2015 Diamond Notes

Mike Aviles (Concordia, New York Generals) recently signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers. Aviles hit .231 with five home runs and 17 RBI as an utility player for the Cleveland Indians in 2015. The versatile 34-year-old played six positions, 11 games at second base, 28 at third base, 23 at shortstop, 34 in left field, five in center field and one in right field.

In other transactions RHP Anthony Varvaro (St. John's, Metro New York Cadets) signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox.

Catcher Stuart Turner (Mississippi, Southampton Breakers) was designated as a non-roster invitee to spring training by the Minnesota Twins. Stuart was a third round selection of the Twins in 2013.

Photo Courtesy of Gene J. Puskar | Associated Press
Ryan Vogelsong (Kutztown, Quakertown Blazers) signed a one year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday and is expected to round out their starting rotation. Vogey pitched for the Pirates from 2001-2006 prior to going to Japan. His remarkable comeback with the San Francisco Giants included a National League All-Star selection and two World Series Championships.

In other transactions LHP C.J. Riefenhauser (Chipola, Stamford Robins) was traded by the Seattle Mariners along with 1B/DH Mark Trumbo to the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Steve Clevenger.

Second baseman Anthony Seratella (Seton Hall, New Jersey Colts) signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks after playing in Seibu (Japan).

RHP Anthony Varvaro (St. John's, Metro New York Cadets) was outrighted to AAA by the Boston Red Sox and elected free agency.

Joe Maddon (Lafayette College, Scranton Red Soxx) was selected National League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He previously won this award with Tampa Bay in 2008 and 2011. Under his leadership the Chicago Cubs won 97 games, a 24 game improvement, and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series.

In other MLB news LHP C.J. Riefenhauser (Chipola, Stamford Robins) was traded to Seattle from Tampa Bay.

Garvin Alston (Florida International, New York Generals) was named bullpen coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He resides in Phoenix and his son, Garvin,Jr, will be playing for Arizona State this spring.

Matt Alvarez (Boston College, Staten Island Tide) was assigned to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League by the Kansas City Royals. Alvarez was the top ACBL prospect in 2013 after signing a free agent contract with the Royals during the 2013 ACBL season. This season he posted a 2-2 record with two saves and a 3.66 ERA in 51.2 innings for Wilmington, the Royals' high A affiliate in the Carolina League.

Ryan Vogelsong (Kutztown University, Quakertown Blazers, 96-97) allowed only one hit in four innings with no walks and six strikeouts in relief as the San Francisco Giants lost 3-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.

Although the Giants moved Vogey to the bullpen in early September he feels that he could still provide 30 or more starts for a major league team next year and will become a free agent at the end of the season.

In 2015 he posted a 9-11 record in 22 starts and pitched 135 innings with an ERA of 4.67.

Matt Swarmer (Kutztown University, Allentown Railers, 2014-15) was the unanimous selection for both the Santy Gallone Most Valuable Player Award and the Darrin Winston Most Valuable Pitcher Award.

The 6-5 RHP went 8-0 in the regular season with a 0.55 ERA in nine starts. He put up an astonishing 89 strikeouts with only three walks in 65 innings in the regular season. The rising senior at Kutztown University then pitched the Allentown Railers to the 2015 ACBL Championship by going 2-0 in the playoffs with 19 strikeouts and just one walk in 17.1 innings while allowing only one earned run.

Swarmer was also recognized nationally as he was named as a first team starter on the Perfect Game Summer Collegiate All-American team.

Justin Cassinelli (Susquehanna, Staten Island Tide, 2015) won the ACBL Hitting and Slugging Award. The rising junior hit .386 with a .627 slugging average.

Kyle McKelvy (Widener, Quakertown Blazers, 2015) was named Relief Pitcher of the Year after posting five saves.

By Matt Nelson

It’s been a season to remember for the Allentown Railers and it all came down to Game 3 in the championship series with the Staten Island Tide.

The Railers got out to a massive lead in the first four innings to claim an 11-1 win over the Tide and win their first ACBL Championship in team history at the College of Staten Island on Saturday afternoon.

The Railers finished the regular season with a 33-5 record, the best single-season record in the 49-year history of the ACBL.

Allentown scored five runs in the first, one more in the second and five more in the fourth to secure the win.

Drew Hercik went 2-4 with a triple, an RBI, three runs scored and a walk, Derian Sarlat went 2-3 with two RBIs and a run scored and Andrew Coffey went 2-4 with a double and three RBIs.

Matt Swarmer picked up the win giving up just one run on five hits, a walk and 10 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings. The Kutztown University product finished the regular season with an 8-0 record, a 0.55 ERA, three walks and 89 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched during the regular season.

For the Tide, they managed just five hits on the afternoon including an RBI single from Sean Mazzio. He went 1-3 with an RBI and two strikeouts.

The Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League is pleased to announce live radio broadcast coverage of the opening round playoff series between the Allentown Railers and South Jersey Giants.

Bob Rotruck will provide the play-by-play on his website LehighValleySports.net.

Fans can also listen via the popular radio website TuneIn.com and the TuneIn app by inputting "Lehigh Valley Sports" in the search bar.

Replays of the game broadcasts will also be available as well on the LehighValleySports.net channel.

The Best-of-Three playoff series with Allentown and South Jersey will begin with a doubleheader Tuesday evening at 5:00 from ECTB Stadium at Bicentennial Park in Allentown. Both games will be scheduled for nine innings. The broadcast will begin at 4:45. Game 3 of the series would be Wednesday night at 7:30 in Lindenwold, NJ with broadcast coverage commencing at 7:15.

On Sunday night, the Railers won their last game of the regular season to finish with at 33-5 for the best regular-season in the 49-year history of the ACBL. The previous record had been set by the Kutztown Rockies in 2006 who boasted a 33-6 mark.

The winner of the Allentown vs. South Jersey playoff battle will advance to the Championship Series scheduled to begin on Friday to face either the Staten Island Tide or Quakertown Blazers.

Rotruck has broadcast several games of the Allentown Railers throughout their historic, record-breaking season and also serves as the play-by-play voice for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the American Hockey League affiliate for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Click here to listen.

By Matt Nelson | Voice of the Generals

For the next two days, Matt Nelson, who has been known as the “Voice of the Generals” since 2014, will provide the Play-by-Play for the Quakertown Blazers as they will play the Staten Island Tide in the first round of the ACBL Playoffs.

The Blazers finished the season 22-18, good for second in the Wolff Division and third in the ACBL. The Blazers will enter the playoffs as the number three seed while the Tide won the Kaiser Division title with a 23-12-1 record and the second best record in the ACBL. The Tide will enter the playoffs as the two seed.

Games 1 and 2 will take place Tuesday at the College of Staten Island and Game 3 will take place at Quakertown Memorial Park, if necessary.

