EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Bryce Mangene hustles out of the batter’s box every time he hits a baseball.
“You never know what can happen,” he said. The Rancocas Valley Regional senior beat out a routine groundball to shortstop to extend an inning and help propel the 13th-seeded Red Devils to a 4-2 win over fourth-seeded Egg Harbor Township in the first round of the South Jersey Group IV playoffs Monday afternoon. Will Vergantino followed Mangene’s infield hit with a two-run double to give Rancocas a two-run lead in the top of the seventh inning. Mangene finished off his complete-game pitching effort by getting the game’s final three outs in the bottom of the seventh. “An old coach of mine said, ‘It’s the little things that make the difference in big games,’” Mangene said. Rancocas Valley (8-7) is no ordinary No. 13 seed with Mangene on the mound. The University of Pennsylvania recruit is one of South Jersey’s top pitchers. He struck out six and did not walk a batter. “We told the kids it was going to be tough,” EHT coach Bryan Carmichael said. Mangene and EHT starter Jordan Sweeney each gave up two runs in the first inning. For EHT, Trey Henry scored on a delayed steal of home and Angel Murray hit an RBI single. But that was it for the scoring until the final inning. Both pitchers dominated innings two through six. Sweeney did not allow a hit during that stretch. Mangene allowed leadoff singles in the second and fifth innings, but EHT could not take advantage. “I think we grinded out some at-bats early in the game,” Carmichael said. “I don’t know if (Mangene) got better as the game went on or we got away from the game plan of what we wanted to do. You have to find a way to come up with that two-out hit. We had a couple of opportunities, and we couldn’t get the job done.” Rancocas did get the key hit it needed. Mangene stepped to the plate with two outs and a runner on second in the top of the seventh. He sprinted hard from the moment the ball left his bat and started rolling toward shortstop. “As soon as I hit the bag, I knew I was safe,” he said. “I knew I beat the throw. It’s a great feeling.” Vergantino was in the midst of a game to forget before the seventh inning. He had struck out in his previous three at-bats. “I had to stay out of my head going into my last at-bat,” he said. “Getting in the box, I was thinking about forget about all mechanics and forget about all prior at-bats. Just go up there and get it done. I saw a pitch up and in — a fastball — and I hit it.” Vergantino launched a high fly ball to left field that dropped just in front of the fence. “Off the bat, I felt like I got under it a little bit,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘Maybe this left fielder is going to get a beat on it.’ But it felt good when it landed and (drove) the two guys in.” Rancocas advances to Friday’s quarterfinal against the winner of Tuesday’s first-round matchup between No. 12 seed Kingsway Regional and fifth-seeded Lenape. Meanwhile, the loss left EHT (15-6) stunned. The Eagles reached the S.J. Group IV semifinals each of the past two seasons and were expected to challenge for sectional title this spring. “Expectations were high,” Carmichael said, “and they always will be high in this program. That’s part of our culture. These guys are obviously upset. They expect to contend for a Group IV title year in and year out. That’s the way you want it. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Rancocas Valley 200 000 2—4 4 2 EHT 200 000 0—2 6 1 2B: Rancocas Valley, Vergantino WP: Mangene LP: Sweeney
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Around this time last year, Angel Murray was preparing for his first full varsity baseball season. Just one year later, the Egg Harbor Township High School senior can once again be found training for another season. Murray has always been dedicated to the sport and continually seeks improvement. His work ethic has not changed since last year. The only difference is Murray is set to become an NCAA Division I baseball player. The designated hitter gave a verbal commitment Monday to continue his education and baseball career at D-I Coppin State University. Murray will sign a National Letter of Intent in April. “It (Coppin State) was just perfect,” Murray said. “As soon as I got there, I knew it would be a great fit for me and my family. The coaches were just incredible and really helped me out.” Coppin State, located in Baltimore, finished 11-31 last season. The team placed last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Northern Division (8-15). “I can’t wait to get started as a freshman and working hard there,” Murray said. “I want to hopefully make it from Coppin to the big leagues, because that is a big accomplishment.” Murray, who will major in sports management, batted .341 with 15 hits and seven RBIs as a junior. The standout DH had four doubles and a .422 slugging percentage. Even more impressive, he had a .559 on-base percentage and drew 12 walks last season. Murray was hit by a pitch 11 times. “He does a really good job at finding ways to get on base,” EHT coach Bryan Carmichael said. “Last year, when we needed to get a base runner on, he found a way to reach base. He does a great job at working the count and does those little things very well.” Carmichael said Murray’s role will increase this season, most likely as the Eagles’ starting first baseman after mainly being the DH as a junior. “I think he will have an easy transition to be our first baseman,” Carmichael said. “He did get some time at first base last year, so I am not really worried about it (first base position) because I know I’ll have Angel Murray there.” Murray is excited to play first base, but his sights are set much higher than his position on the field. The Eagles lost in the South Jersey Group IV semifinals the last two seasons. But last season hurt Murray the most. “Falling short as a sophomore, I just saw it happen,” Murray said. “But last year I was actually playing, so I want this chance back.” EHT had a 20-5 record in 2017 and earned the second seed in the SJ Group IV tournament. They were