Memorial American Legion squad wins two last week

Justin Short had high hopes for the spring season for Brick Memorial's baseball team. And his optimistic teammates had even higher hopes, with Short as part of the mound corps.

But that changed midway through the season when Short, who pitched well in the season-opening series in Florida, suffered tendinitis in his right shoulder with an injured tendon in the rotator cuff aggravated during a start against Toms River North.

"It was tough. If we had Short the rest of the spring, we could've won three or four more games," said Brick Memorial coach Rich Bishop.

"I threw a pitch in the first inning and felt it pop, and then tried to throw a slider and felt it pop again," said Short. "It didn't hurt but I couldn't throw, and when I checked with our school trainer, she said it possibly could be the rotator cuff, and I was praying that it wasn't. I was told rest is the big thing - no surgery - and lifting lighter weights like 5-pound weights, and stimulation with ice and heat."

Brick Memorial finished 13-15 and missed qualifying for the NJSIAA Tournament but salvaged its season by streaking into the Ocean County Tournament championship game, where it suffered a tough 2-0 loss to Toms River South.

But Short has worked his way back with the guidance of Shore pitching guru Tom Baxter, who was the pitching coach at Rutgers, and Bishop, and is back on the mound and hopeful of being a force next season as a senior after pitching this summer for the Brick Memorial American Legion team, which last week won two games after dropping a lopsided opener to Monsignor Donovan. And Short played a part in it, pitching two strong innings in a 9-5 victory over Manchester early in the week with three strikeouts and one run allowed. Mike Rytelewski, who just finished his freshman year at Brick Memorial, smashed three hits in that game and also had a pair of hits in a 7-5 victory over Central Regional.

"I'm about 95 percent back," said Short. "I just lost my control and the release point while being out and lifting weights, and now I'm getting it back." And he said he's back to throwing his slider, which he said is his best pitch along with his fastball, and which he used extensively during his sophomore year with good movement to get a lot of ground-ball outs.

"His arm is improving. He threw two strong innings against Manchester," said Bishop, who also manages the American Legion team and pointed out that Short, like most of his pitchers, has an effective but not overpowering fastball enhanced by off-speed pitches. "He's the backbone of our pitching staff. We need him to do well. We think he'll wind up being a big shining star."

Short said that coaxing batters into groundouts makes his job easier "with that great defense behind me."

Pitching, which was expected to carry Brick Memorial's varsity hopes during the spring, has looked good the last two games, said Bishop. Brendan Melody, the hardest thrower on the varsity, who raised his role a little higher when Short was sidelined, started against Central Regional, and Anthony Gearity threw three shutout middle innings before Lou Raccuglia finished.

Central led 2-1 early when Brick Memorial sandwiched run-scoring singles by Brian Staub and Justin Gordon around a double by Jose Ramos. Jason Promisel padded the lead with a two-run single as Brick Memorial scored six unanswered runs for a 7-2 edge. Jon DelValle chipped in a pair of hits.

"Jose Ramos has been our most consistent player and was a top-notch first baseman in the Shore [last spring]," said Bishop.

Ramos showed that talent when he made a running basket catch of a pop-up in foul territory.

"He has natural ability. He is probably our best defensive player along with Brian Staub at shortstop," said Bishop, who said he will count on both of them for senior leadership next spring.

Another senior Bishop will count on is outfielder Joe Murray, who got a double and a bunt single against Manchester.

"He's been excellent. He's real good on the bases - heady in running the bases well, and he's good with bunting, hit-andrun and stealing," said Bishop.

There also are three freshmen and Steve Sacaroro, a transfer from St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City who can play on the left side of the infield and pitch. "He's a basketball player who hasn't played baseball in a couple of years," said Bishop. "But he's such a natural athlete. He will come around once he gets a little seasoning."

Short agrees that things look good for this summer. "We had a problem with our offense during the spring, but now we're hitting and scoring runs," Short said. "The sophomores coming up are getting hits, and the chemistry is there because we've all been friends since we were 9. We're definitely improved and it's given me confidence."

Brick Memorial swung back into action this week with home games on Monday against Barnegat and Wednesday against Toms River South and has a road game on Thursday against Toms River North. Bishop was expected to hand the team over to his assistants on Wednesday because he was named the coach of Ocean against Monmouth in the annual All-Star game at the BlueClaws' FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, which was postponed because of bad weather early last week.

The Brick Township Green Dragons, meanwhile, split two games to go to 4-1 on the season, losing to Lakewood, 11-9, and beating Manchester, 4-0.

"We're evaluating players every day," said manager Jason Groschel, who also coaches Brick Township's varsity. "Things we're looking for are determination in learning what they've been taught, and we're looking at their hustle."

A rash of errors let in nine unearned Lakewood runs off relief pitching after starting pitcher Karl Rex left in the fourth inning with an 8-6 lead. Nick Vitale drove in a run with one of his two doubles, and Brandon Chapman lined a run-scoring triple. John Applegate also knocked in a run, and Matt Coughlin slugged two hits.

Sean Salsano allowed three hits to Manchester in six innings of work with nine strikeouts and two walks, and Vitale and Applegate grounded in runs in the fifth inning. A wild pitch let in another run in the inning. Coughlin had two hits and batted in the other run in the first inning.