Nelson will begin tomorrow’s broadcast at 4:45 P.M. on www.ustream.tv/channel/trenton-generals/baseball.

Game 1 is scheduled for 5 P.M. and each game is set for nine innings.

By Dominick Savino | North Jersey Eagles

In the lead-up to Tuesday night’s doubleheader against the Jersey Pilots, the post-season outlook for the North Jersey Eagles had swiftly turned grim.

The offense had sputtered, producing less than two runs per game over a seven-game stretch that saw the Eagles drop six of those contests.

The pitching staff did its best to keep the ballclub within striking distance in each matchup, maintaining an ERA near 4.00 during that span of games.

Even so, the fatigue caused by 14 games in the final 13 days of the ACBL season had begun to show, as the number of exhausted or frustrated Eagles increased with each passing day.

Yet, after 14 innings of baseball and two come-from-behind victories on a sweltering Tuesday night, none of that seems to matter anymore.

The Eagles swept both ends of a doubleheader against the Pilots at Overpeck Park, clinching a 6-3 victory in Game 1 with a 5-run 5th inning and scoring four runs in the final two frames of Game 2 to win 5-4 in walk-off fashion.

By locking down the dramatic victories, North Jersey (16-20) regains a tenuous foothold in the ACBL Wild Card race, moving to 1.5 games behind Trenton and 2.5 games behind South Jersey in the three-team hunt for the final playoff spot.

The beginning of Game 1 followed the script of many frustrating Eagles defeats this season, as an error by starter Dan Rajkowski allowed David Young to score and give the Pilots an early 1-0 lead.

However, just a half-inning later, Paul Rufo erased the deficit with one swing, walloping the second pitch he saw over the left-field fence for a leadoff homerun.

With the game tied, Rajkowski and Pilots starter Nick Pedalino traded zero after zero, as no runner advanced past first for either squad.

That is, until the bottom of the 5th inning, when the Eagles’ dormant offense suddenly came alive.

North Jersey lit up a tiring Nick Pedalino for six straight hits, including a double by Matt Krupa to start the rally and another 2-RBI two-bagger by Paul Rufo. Matt Stalter, Andrew Murnane, and Tolly Filotei each added a single, a run scored, and a stolen base in the rally, giving the Eagles a momentum-shifting 6-1 lead.

With three outs left before their playoff hopes mathematically expired, the Pilots attempted to piece together a big inning of their own in the 7th, using doubles by Brian Dudeck and Young and two walks to cut the deficit to three. However, with the tying run at the plate, Brandon Issa regained his composure and recorded an emphatic three-pitch strikeout of John Scarr to halt the comeback and give the Eagles a 6-3 victory.

With the Eagles’ five-game losing streak snapped, the team worked hard to strike again early in the evening’s second game, but Mike Sweeney and Tyler Curto soon became locked in their own pitchers’ duel. Both Game 2 starters worked efficiently on the mound, allowing only 4 baserunners combined in the first three frames to sprint to the 4th inning in less than 30 minutes.

In that top of the 4th inning, however, Sweeney relented first, and the Pilots pushed three runners across the plate to take a 3-0 advantage. It was the heart of the lineup that produced the damage, as Young, Greg Kocinski, and Scarr all scored via three hits and an error by the right fielder.

North Jersey answered back with a run of their own in the home-half of that inning. With Luis Amaro on third and Frank Mayo on first, the two unlikely stolen-base candidates executed a flawless double steal, as Luis Amaro slid around Petriello’s tag at the plate to put his team on the board.

After Nick Masterson inherited a two-on, no-out scenario in the top of the 6th, the Pilots added an insurance run on an RBI groundout by Christian Zazzali to push their lead to 4-1.

In desperate need of a rally, the Eagles loaded the bases in the bottom of the 6th, as Ryan Rivera was hit by a pitch and John Kukura and Amaro each worked walks. From there, the deficit was cut to just one run on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Krupa and Mayo.

After Masterson stranded two runners to keep the score at 4-3 in the top of the 7th inning, the table was set for the Eagles in the bottom of the inning.

Pinch-hitter Shane Woelfel led off with a walk, Filotei doubled into the corner in left, and Rufo worked another walk to load the bases for North Jersey in the second straight frame.

With Vincent Zanfordino in to pitch for the Pilots after throwing a scoreless inning in Game 1, Ryan Rivera capitalized on the closer’s exhaustion by sneaking a single under Kocinski’s glove at third to score Woelfel and tie the ballgame.

Two batters later, Luis Amaro added to the accolades he has picked up this summer, slapping a single in right field to begin the celebration in Ridgefield Park and sustain the Eagles’ playoff aspirations for another day.

Here is the call of Amaro’s walk-off hit from the Eagles Radio Network: https://soundcloud.com/drewcasey/north-jersey-eagles-walk-off-7-28-15.

With four games left in the 2015 ACBL season, North Jersey will travel to Berkeley Heights on Wednesday, July 29 to face the Jersey Pilots in another doubleheader. First pitch for Game 1 will be at 4:30pm, and the pregame show with Eagles broadcaster Drew Casey will begin at 4:15pm on http://mixlr.com/northjerseyeagles/..

By Matt Nelson | Trenton Generals

Heavy rains cut today’s game short by one inning as the Generals defeated the South Jersey Giants 2-1 at the conclusion of eight innings at Mercer County Community College on Monday afternoon.

Mike Salvatore gave the Generals the lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. He finished 1-2 with a run scored, an RBI and a walk.

Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Ryan Reitmeyer punched the go-ahead RBI single to give the Generals the lead.

Just before the top of the ninth got under way, the umpires converged on the first-base line and suspended the game for six minutes before determining that the field was too damp to continue play.

Cole Creighton picked up his third win of the season (3-3). The southpaw gave up no runs on no hits, no walks and one strikeout in three innings of relief. Left-hander Matt Hornich had another excellent outing as he allowed a run on six hits, a walk and two strikeouts in five innings.

With the win, the Generals are 1.5 games behind the Giants for the fourth and final spot in the ACBL playoff picture.

The Generals will play their final home game of the 2015 season on Tuesday against the Staten Island Tide. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 P.M. Matt Nelson will have the Play-by-Play action beginning with the pregame show at 4:45 P.M. on www.ustream.tv/channel/trenton-generals/baseball.

Former ACBL All-Star Zach Godley (Tennessee, Southampton Breakers, 2010) pitched the Diamondbacks to an 8-3 win over the Brewers on Thursday night.

In the process he became the first pitcher since 1900 to throw at least six scoreless innings with no walks and seven or more strikeouts in his major league debut. Godley was helped by a double play triggered by fellow ACBL alum, Nick Ahmed, who threw a runner out at the plate after a force out for a crucial double play.

Zach Godley photo courtesy of Isaac Hale/azcentral sports

The ACBL has announced the rosters for the All-Star game on Thursday July 23 at 7pm in Memorial Park at Quakertown.

