Sunday,
May 10, 2015
By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director
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Mahwah's Alex DiMartino rounding third after his second inning home run, part of his hitting for the cycle, the first in Bergen County Tournament history, in a 12-2 win over Wood-Ridge in the Round of 16. |
EMERSON – When Mahwah catcher Alex DiMartino made solid contact on a swing in the bottom of the sixth inning, he busted out of the box. He knew he got a good piece of it, but it was no time to become a bystander. Right around the time he arrived at second base was the moment he probably should have picked up his head to see if his head coach, Jeff Remo, who was standing in the third base coach’s box, was waving or holding up the stop sign.
DiMartino didn’t have any interest in taking that peek. The junior catcher was going for third base and, in the process, a piece of Bergen County Baseball Tournament history.
When he slid in safely, DiMartino became the first player, of all of the thousands that have come before him in the 60-year history of the event. With a double in his first at bat, a screaming line drive of a home run over the scoreboard in right field in his second, a single in the up the middle in his third plate appearance and the sixth inning triple, DiMartino became the first player in the history of the Bergen County Tournament to hit for the cycle.
“I knew I needed the triple and I was just running. To be honest I didn’t [even look at Remo]. I wanted it,” said DiMartino, who was then told he was the first ever to accomplish the feat. “Wow. I had no idea about that. That is pretty cool.”
DiMartino’s cycle was the lead highlight in a day full of them for Mahwah, the No. 4 seed that wrapped out 14 hits, eight of them for extra bases, in a 12-2 win over Wood-Ridge that ended an inning early.
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Joe Batcho knocked in a run for Wood-Ridge, which was coming off its first county tournament win in 41 years. |
Wood-Ridge was flying high after winning the program’s first county tournament game in 41 years at Pascack Valley in the play-in round on Wednesday. In that game, the Blue Devils were able get an early lead and limit the damage when PV look to be on the verge of a breakout rally.
Mahwah, with its senior ace Ryan Remo (7-1) on the mound, denied Wood-Ridge of those opportunities. Remo struck out two and worked around a two-out error to hang up a scoreless frame in the top of the first and the Thunderbirds’ bats got right to work.
James Caliento, Mahwah’s leadoff hitter, opened the bottom of the first inning with a single and scored two batters later as DeMartino kicked off his big day with a double to left centerfield. Matt DiPoto was then hit by a pitch and Jack Hope walked to load the bases for Remo, who helped his own cause with a two-run single that made it 3-0.
A couple of defensive mishaps in the top of the second allowed Ryan Morrone to score for Wood-Ridge, but Remo stranded two and Mahwah broke the game open in its next turn at bat. And again, DeMartino was in the middle of it. Mahwah already had two runs in after Rob Giannantonio and Caliento traded places with consecutive doubles and Alec Hill picked up an RBI with a goundout when DeMartino stepped to the plate with the bases empty.
As a county tournament host, the field at Emerson High School has yielded its fair share of home runs, but most of them come from centerfield to the left field foul pole. DeMartino’s home run was a seed that traveled on a straight line, clearing the scoreboard in right field by plenty. It was a blast and Mahwah tacked on another on Hope’s double two batters later to make it 7-1.
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Mahwah senior Ryan Remo improved to 7-1 on the season with a complete-game, four-hitter. |
DeMartino (4-for-4, 4 RBI, 3 R) added an RBI single in the third before Wood-Ridge got its second run in bizarre fashion in the fourth. Matthew Veltri singled leading off and there were runners on the corners when Anthony Latorocca beat out an infield single. Joe Batcho then hit a worm burner right back through the box that was on its way to centerfield before it hit the pitching rubber and bounced back to DeMartino, who jumped out from behind the plate.
Batcho had to settle for an RBI 2-3 putout. Steve Lagriola was next up and he reached on an error, but he became the Blue Devils’ last baserunner as Remo set down the final seven hitters he faced, which left his team just one more rally away from ending the game early.
“I don’t think I have ever given up so many infield hits before and it was frustrating, but we came out hitting. We got a big lead, so I wasn’t worried at all and I knew the defense would pick it up,” said Remo (6 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 5 K, 1 BB), the senior right-hander who will play at Fordham next season. “It’s my senior year, my last time playing in the county tournament, and I want to leave a mark. We want to make this last couple of weeks special and we have the players here to go far in both tournaments, this one and the states. Hopefully we can get the job done.”
Mahwah got the game done in the bottom of the sixth. Alec Hill (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI) singled leading off in front of DiMartino’s history making triple. DiPoto (2-for-2, 3 R, RBI) singled in a run before Latorocca made Wood-Ridge’s defensive gem, a sliding grab in foul territory down the left line. But the reprieve was temporary as Remo (2-for-4, 2 RBI, R) singled and Matt Himpele (1-for-4, 2 RBI) ended the festivities with a two-run double to left.
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Anthony Trano gave Wood-Ridge 3 2/3 innings of quality relief. |
The top four hitters in the Mahwah lineup – Ciliento (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI), Hill, DiMartino and DiPoto – were a combined 10-for-14 with 7 RBI and 10 runs scored.
“This is the best offensive team we have seen and Remo was on his game. It was a tough matchup for us, but we were happy to be here. I would have liked to have not get 10-runned at the end, but I thought we played hard and we showed that we belonged to be here,” said Wood-Ridge head coach Mikey Carcich, whose team was playing with house money after its upset of PV. “A lot of people, politicians, former coaches, other people close to Wood-Ridge called and texted and before the game today even the umpires and [Mahwah head coach] Jeff Remo, who I respect the heck out of, gave us a lot of love for that win. The fact that we have earned that kind of respect through our play is great for our program and I am proud of these kids.”
Mahwah will not be taking it easy in preparation for next weekend’s quarterfinal matchup against No. 5 St. Mary, a 3-1 winner over Ridgefield on Saturday. The T-Birds will play a four-game week between now and then with the hopes of staying sharp.
“We will play Monday through Thursday and that is the way we like it,” said Jeff Remo, whose team improved to 16-5 on the season. “We have six or seven kids that can pitch, they will fill up the innings and we’ll be ready to go next Saturday.”
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