upset by the 11th-seeded and eventual champion Southern Regional. Being a senior, Murray is hungry for that title and is making sure the team is equally as determined. “He brings experience and leadership,” Carmichael said. “He also brings a ton of energy to the program and some familiarity with how things are done and what the standard is we expect from the kids. I am hoping he will be a guy that helps raise the bar.” Murray’s father, Santiago, played professional baseball in Puerto Rico for four seasons. Baseball is in his blood. And right now his blood is pumping. “I want to be the best I can be and finish with a strong season,” Murray said. “I really, really want that title bad for my last season.” Note: Murray wants to thank his family, including their hometown in Puerto Rico, and dedicated coaches who helped him during the recruiting process. http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/school_pages/egg_harbor_township/murray-commits-to-d-i-coppin-state-university/article_e6296178-09a0-5e35-b5a3-969d7e3d4a4f.html Contact: 609-272-7210 [email protected] South Jersey is ditching the razors and shaving cream this month to raise money for cancer awareness and treatment. People can partake in No Shave November by growing out their facial and body hair for AtlantiCare’s second annual Heroes of Hair campaign, which aims to raise at least $20,000 to support those undergoing cancer treatment and to educate people about cancer’s side effects, including hair loss. “I think everyone has somebody in their lives who, at one point or another, has been affected by cancer,” said Lt. Robert Gray, of the Egg Harbor Township Police Department. For members of the Police Department, the person who comes to mind quickly is Lt. David Algeri, 48, who died in May after a battle with cancer. Gray said when the department created its fundraising page, people began donating and sharing memories of the late officer. “I never thought in a million years that we would be doing something like this in honor of someone who died of cancer while working here,” Gray said. “It’s a terrible disease, and we do our little part to help.” The department’s team is the top fundraiser in the campaign, raising more than $3,370 as of Monday with the goal of $5,000. Fundraiser participants are asked to donate the money they would usually spend monthly on shaving, waxing and grooming. The money will go to the AtlantiCare Treasure the Moment fund to help cancer patients in South Jersey. Sean Coyle had a similar reason for organizing a fundraising team for Egg Harbor Township High School’s baseball players, coaches and fans. Coyle, who is the team’s assistant coach, lost his father to cancer about five years ago. “I was really close with my dad, who always had a mustache,” Coyle said. “He also was a coach and really known in the community, and he always had a crazy mustache, so I grow one in tribute to my dad.” The baseball team has so far raised $848 toward a goal of $1,000. Brian Carmichael, the team’s head coach, said participation isn’t mandatory for team players, but interest has been high, even among alumni. “It’s neat, because we’re dealing with kids 15, 16, 17 years old who are just starting to grow facial hair, so it’s a fun thing to do,” Carmichael said. “It’s something that shows what we do aside from the regular season.” Participating in community fundraisers and events isn’t anything new for the athletes, Carmichael said, as players have previously taken part in St. Baldrick’s Foundation head-shaving events and volunteer work at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in Egg Harbor Township. Coyle said he and Carmichael designed the baseball program to create successful teams but also to teach students how to be successful in their communities. “We’re real big into baseball and love teaching the game, but we connect more with these kids through all the stuff we do,” he said. “We want to win titles, but our big goal is to make sure our guys remain active in the community and help point them in the right directions.” The Heroes of Hair campaign will close Nov. 28 with a celebration at Tuckahoe Brewing Co., 3092 English Creek Ave., Egg Harbor Township, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will be free to participants or supporters who raised a minimum of $25. To participate or donate to the campaign and fundraising teams, visit atlanticare.org/noshave. By DAVE O'SULLIVAN Staff Writer The Egg Harbor Township baseball team fell one win short of a sectional championship game appearance the past two years, and the Eagles are determined to win a South Jersey championship within the next two years. They may just have the talent to do so. Within the past few weeks, a pair of players who just finished up their sophomore seasons this spring gave verbal commitments to some pretty good college baseball teams. Robbie Petracci, a left-handed hitting right fielder, announced in late July his decision to attend Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., and teammate Jordan Sweeney — an outfielder and pitcher who earned first-team all-state honors this spring, announced this weekend that he chose Rutgers University. "I'm very excited to play there, and the recent move to the Big Ten is something I'm really excited about," said Sweeney, who was among the state's leaders in home runs and RBIs this spring. "He's really excited about it. He had a great year. After Sweeney's season, I knew he was going to be able to pick from a lot of schools. I struggled a little bit during the high school season, but had a good summer season and got a lot of looks. I ended up getting a few offers, and me and him had some of the same offers — kind of like a package deal, which was really cool. But I decided to go with Old Dominion after seeing the school," Petracci said. "They gave me a really good offer. I went to the school, met the coaches, saw everything they had to offer, and I just really liked the coaching staff and the baseball aspect — just everything about it. It's right on the water, and I really liked it." Old Dominion plays in Conference USA and went 37-21 this spring, including 