The Wolff Division (Allentown Railers, Lehigh Valley Catz, Quakertown Blazers and the South Jersey Giants) will host the Kaiser Division (Jersey Pilots, North Jersey Eagles, Staten Island Tide and Trenton Generals).

Doug Cinella, manager of the North Jersey Eagles, will guide the Kaiser Division while Dylan Dando, manager of the 2014 Wolff Division winning Railers, will take the helm for the Wolff All-Stars.

The Kaiser Division won last year 3-0 and the Wolff Division has a 12-7 edge overall in these intraleague All-Star games.

Click here to view the 2015 All-Star Rosters.

The 2015 ACBL All-Star game will be streaming live on Thursday, July 23 from Memorial Park in Quakertown, PA.

Matt Nelson, the Voice of the Generals, will be joined by one of the Voices of the Eagles, Drew Casey.

Coverage starts at 6:45 P.M. with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 P.M. and fans can listen to the game live on www.ustream.tv/channel/trenton-generals/baseball.

By Matt Nelson | Trenton Generals

The 2015 ACBL All-Star game will be streaming live on Thursday, July 23 from Memorial Park in Quakertown, PA.

Matt Nelson, the Voice of the Generals, will be joined by one of the Voices of the Eagles, Drew Casey.

Coverage starts at 6:45 P.M. with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 P.M. and fans can listen to the game live on www.ustream.tv/channel/trenton-generals/baseball.

By Matt Nelson | Trenton Generals

Generals’ head coach Jim Maher picked up his 100th career win in a 4-1 victory over the Staten Island Tide at Mercer County Community College Monday afternoon.

Maher has been the coach of the Generals since they entered the ACBL as an expansion team back in 2012.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Generals sent seven batters to the plate. David Osnato had an RBI single and Ryan Shinn had an RBI fielder’s choice to give the Generals a 2-1 lead.

Andy Lopez had an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, which was his first single of the season. Brian Lawler also had an RBI single in the frame to help pace the offense.

Lawler went 3-4 with an RBI.

C.J. Hirschy picked up his first win as a General giving up just one run on six hits, one walk and no strikeouts in seven hits. Cole Creighton earned his second save of the season. The southpaw pitched the final two innings and allowed no runs on one hit, no walks and one strikeout.

The Generals are now 15-14 and are over .500 for the first time since they were 2-1 back on June 4. They have also won nine of their last 10 games.

The Generals hit the road for the next seven games as they travel to the College of Staten Island to play the second game of a home-and-home series with the Tide. Matt Nelson will provide the Play-by-Play coverage beginning with the pregame show at 6:15 P.M. on www.ustream.tv/channel/trenton-generals/baseball.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 P.M.

By Seth Goldberg | Jersey Pilots

After playing the completion of one game, the Pilots and Generals had a second full game to get in at Mercer County Community College. The Pilots got off to a quick start when Tyler Heisch walked and Greg Kocinski reached on an error to put two men on base for John Scarr. The Pilots DH singled in Heisch and after Brian Dudeck was hit by a pitch, Drew Deangelis knocked in two runs with a single, giving the Pilots a 4-0 lead. The two RBIs were Drew's 12th and 13th of the season, leading the way for the Pilots in that category.

The Pilots got back to work in the second when Doug Carter reached on an error. Tommy Trotter grounded one back to the pitcher, Trenton's Karl Blum bounced off the mound but threw the ball down the right field line, Carter scored all the way from first and Trotter made it to third before being held up. Trotter scored when Tyler Heisch grounded out to 2nd base. So after an inning and a half, the Pilots led 6-0.

The Generals loaded up the bases in the bottom of the second on two walks and a hit batsman, then scored their only run of the game on Ryan Shinn's sacrifice fly to right field.

The Pilots however, were not done scoring. In the fourth, Doug Carter was hit by a pitch and Tommy Trotter singled. Greg Kocinski knocked both runners in with a double into the left-centerfield gap. That marked the end of the day for Karl Blum. A new pitcher didn't change much right away as John Scarr knocked an RBI double to extend the Pilots lead to 9-1.

The Pilots would tack on two more runs on another double by John Scarr in the 7th to make the score 11-1.

David Young pitched an outstanding game for the Pilots, going 7 innings allowing just 2 hits and 1 run. It was just what the Pilots needed out of their starting pitcher. For Young, it doubled his inning total on the season to 14 and pushed his ERA down to 1.28.

The win snapped a 6-game losing streak for the Pilots and improved their record to 7-13.

By Matt Nelson | Trenton Generals

The Generals are continuing a perfect month of July as the winning streak improves to five following a 3-2 win over the North Jersey Eagles at Mercer County Community College on Monday.

With two out in the bottom of the first, Ryan Reitmeyer ripped an RBI single to left field. David Osnato scored from second before Brian Lawler was thrown out trying to go from first to third and the Generals had a 1-0 lead.

In the third, Osnato ripped an RBI double to right-centerfield. He finished 2-5 with two doubles, an RBI, two runs scored and two strikeouts. Two batters later, Reitmeyer laced another RBI single to give the Generals a 3-0 lead.

Reitmeyer went 3-3 with two RBIs and a walk.

The Eagles would score a run in the fourth and a run in the sixth, but it was not enough to complete the comeback and put an end to the Generals’ winning streak.

Kevin Short earned the victory. The southpaw gave up two runs on seven hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Cole Creighton earned his first save of the season allowing no runs on just one hit, one walk and four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

The second half of a six-game homestand continues on Tuesday as the Generals play host to the Jersey Pilots at Mercer County Community College. Game 1 is a suspended game from June 27 and will resume at 4:00 P.M. Matt Nelson will have pregame coverage starting at 3:45 P.M. on www.ustream.tv/channel/trenton-generals/baseball.

By Matt Nelson | Trenton Generals

The Generals knocked off the Lehigh Valley Catz in a doubleheader sweep winning 2-1 in eight innings and 7-3 at Mercer County Community College on Sunday afternoon.

Game 1 was scoreless heading into the top of the eighth and the Catz would take a 1-0 lead. With the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the eighth, Dan Marano ripped an RBI single to right field to tie the game. On the ensuing pitch, Ryan Shinn was hit to bring home the game-winning run with a bases-loaded walk.

Matt Hornich had another fine outing on the mound. The southpaw gave up one run on five hits, four walks and struck out seven batters in a no-decision. Cole Creighton came on to pick up the win and allowed no runs on one hit, no walks and one strikeout in two-thirds innings.

Game 2 had a different feel for the Generals, who trailed twice and game back to win. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Brian Uliana laid a bunt down the third base line. It was thrown away by the Catz starting pitcher and allowed two runs to score to give the Generals a 2-1 lead.

