Monday, June 10, 2013

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Tommy Marcincyzk threw six solid innings for Middlesex, which won its first state championship since 2007 with a 9-5 win over Pompton Lakes on Sunday in the Group 1 final in Toms River.

TOMS RIVER – Unlike last year when it took until the sixth inning for Pompton Lakes to record it first hit in the Group 1 state final, Sean Lindberg provided nearly instant offense for the Cardinals this time around. Playing on the season's final day for the second straight year, there were no butterflies this time around and Lindberg, Pompton's senior second baseman and No. 3 batter, crushed a no-doubter, a two-run blast onto the roof of Toms River South High School and the Cardinals were feeling good, especially after junior starting pitcher Kevin Magee struck out the first two Middlesex hitters in the top of the second.

To say that Middlesex flipped the script from there would be an understatement as the Blue Jays went from having two out and nobody and facing a two-run deficit to a three run lead before the top of the second inning was over. Seven straight Middlesex hitters reached base safely, five of them scored and by sending eight hitters to the plate after two were out in the inning, the Blue Jays turned the tables on the way to a 9-5 victory and their first state title since 2007.

It was a nice birthday present for Middlesex head coach Mike O'Donnell, who is now 2-for-2 in state championship games played on June 9.

“In 2007 it was my first year coaching and we won the state title on my birthday, we got another one today on my birthday and this time I can share that feeling with [first baseman] Dan Berardi. It's his birthday too and we definitely have something to celebrate,” said O'Donnell. “We just told the kids to go out and empty tank. This is it, the last game of a long season, and we have a lot of seniors so for them this was really it and I am glad they got a chance to celebrate after their last game.”

Sean Linberg lining up the first inning home run that gave Pompton Lakes a 2-0 lead.

The second inning rally started with Jeff Reinecke and Kris Fellin hitting consecutive singles back through the box before Kyle Dotey walked to load the bases. Magee then hit AJ Vischetti, Middlesex's No. 9 hitter, to force in a run followed by Tyler Heisch's infield single that tied the game at 2. Tommy Marcinczyk then walked to reload bases and Dotey scored on a wild pitch to give the Blue Jays the lead before Brennan Price singled up the middle to make it 5-2. Pompton went from playing with a lead to playing catch-up in stunning fashion.

O'Donnell compared the time between Tuesday's state semifinal and Sunday's final to a week of preparation between football games. The rhythm of a baseball season does not normally allow for specific game-planning for future opponents, but the extra couple of days gave the Blue Jays some ideas on how to get Magee, who came into the game with a 9-0 record and a sub-1.00 ERA, out of his comfort zone.

“It's not every game where you get four or five days to prepare for one guy and never in the state tournament because you never know the next opponent. This time we knew what was coming and we worked on a couple of things that we hoped would help against a couple of guys in their lineup and against their pitcher,” said O'Donnell. “The kid Magee is very good and his numbers were so impressive that I thought that the only way we could get him off his game was to get him off the mound, make him field bunts, cover first and keep guys in motion to make him uncomfortable.”

Kyle Dotey had a home run and a double for Middlesex.

Middlesex left two in scoring position in the top of the third, but got right back after it in the fourth as Heisch singled and Marcinczyk walked and then pulled off a double steal, both advancing without a throw. Berardi then singled in a run and Walter Bylecki then squeezed in another, perfectly placing a do-or-die bunt that turned into a hit that gave the Blue Jays a 7-2 lead and knocked Magee out of the box.

Pompton got a run back in the bottom of the fourth on a Jose Arroyo sacrifice fly and loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, but in three straight at bats with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate, Marcinczyk, Middlesex's starting pitcher, got two strikeouts and a groundball to get out of the jam unscathed.

“When you come into a game like this you have to play perfect and there were times out there today when we didn't. We didn't pitch well in the beginning, fielding wise we got caught with our pants down a few times on a couple of bunting type situations and a squeeze. We also ran into a ground ball that appeared to be a base hit, but was an out instead,” said Pompton Lakes head coach Paul Tanis. “But these kids have played so well all year long, so to look at this one game and say that this was Pompton Lakes baseball, it wasn't.”

Mike Coss hitting a fourth inning double for Pompton Lakes, which finished with a 25-4 record.

Kyle Dotey, Middlesex's No. 8 hitter, had a stellar final two at bats as he doubled and scored a run on a wild pitch in the fifth and then crushed a solo home run in the top of the seventh and the Blue Jays kept tacking on. Lindberg (2-for-3, HR, R, 4 RBI) finished his day with a with a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth, but Anthony Keri worked a 1-2-3 seventh to close out the game for Middlesex, which finished with a 26-4 record.

Marcinczyk (6 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 10 K, 6 BB) picked up the win for the Blue Jays and Heisch (2-for-5, 2 R, RBI, SB), Reinecke (2-for-4, R), Fellin (3-for-4, R, SB) and Dotey (2-for-3, HR, RBI, 3 R) all had multiple hit games.

Pompton Lakes finished up with a 25-4 record and while graduation will bring with it the departure of Lindberg, Jon Steele, Connor Lavin, Arroyo, Dan Foote and Peter Campbell from the starting lineup, the Cardinals will still have Coss and Magee, both now juniors, at the top of a rotation that led the Cardinals to league, section and Passaic County championships. Pompton could make another run to Toms River.

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