in two runs in the third inning when Brick National scored six runs to break open a scoreless standoff.

"Defensively, we played great," said Ashton, whose team opened play in the sectionals on Wednesday night against South Wall at Manchester. "We had no errors the whole game and Tim pitched a great game."

It was an interesting matchup of two teams that have tasted championship success over the years. The Brick National group as 10-year-olds won the district title while this group of players in Toms River won the district 11-, 12- and 13-year-old titles the past three years.

Carney kept things under control as the right-hander used a sharp curveball and fastball to strike out three and walk two. He managed to stay barely under the pitch-count limit by throwing 14 pitches over the last two innings.

In the third inning, Chapman drove in his two runs with a bases-loaded walk and a single. Tom Tressito also had a bases-loaded walk in the rally and had two hits, while Carney helped his own cause with a run-scoring single in the third.

"In the whole tournament, game to game, we had certain kids hitting at certain times," said Ashton.

Defensively, Ashton praised the work of Ben Wright, Rich Zonin and Kyle Butkowski, who shared time behind the plate; JonPett and Jake Brennan, who alternated in the outfield; and Dylan McDonnell, who made some nice scoops at first base.

Brick National had sent Toms River into the losers' bracket with a 6-5 victory on a walkoff home run by Nick Vitale. Sean Henry pitched four scoreless innings of one-hit relief for the decision.

Earlier in the tournament, Brick National beat Brick American, 7-6, as Henry and Chapman lined back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the last inning. Ben Wright got the win in relief. Henry collected four hits, and Chapman had two hits for two RBIs. Pett smacked a run-scoring single, and Butkowski swatted a sacrifice fly.

"What helped [our outlook] was beating Brick American in the Mayor's Trophy game [before the all-star tournament] and then beating them again in this tournament," said Ashton.

"The close victories proved to us we could come back and win."

Two other victories came easier for the champions in tournament play.

They beat Barnegat, 13-3, in a five-inning game as Carney pitched a three-hitter while DeSimone knocked in two runs with two hits and McDonnell drilled a two-run double.

Brennan tagged a double and a single for three RBIs, and McDonnell pitched a two-hitter in an 11-1 victory over Lakewood.

Brick American's hopes for staying alive were dashed by Berkeley, 10-3. Dylan Stalfa and Brandon Heim slapped run-scoring hits to cut into Berkeley's 4-0 lead before Berkeley regained control with a three-run fourth. Jared Wagner got the first of three Brick American walks in the fifth inning and scored on a passed ball. John Vloyantes and Stalfa made fine defensive plays in the outfield.

Wooden-bats leagues A District 18 All-Star team coached by Brick National's Rich Page, which includes five players from Brick, played South Vineland for the state championship on Monday and a chance to advance to the regionals in Delaware. The district team advanced to the finals by beating South Vineland, 10-0, as Brick's John Vitale belted a three-run homer and collected three hits. Shortstop Jared Page and first baseman Ray Johnson, also from Brick, played well in the field.

In District 18 tournament play, Brick National advanced to the championship round against Jackson in a game that will be scheduled sometime next month.

The team earlier in the tournament beat Toms River, 8-1, as Travis Escalante knocked in two runs with two hits and Andrew Lombardo collected three hits. Mike Fichera blasted a solo home run, and Ryan Ross and Jeff Melia each drove in a run. Page allowed three hits over the first five innings for the win as he struck out eight and walked three.

Brick National also beat Berkeley, 12-5, as Ross with three RBIs and Page with two each had two hits. Mike Winters collected three hits. Brick National scored eight runs in the third inning for an 8-0 lead as Melia pitched the victory.

13-year-olds

Brian Mayour batted in four runs with three hits, and Chris Parlow drilled a triple and a double to lead a well-balanced attack as Brick National won its tournament opener, 13-6, over Manchester. Pitcher Vic Wilenta helped his own cause with two hits. The team played again on Tuesday against Toms River National.

11-year-olds

Brick National's chances to advance out of pool play were dimmed when it took its second straight loss, 6-3, to Jackson. Manager John Brower's Brick National (1-2) team needed a victory on Tuesday night at Toms River against Barnegat to keep its hopes alive to advance into district play.

Drew Cannata lined a run-scoring triple, and Brian Henry smashed a two-run

single as Brick National trimmed a 6-0 deficit on Sunday before losing. Ian Cole, who threw the first four innings, took the loss. John Sullivan finished.

Cole earlier in the week had two of Brick National's four hits, including a double, in its 6-0 loss to Toms River East National. Henry took the loss.

10-year-olds

Steve Shockett batted in the winning run as Brick National won its pool play opener over Toms River North, 7-6. Brick manager Tom Merrill's squad overcame a 6-2 deficit with five runs in the sixth inning. Andrew Jarvis, Brendan Weber and Nick Moglia shared the pitching duties. The team, which also lost to Berkeley, 6-4, beat Toms River American, 5-3, on Sunday, plays host to Berkeley on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.