The Catz would score a run in the fourth and a run in the fifth to lead 3-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth. Mike Pfenninger laced a two-run RBI double to right-center field to give the Generals a 4-3 lead. Matt Iantosca had a two-run single and Uliana had a RBI single as part of a five-run fifth inning.

C.J. Hirschy got a no-decision after giving up three runs (two earned) on no walks and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Brandon Birkhead picks up his first win after allowing no runs on one hit, one walk and one strikeout in 2 2/3 innings.

The Generals continue the six-game homestand with a visit from the North Jersey Eagles on Monday. First pitch is at 5 P.M. and Matt Nelson will have pregame coverage beginning at 4:45 P.M. on www.ustream.tv/channel/trenton-generals/baseball.

By Peter Warren | Jersey Pilots

The Jersey Pilots lost to the Staten Island Tide 5-4 at Snyder Avenue Park on Wednesday.

The Pilots got the lead early. In the third inning, Pilots’ starting pitcher Nick Pedalino walked and center fielder Tommy Trotter followed that up with a single. Left fielder Ryan Jennings then hit a single that went off the first base bag. The hit scored Pedalino and advanced Trotter to third. During the next at-bat, Tide starting pitcher Mitchell Hillert balked, scoring Trotter. Jennings would later score on a Stephen Petriello single to make the score 3-0.

The Tide scored one run in the next half inning. In the fourth, Angelo Navetta got a single and then scored on a sacrifice fly.

Staten Island took the lead for the first time in the game in the fifth inning. Anthony Romito had come into pitch for the Pilots. The inning started when the Tide’s shortstop Charles Misiano walked and third baseman Sean Mazzio single. The next hitter, Justin Cassinelli, hit a three-run home run to put the Tide ahead.

The Pilots equalized the score in the sixth when catcher Stephen Petriello hit a solo home run, his second of the season.

The game stayed tied until the eight inning. After Jersey’s David Young struck out the first two batters, Tide second baseman Julian Lanfranco and Misiano hit back-to-back singles. Misiano’s single but runners on first and third. During the next at-bat, Misiano went to steal second base. Petriello made the throw to Drew DeAngelis covering, but DeAngelis had to cut the throw because Lanfranco broke from third base. Lanfranco slid into home safely, giving the Tide the 5-4 lead.

Jersey could not take advantage of baserunners in both the eighth and ninth inning and score the game-tying run.

Daniel Beizer got the win for the Tide while Young picked up the loss.

The Pilots fall to 6-9 with the loss, while the Tide improve to 10-5. The Pilots and Tide play again on Thursday at Staten Island. The Pilots return home for a doubleheader against the South Jersey Giants on Sunday, July 5. The first game starts at 4:30 pm. For more updates on the Pilots, check jerseypilots.com and @ACBL_Pilots.

By Dominick Savino | North Jersey Eagles

Last weekend, North Jersey began a pivotal homestand in which it will play three doubleheaders and an additional rivalry game in less than a week.

With only 10 hurlers on the roster, the gauntlet will test the team's pitching staff as the Eagles look to string together victories and position themselves for a deep postseason run.

Fortunately for North Jersey, however, Justin Valdespina and Austin Solecitto decided to start that stretch of games by rewarding the bullpen with a day off.

The two starting pitchers brought their A-game to Overpeck Park on Saturday, each tossing a 3-hit shutout as they guided North Jersey to 7-0 and 5-0 victories against Lehigh Valley.

From the start of Game 1, it was clear that Valdespina's start would be his best yet. The Southern New Hampshire product retired the first 10 hitters he faced, including three via strikeouts, before allowing a one-out single in the 4th inning to Steven Cohen.

By then, though, the Eagles' bats had already gone to work against Catz starter David Moyer, pounding out three runs in the 2nd inning and notching two extra tallies in the 3rd to put the game out of reach.

With men on the corners and two outs in the 2nd, Matthew Stalter chopped an infield grounder to Cohen, but the Catz shortstop fired his throw into right field to allow Paul Rufo to score the first run of the ballgame. After Tolly Filotei followed with a bunt single to load the bases, Andrew Murnane plated Stalter and Zach Tondi on a slow-rolling double that snuck under the glove of Lehigh Valley first baseman Nick Todero.

Then, in the 3rd inning, it was more small-ball baseball that brought home two insurance runs for North Jersey.

Shane Woelfel singled to right, advanced to second on a fielder's choice, reached third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Amaro to add the first run of that half-inning. One batter later, Paul Rufo scraped together a run by reaching first on another error by Cohen, stealing second, and scoring on an RBI single from Tondi.

Rufo completed his remarkable day at the plate in the 5th inning, launching a 2-run dinger over the left-field fence for the team's sixth and seventh runs of the game and second homerun of the season.

The scoring outburst would be more than plenty for Valdespina, who was one pitch ahead of the Catz's hitters for all seven innings. The Garfield, New Jersey native punctuated his stellar start with his season-high 7th strikeout, a 3-pitch punch-out of Joseph Coyle to end the first game.

30 minutes later, Austin Solecitto picked up where Valdespina left off, ringing up six K's in the first three innings to keep the Catz's bats silent.

Like in Game 1, the Eagles' lineup provided plenty of run support for their starter in Game 2.

North Jersey struck for a run in the 1st inning, as Andrew Murnane nearly mirrored Shane Woelfel's solo scoring effort from the first game to make the score 1-0. Leading off for the third straight game, the UPenn sophomore drew a walk, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice fly, and sprinted home on a wild pitch.

The Eagles then bolstered their lead in the 3rd inning by piecing together its second three-run inning of the day.

With men on the corners and one out, Ryan Rivera dropped a suicide squeeze bunt squarely in between the mound and the plate. Catz starter Ben Bortz flipped home to catcher Will Anderson, but Tolly Filotei safely slide under the tag for the Eagles' second run of Game 2. Later in the inning, Matthew Krupa smacked a slump-busting, 2-RBI single into right-center field to double the score and bring across Woelfel and Rivera.

Murnane crossed the plate once more in the bottom of the 4th, benefitting from Woelfel's RBI groundout to push the scoring to 5-0.

In the meantime, Solecitto continued to shine in his first start with North Jersey, dancing around a two-on, one-out jam in the top of the 4th by inducing two infield pop outs to end the threat.

By the time umpires ended Game 2 after four and a half innings due to rain, the Rice University southpaw had retired five of the final six Catz batsmen sent to the plate and recorded seven strikeouts in an impressive ACBL debut.

North Jersey will continue its home stand on Tuesday, June 30 as the Eagles host the Jersey Pilots at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. First pitch will be at 7:00pm, and the pregame.

By Matt Nelson | Trenton Generals

The bats have been a problem all season long for the Trenton Generals and they continued to be a problem as the Generals lost to the Jersey Pilots 1-0 at Mercer County Community College on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Game 2 was suspended by heavy rain with the Generals trailing 4-2 with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Generals mustered just three hits in the first game, two of which came off the bat of Mike Salvatore. He finished the game 2-4 with a strikeout.

Matt Hornich pitched a brilliant game allowing just one run on six hits, four walks and five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

In Game 2, Trenton trailed 2-0 heading into the second. A couple of two-out walks issued to Ryan Reitmeyer and Cole Creighton brought Matt Iantosca to the plate and he drilled a two-run double to right centerfield to tie up the ballgame 2-2.

Brendan Campbell has the only other base hit for the Generals after getting aboard with an infield single in the second, his first base hit in seven games played (first since May 31).

Game 2 between the Generals and the Pilots will continue at a later date.

The Generals will begin a two-game road trip with the Staten Island Tide on Monday at the College of Staten Island. First pitch is at 5 P.M. with Matt Nelson providing the Play-by-Play action beginning with the pregame show at 4:45 P.M. on www.ustream.tv/channel/trenton-generals/baseball.

By Deana Deo / René Miranda | North Jersey Eagles

After a one hour lightening and rain delay at the start of the game, the North Jersey Eagles came up with some lightning of their own to come out on top.

The Eagles rallied in the bottom of the 6th inning to tie the game at fours, then scored the winning run in the 8th inning and hold their ground to take the game 5-4.

Winning pitcher Nicholas Masterson, right handed pitcher from Coastal Carolina University, came in to the game in the 6th inning and got the win for the Eagles. He pitched 31/3 innings and gave up no runs, one hit, two walks and three strikeouts. The reliever is doing a good job for the Eagles, in five appearances, he has pitched 11 and 1/3 innings, has struck out 14 and walked only two, and is pitching to a stellar ERA of 2.38.

The hitting heroes of the game were right fielded John Kukura and shortstop Paul Rufo. Kukura went three for four at bats with one run scored. Shortstop Rufo had two hits of his own, one driving in a run. Second baseman Matt Stalter also added to the hit parade with two hits of his own, including an RBI for a bases loaded walk in the 6th inning and the tie-breaker RBI in the 8th inning.

In the 6th inning, left fielder Andrew Murnane leads off the inning with a walk. Ryan Rivera followed with a base hit. Kukura drives in Murnane for the Eagles first run of the game with a base hit. Luis Amaro follows with a base hit to load the bases. The Tide, trying to stop the inning from getting out of hand, brought in Rosario DiLorenzo in for the starter Michael Macchia. DiLorenzo did not fair batter, giving up a bases loaded walk to Rufo and then hitting Zach Tondi. The Tide brings in Paul Mammino to face John Jennings. Mammino strike outs Jennings for the first out of the inning. Stalter works out a walk to drive in the tying run. The inning ended with a double play.

Going into the bottom of the 8th, Rufo started the inning with a base hit, but was eliminated when Zach Tondi grounded into a double play. With two outs, John Jennings reaches first safely by an error by the Tides first baseman. Jennings gets a great jump and steals second. Stalter comes up big with a clutch two-out single driving Jennings home. In the top of the ninth, Masterson gets the leadoff batter to ground out to second, he walks Sean Mazzio. Chris Smith decides to call in his closer, Jordan Fontenelle, to close the game. Things looked like they were going to backfire on the Eagles as Fontenelle walked the first two batters he faced. Jordan bears down and induces Charles Misiano to pop out to first, and then followed that with a three pitch strikeout. This was Jordan’s third save of the season.

Next home game at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park NJ will be on Saturday June 27th at 1pm against the Lehigh Valley Catz. Hope to see you there.

By Dominick Savino | North Jersey Eagles

The North Jersey Eagles recorded their second come-from-behind road victory in as many days on Thursday night, scoring four runs in the final three frames to defeat Staten Island 4-2.

The Eagles’ offense sputtered out of the gate, allowing the Tide to record the first scoring of the evening.

In the 3rd inning, Connor Powers continued his success against North Jersey with a single to plate Julian Lanfranco and notch Staten Island’s first run of the game.

The Tide added another tally in the home half of 6th inning on an impressive solo effort from Anthony Godino, who moved around the bases on a fielder’s choice, stolen base, passed ball, and finally an RBI single by Angelo Navetta to make the score 2-0.

After that half-inning, however, the Eagles’ bats woke up to mount a late-game comeback.

Shane Woelfel led off the 7th with a triple, and, after a John Kukura walk, Paul Rufo smoked a sacrifice fly to deep center field to bring home Woelfel.

North Jersey was not done there, as Luis Amaro followed with a game-tying double that scored Kukura and leveled the score at 2-2.

After relievers Tom Saffioti and Brandon Issa combined for a scoreless bottom of the inning, the Eagles grabbed the lead in the top of the 8th.

John Kukura followed up his run scored in the 7th by driving home the go-ahead run in the 8th, stroking a single into left field to allow Shane Woelfel to score once more.

Pitching with the lead for the first time in the ballgame, Brandon Issa was able to dance around serious trouble in the bottom of the 8th. Staten Island loaded the bases with two singles and a walk, but Issa induced an infield popout from John Russo and a groundout from Nicolas Espino to protect the lead.

North Jersey then rewarded Issa with a valuable insurance run in the top of the 9th inning.

After Paul Rufo was hit with his ACBL-leading 3rd hit by pitch, Luis Amaro launched his ACBL-leading 5th double of the season to push Rufo across home plate and make the Eagles’ advantage 4-2.

In the bottom of the 9th, Issa was nearly perfect, working around a one-out walk to record the game’s final two outs and clinch North Jersey’s second comeback victory in two days.

The win puts North Jersey at 4-6 on the season and gives them an early lead in the Kaiser Division.

Justin Valdespina was strong in the no-decision, going 5.1 innings and allowing two runs while striking out four. Brandon Issa recorded his first win in ACBL play, working the final 2.1 innings of the night without allowing a run.

Luis Amaro led the charge from the plate, going 3-4 with three doubles and two RBIs. John Kukura did a little bit of everything during the team’s late-game comeback, recording a single, a walk, a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base—all coming during the last three innings.

North Jersey will finish up its road trip on Saturday, June 20 as the Eagles travel to Mercer County Community College to take on the Trenton Generals for an afternoon doubleheader. First pitch for Game 1 will be at 1:00pm. Follow the North Jersey Eagles on Twitter at @NJ_Eagles for live, in-game updates.

By Peter Warren | Jersey Pilots

After tying the game in the ninth, the North Jersey Eagles scored three runs in the top of the tenth as they beat the Jersey Pilots, 6-4.

The Eagles got on the board first. Ryan Rivera led off the fourth inning with a walk and then Chris Baldi hit a single to put runners on first and third. Zach Tondi knocked in Rivera with a single and Baldi scored later in the inning on a Kenneth Hayden groundout.

In response, the Pilots scored one run in three consecutive innings. It started in the fifth inning when Pat Geraghty scored on a Christian Zazzali double. In the sixth, Tommy Trotter led of the inning with a single, moved over to second on a Vic Konstantinovsky bunt, and scored on a Greg Kocinski single. Brian Dudeck then scored in the seventh on a Geraghty single.

To begin the eighth inning, Baldi and Tondi reached base. North Jersey shortstop Paul Rufo was the next batter and he hit a groundball to Drew DeAngelis at shortstop. DeAngelis fielded and threw to Zazzali at second. Zazzali received the throw, but was taken out by Tondi, who had tripped and fell after sliding. The umpires ruled that Tondi, who was out at second, interfered with Zazzali, As a result, Rufo was out at first and Baldi had to return to second base. Instead of having one out and runners on the corners, the Eagles had a runner on second with two outs. Matthew Stalter struck out to end the inning.

North Jersey tied the game in the ninth. Shane Woelfel led off the inning with a walk and then stole second base. Woelfel scored the game-tying run when Dalton Filotei’s fly ball was dropped in centerfield. Filotei almost put the Eagles ahead later in the inning. After advancing to third on a fly ball, Filotei tried to steal home after a pitch got past Konstantinovsky, the Pilots’ catcher. However, Konstantinovsky retrieved the ball and tagged out Filotei at the plate to end the top of the ninth.

The Pilots had their own opportunity as well to win the game in the ninth. Stephen Petriello, pinch-hitting for Dudeck, came up to the plate with one out and DeAngelis on first. Petriello ripped a double into the right-centerfield gap. DeAngelis attempted to score on the play, but was thrown out at the plate.

The first two Eagles batters of the tenth inning, Rivera and Luis Amaro, walked. After a fly out, Rufo reached on an error, loading the bases. Stalter then knocked in a run when his groundball was mishandled. The next batter was Woelfel, who hit a 2-RBI double to make the score 6-3.

Jersey put together a rally in the tenth. Zazzali and Trotter walked to start in the inning and Kocinski hit a single that scored Zazzali. However, the Pilots could only get one run across in the tenth, leaving them two runs short of extending the game further.

The Pilots, now 4-6 after the loss, return to action on Father’s Day with a doubleheader at the South Jersey Giants. The first game scheduled to begin at 3:00. For more updates and news on the Pilots, go to jerseypilots.com or @ACBL_Pilots.

By Seth Goldberg | Jersey Pilots

In the first game of a double header, Connor Lehmann finished off the Lehigh Valley Catz throwing a no-hitter in a 3-0 win. Lehmann tallied 12 strikeouts in a dominating performance. All game, Lehmann had a sharp curveball working for him that led to 10 swinging strikeouts out of the 12 total.

Just three men reached base on the afternoon, with the first coming to lead off the game, but Macky Price was stranded at 2nd after two strikeouts and a fly ball to centerfield. Through the game, Lehmann retired the side in order 4 times out of 7 innings.

After the game, Lehmann credited his teammates for making plays behind him and fielding everything cleanly. Lehmann also said that he was thinking about throwing a no-hitter all day, even before the game started adding, “I was thinking before the game, ‘what if I throw a no-hitter today?’” and Connor certainly had the stuff to back it up.

But Lehmann couldn’t do it alone, he needed some help from the Pilots offense. Jersey got on the board in the second when Drew Deangelis walked and stole second. After a strikeout by Greg Kocinski, Ryan Jennings knocked an RBI double scoring Deangelis and putting the Pilots on the board. In the 5th, the Pilots loaded the bases with no outs, but just one run scored when Lehigh Valley starter Benjamin Bortz threw a wild pitch and Tyler Heisch raced home. Jersey added on a run in the 6th when David Young came around to score on an RBI double off the left field fence by Tommy Trotter.

As good as the first game was for the Pilots, the second game was that good for the Catz. The first batter of the game Anthony Gaetenaillo reached on an error and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Steven Cohen. And the Catz didn’t stop there. Back to work in the 3rd, the Catz scored another run on a double play after Macky Price reached on an error and scored another on an RBI single by Nick Todero. The Catz added two more runs in the 7th on an RBI single by Steven Cohen and an RBI triple by Anthony Rinaldi.

The Catz took the second game of the doubleheader 6-1, but the big story came in the first game when Connor Lehmann threw a no-hitter as the Pilots won 3-0.

By René Miranda | North Jersey Eagles

The Seattle Mariners selected North Jersey Eagle pitcher Gianni Zayas in the 35th round of the MLB draft.

Scouts have reported that 2012 North Bergen High School graduate works with a 92 to 95 mph with life on his fastball, and both his curveball and slider are solid breaking pitches.

The North Jersey Eagle family congratulates Gianni Zayas on his selection.

By Seth Goldberg | Jersey Pilots

The Pilots struggled in the first game right from the start when Allentown 3rd baseman Drew Hercik drilled a 3 RBI triple to right-centerfield. The Railers went on to add two more runs in the second inning, and never looked back. In the top of the 4th inning, Tommy Trotter led off with a single and Greg Kocinski followed with a two run home run deep to right field—the first home run of the season for the Pilots. However, in the bottom of the 4th, the Railers added 4 runs and chased starting pitcher Christopher Rossi from the game. The four run 4th inning made the score 9-2, Allentown would win 10-3.

In the second game, it was a different story. The Pilots got off to a quick start with Drew DeAngelis doubling, followed by a single by Greg Kocinski and a walk by Ryan Jennings. With the bases full, John Scarr launched a double off the wall in deep right centerfield. Deangelis and Kocinski scored, but after a great relay throw from centerfield, Jennings was thrown out at the plate. Allentown scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third. But the Pilots added two more in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Drew DeAngelis. Those were the fourth and fifth runs of the game. Giunta would allow two more runs in the 6th—1 earned—and then shut the door in the 7th to earn a complete game. Giunta finished allowing just 4 hits, 1 earned run and rung up 4 strikeouts in the 5-3 win.

By Peter Warren | Jersey Pilots

Before the game, there was a memorial for Ben Smookler. Rich Freeman, Pilots PA announcer from 1987-99, and Mike Smookler, son of Ben, gave speeches about the late owner and general manager. Mike Smookler also played a recording of Hall of Fame baseball announcer and former ACBL commissioner Bob Wolff praising Smookler.

The Jersey Pilots defeated the Staten Island Tide 4-2 on Ben Smookler Day, June 7, 2015.

The Pilots scored all of their runs in the sixth inning. Designated hitter Vic Konstantinovsky led off the inning with a double down the left field line. After a strikeout, the Pilots rattled off six base hits in a row (Stephen Petriello, Ryan Jennings, Greg Kocinski, Christian Zazzali, David Young, Joe Coutinho) and scored four runs in the process.

The Tide scored their two runs in the second inning. After striking out the leadoff hitter, Pilots starting pitcher Connor Lehman walked three batters in a row, all on three-two counts. Anthony Alberghina then hit a ground ball to Zazzali at short. Zazzali fielded and threw the ball to Tyler Heisch at second base, trying to turn the double play. Heisch received the throw cleanly, but was taken out by Russo on the slide. Heisch fell down, which allowed Gabino, the runner from second, to score the second run on the play.

In the ninth inning, the Tide put some pressure on the Pilots. Anthony Romito had come on to pitch for the Pilots and struck out the leadoff hitter. He then gave up two singles in a row. With two runners on, Pilots second baseman David Young made the play of the game. Tide catcher John Russo hit a groundball deep into the second base hole. Young ranged over, got the ball, spun around, and fired the ball to first to get Russo. The play was key as Romito hit the next batter, but managed to get Connor Powers to pop up to Brian Dudeck at third to end the game.

Catcher Stephen Petriello and first baseman Greg Kocinski had two singles and an RBI. Catcher John Scarr had a single and threw behind a baserunner at second base, picking him off. Connor Lehman went six strong innings in his first start for the Pilots, throwing six strikeouts and earning the win.

With the win, the Pilots improved to a 1-1 record. The Pilots next play on Tuesday at the Allentown Railers. The two teams will play a double header, with the first game beginning at 5:00. The Pilots return home on Wednesday against the Trenton Generals. For updates, check jerseypilots.com and @ACBL_Pilots.

By Dominick Savino | North Jersey Eagles

Mike Sweeney and Anthony Auletta teamed up to produce another stellar pitching performance for North Jersey on Thursday night, guiding the Eagles to a 3-0 victory over the Staten Island Tide.

Just as they did Wednesday against the Pilots, the Eagles’ hitters wasted no time providing their starter with a lead.

After leading off the bottom of the 1st inning with a walk, Tyler Benson stole second base and later moved to third while Shane Woelfel reached first on an error. One pitch later, Tide starter Hector Vargas tossed an errant pickoff throw into right field, allowing Benson to plate the first run of the game.

That run would be plenty for Sweeney and Auletta.

In his first start of the season, Mike Sweeney was masterful on the mound at Overpeck Park, scattering four hits and ringing up a strikeout in an efficient 59-pitch performance.

Holding the Tide hitters at bay throughout his five innings of work, Sweeney recorded 10 of his 15 outs on ground balls and did not allow a Tide baserunner to advance past second base.

After their starter’s outing was finished, the Eagles tacked on an insurance run via small-ball baseball in order to bolster the lead for reliever Anthony Auletta.

With runners on the corners and one out in the 5th inning, first baseman Luis Amaro blasted a sacrifice fly into deep left field off Tide reliever Jake Regina to score Benson for the second run of the night.

Toeing the rubber in the 6th inning, Auletta picked up where Sweeney left off, working around a Connor Powers single to record three more outs that all stayed in the infield.

The Eagles manufactured one last run in the 7th, as left fielder Ryan Rivera reached base with a single, stole second, and came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a 3-run cushion.

In the final two frames, it was much of the same for Auletta, who tallied the final five outs in order after allowing a one-out single in the 8th to Powers.

Auletta slammed the door shut with an emphatic 3-pitch strikeout of Tide third baseman Sean Mazzio to end the game and secure his first save of the season.

For Staten Island, Powers enjoyed a 4-4 night with four base hits, and Mazzio contributed two additional singles for the six hits that the Tide produced during the game.

Across the diamond, it was the second win in as many days for the North Jersey Eagles, who have rebounded nicely from their two Opening Days losses.

The Eagles pitching staff has been the key to the team’s success in the early part of the season, allowing only one run and eight hits in the last two games combined.

With their record leveled at 2-2, the Eagles will continue their lengthy homestand next week, playing four home games in the upcoming nine days.

North Jersey’s next game is Monday, June 8 against in-state rival Trenton Generals at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park, NJ. First pitch will be at 7:00pm, and the pregame show with Eagles broadcaster Dominick Savino will begin at 6:45pm on http://mixlr.com/northjerseyeagles/.

By Dominick Savino | North Jersey Eagles

Mike Sgaramella, Dan Rajkowski, Tom Saffioti, and Jordan Fontenelle combined to toss a two-hitter against the Jersey Pilots on Wednesday night, powering the North Jersey Eagles to a 3-1 win and their first victory of the season.

The Eagles’ hitters pounced early on Pilots starter Tommy Giunta, using a Shane Woelfel double and Ryan Rivera single as catalysts for a 3-run 2nd inning.

That offensive output proved to be plenty for the Eagles’ quartet of pitchers, who seemed to be one pitch ahead of the Pilots throughout the game.

Even when Sgaramella worked himself into a 2-on, 1-out jam in the bottom of the 2nd inning, he was able to neutralize the threat by inducing a double play to end a tough seven-pitch at-bat by Pilots first baseman Greg Kocinski.

That theme continued for much of the game’s remaining innings, as Dan Rajkowski relieved the sharp Sgaramella after three innings only to pitch three more innings of no-hit ball.

The Pilots were able to mount a threat in the 8th inning, however, by manufacturing two singles, a wild pitch, and smart baserunning into a run and the potential for more.

After breaking up the combined no-hitter with a one-out single off Eagles reliever Tom Saffioti, Kocinski advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a single by Pilots right fielder Ryan Jennings.

With runners on the corners and one out for shortstop Christian Zazzali, the Pilots tested their luck on Saffioti’s full-count offering by employing a delayed double-steal.

Although Zazzali struck out trying to protect the baserunners, Jennings safely stole second base. While those events transpired, Kocinski crept down the third-base line far enough to safely scamper home following catcher Frank Mayo’s throw to second.

From there, though, the Eagles slammed the door shut.

With a man still in scoring position, Saffioti recorded a strikeout of leadoff hitter Tommy Trotter to prevent further damage in the 8th inning.

In the bottom of the 9th, Jordan Fontenelle worked a masterful 14-pitch, 1-2-3 inning to nail down the first victory of the Eagles’ season, striking out the side while facing the heart of the Pilots’ lineup.

The Eagles will look to build off Wednesday’s victory during their upcoming homestand, in which the team will play its first five home games of the season.

The home opener of the Eagles’ 2015 campaign and first game of the homestand is Thursday, June 4 against the Staten Island Tide at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park, NJ. First pitch is at 7:00pm, and the pregame show with Eagles broadcasters Drew Casey and Dominick Savino will begin at 6:45pm on http://mixlr.com/northjerseyeagles/.

The Trenton Generals have announced that Matt Nelson will broadcast all 40 regular season games, both home and away for the 2015 season. Each game will feature a 15 minute pregame show with a complete recap of the previous game, an interview with Head Coach Jim Maher and a preview of the pitching matchup.

Nelson will also host a postgame show following every Generals game, which will feature a complete game recap of the game, the Generals Player of the Game, the ACBL Out of Town Scoreboard, the Major League Out of Town Scoreboard and a look ahead to the upcoming game.

Every Generals game can be heard by going to www.ustream.tv/channel/trenton-generals/baseball, or by downloading the free UStream app in Google Play Store.

Outfielder/first baseman John Brue (Saint Joseph's, South Jersey Giants, 2014-15) and designated hitter Joey Ravert (LaSalle, Trenton Generals, 2013) were selected to the Atlantic-10 All-Conference First Team.

Pitcher Justin Aungst (Saint Joseph's, Allentown Railers, 2015) gained a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team.

Eric Thomas (Rider, Lehigh Valley Catz, 2013) was selected as Relief Pitcher of the Year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Eric Strano (Rider, Trenton Generals, 2012), James Locklear (Rider, Trenton Generals, 2013), Chris Kalousdian (Manhattan, NY Atlantics, 2012), Scott Donaghue (Quinnipiac, Shelter Island, 2012) and Vincent Guglietti (Quinnipiac, Shelter Island, 2012) were named to the MAAC First Team.

Catcher Nick Dini (Wagner, Center Moriches, 2012) was voted Northeast Conference Player of the Year and named to the NEC first team.

Relief pitcher Steven Bloodworth (Wagner, North Jersey Eagles, 2013-14) and designated hitter Anthony Godino (Wagner, Staten Island Tide, 2015) were also on the NEC First Team.

John Brue photo courtesy of South Jersey Giants

Outfielder Tommy Trotter (Scranton, Jersey Pilots, 2015) was named Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year after hitting .404 for the Royals.

He was joined on the All-Conference First Team by Mike Roethke (Moravian, Lehigh Valley Catz, 2014), Ryan Luke (Moravian, Lehigh Valley Catz, 2014) and Matt Hanson (Moravian, Trenton Generals, 2013, Lehigh Valley Catz, 2014).

Freshman RHP Dan Morrin (Moravian, Quakertown, 2015) and shortstop Colin Case (Allentown Railers, 2012, Lehigh Valley Catz, 2013) were named to the second team.

Kevin Becker-Menditto (Alvernia, Trenton Generals, 2012) notched a D3 career record 47th save as Alvernia defeated Misericordia in the regional playoffs. Becker posted a 1.00 career ERA which is a record for D3 pitchers with over 100 career innings.

Tommy Trotter photo courtesy of University of Scranton Athletics

Shortstop Anthony Cocuzza (TCNJ, South Jersey, 2014) who was named the NJAC Co-player of the Year is one of over a dozen players gaining All-Conference honors in Division-3 baseball.

Third baseman Matt Krupa (Kean, North Jersey, 2015) was selected as the NJAC Rookie of the Year.

Jeff Singer (Rutgers-Camden, Trenton, 2012), Jon Theckston (Rutgers-Camden, South Jersey, 2014-15), Ryan Kelley (Kean, South Jersey, 2014-15), Joe Venturino (Ramapo, Staten Island, 2014) and Walker Larson (Ramapo, Staten Island, 2014) joined Cocuzza on the NJAC first team.

In the Middle Atlantic Conference closer Kevin Menditto-Becker (Alvernia, Trenton, 2012) was named Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Year.

Nick Todaro (Arcadia, Lehigh Valley, 2015), Greg McDonough (Widener, Quakertown, 2015), and Chris Burns (Alvernia, Trenton, 2012) joined Becker-Menditto on the first team.

Kyle Wenger ( Delaware Valley, Quakertown, 2015) was named Freedom Conference Player of the Year.

Other members of the All-Freedom first team were Ryan Dorish (Misericordia, South Jersey, 2014-15), Kyle Lindsay (Misericordia, South Jersey, 2014-15), Mike Kacergis (DeSales, Quakertown, 2015) and Conner Lafferty (DeSales, Quakertown, 2015).

Anthony Cocuzza photo courtesy of Janet Limon

North Jersey Eagles freshman pitcher Mike Sgaramella is enjoying a fast start with his college career. The freshman from Florham Park, New Jersey is attending Villanova University and is a member of the Wildcats starting rotation.

He is currently leading the starting staff with four wins and earned run average with a respectable 3.86. In addition, he also leads the team in strike outs. His early success comes from the ability of throwing a very good fastball for strikes and relying on his mix of off-speed pitches.

The biggest game of the season came on April 1st, when he faced the Lafayette Leopards in the quarter final round of the Liberty Bell Classic tournament. He struck six and walked only one in his six innings of work, and the bullpen came in to seal the 4-3 victory. The coaches at Villanova are excited and feel he has a high ceiling as he will continue to grow with experience.

This summer, Mike brings his pitching talent to the Eagles and the staff is very excited about the opportunity.

John Brue (Saint Joseph's University, South Jersey Giants, 2014-15) was named one of the Louisville Slugger National Players of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

In five games Brue hit .429 with a pair of doubles, two home runs, six walks, seven runs scored and ten runs batted in as the Hawks went 4-1.

The junior outfielder tops the A-10 in runs batted in (44) and ranks second in home runs (11) and slugging percentage (.669). Brue ranks 7th in RBI per game, 12th in Home Runs per Game and 17th in Slugging Percentage nationally in D-1.

John Brue photo courtesy of South Jersey Giants

Mike Garzillo (Lehigh University, Lehigh Valley Catz) was named Corvias Patriot League Player of the Week after going 5-for-11 (.455) with two home runs and six RBIs in three games for the Mountain Hawks.

Garzillo, the 2014 ACBL MVP, ranks seventh in NCAA D-1 statistics with a .441 average while his .746 slugging average places him tenth nationally. The junior second baseman is 28th in RBIs per game and 33rd in doubles per game.

Paul Balestrieri (Cornell University, Trenton Generals), the 2014 ACBL Most Valuable Pitcher, ranks 15th in strikeout to walk ratio at 14:1. The sophomore RHP has posted a 1.84 ERA in 14.2 innings pitched with two saves.

Mike Garzillo photo courtesy of Lehigh University Athletics

Nick Macaione, (Lehigh Valley Catz, 2012-2014) and Kevin Boswick, (South Jersey Giants, 2014) combined to throw an eleven inning no-hitter on Saturday as Lehigh defeated Iona 2-0 in the first game of a doubleheader.

Macaione, a senior LHP, allowed no hits or runs over seven innings while Boswick finished the last two innings for the win.

Justin Pacchioli, (Allentown Railers, 2013) provided the margin of victory with two run walk-off home run.

Mariano Rivera pitched well for Iona as he allowed only three hits over seven innings with 13 strikeouts.

Lehigh won the second game 7-4 as Patrick Donnelly, (Quakertown Blazers, 2014) topped the Lehigh offense with two hits and two RBIs including a solo home run. Freshman Michael Schwab, (Lehigh Valley Catz, 2015) recorded the win.

Nick Macaione and Kevin Boswick photos courtesy of Lehigh University Athletics