19-11 in conference play, and finished second behind Southern Mississippi. Rutgers went 19-34 and finished 12th in the Big Ten out of 13 teams, registering a 7-16 record in coach Joe Litterio's fourth season after taking over for the legendary Fred Hill. The coaching staff also features Egg Harbor City native and former Holy Spirit standout Tim Reilly. For both Petracci and Sweeney, the recruiting process started early, during their freshman years, as has been the trend in recent years for most college sports. Both said they began getting looked at while playing summer baseball for high level programs such as Baseball U. (Petracci) and Tri-State Arsenal (Sweeney). Petracci and Sweeney both are class of 2019 recruits, and Petracci said class of 2021 players are already being recruited by top schools. "I was talking to schools last summer a little bit. I had a good summer season. During the high school season (this year) I kind of struggled a little bit and it fell off, but I had a bunch of tournaments where I was really swinging the bat pretty well. I was talking to a bunch of schools, but I really didn't expect offers to come in as soon as they did, so I was surprised. I had a few schools offering, and they were all good schools and good offers that I was lucky to have. But they can pull the offer at any time, and they give deadlines, so they want to know by a certain time, so I didn't have that much time to decide. I knew it was early, but I felt like that was where I fit in," Petracci said. "For me, pretty much all of it was from summer ball. For Sweeney, a lot of it came from the high school season because, obviously, he had an insane season." "I started looking at schools, and school started looking at me, during my freshman year. I started talking to schools such as St. John's, Delaware and Rutgers about a year ago, and as the recruiting process went on, schools came and went, but Rutgers was always toward the top for me," Sweeney said. "I had already visited a lot of schools, and Rutgers felt right. I felt at home on the campus and I met the new coaching staff and really liked them a lot, so it really felt like it was a good decision. I felt ready to make my decision." Sweeney (6-4, 195 pounds) had a good freshman season, notching 24 hits, including three home runs, to go along with 16 runs scored and 12 RBIs. But he really burst onto the scene as a sophomore this spring, racking up 35 hits, nine home runs, 10 doubles, 29 runs scored and 46 RBIs — all in just 75 at-bats. He already has 59 hits, 58 RBIs and 45 runs scored just halfway through his varsity career. Petracci (5-10, 155) had 16 hits, 16 RBIs and 14 runs scored as a sophomore, and both he (No. 16) and Sweeney (No. 5) are ranked in the top 40 sophomores by nj.com. "This just shows how much talent comes out of here. There are players in the upcoming sophomore class who I think will be doing the same thing not too far from now. There's just so much talent coming up throughout EHT baseball and the recreation programs," Petracci said. "I wasn't surprised at the season I had, because I worked really hard during the offseason to do what I did. But it was definitely cool to be able to perform to the level that I did," Sweeney said. "In the middle of the season there were schools that started contacting me who I hadn't heard from before, some of the bigger schools, but I was talking to Rutgers since before this year. When I'm on the field, I do a pretty good job of keeping (recruiting) out of my mind and just playing baseball. I don't let anything behind the fence worry me. Everything on the field is what I'm worried about when I'm playing, so it wasn't that much of a distraction." Both players said now that their college choices are made, they can relax about that and get to work this fall on improving not only their skills, but their leadership qualities, as they will take over for graduated seniors such as Dante DiPalma, Nick Milhan, Drew Hickman and Connor Agostino, among others. "Now that this is completely off our shoulders we don't have to worry about scouts (or college recruiters) in the stands anymore, now it's time to just go out and win a state championship," Petracci said. Added Sweeney, "it is some weight off my shoulders. Now I can just go out there and focus on trying to help my team make a run at a state title. The last two years we lost in the (South Jersey Group 4) semifinals. Now, with me and Petracci already committed, we should be leaders on this team to hopefully get past that point next year." Contact Dave O'Sullivan: [email protected]; on Twitter @GDsullysays Entering his junior year of high school, Robbie Petracci made a big decision for his future. The 16-year-old Egg Harbor Township High School pitcher and outfielder committed to play baseball at Division I Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Petracci has shown potential to be a strong hitter and has been on college teams’ radar since his freshman year. “He’s not a big kid, but he has a beautiful swing,” EHT coach Bryan Carmichael said. “His swing is beyond his years is what these college coaches have been telling me. He projects very well at the next level, and I’ve seen it in practice, but we’re just working on him being more consistent.” Last season ODU baseball went 19-11 in Conference USA and 37-21 overall under head coach Chris Finwood, who finished his sixth season. Finwood was the 2017 VaSID Coach of the Year and the 2014 ABCA East Region Coach of the Year. He has a 181-158 overall record at ODU and has guided the team to more than 30 wins in four of the past five seasons. The Monarchs’ 37 wins in 2017 were the most in a single season since 2006. “I visited the campus with my family,” Petracci said. “I liked all the facilities and coaching staff and everything the school had to offer. I like the southern weather. It’s good for baseball, and I’m happy about that.” Petracci plans to major in business and will be receiving a partial athletic scholarship. Petracci has plenty in front of him before he steps on the field for ODU. This summer he played on a 16-and-under team with Baseball U, a traveling team. With two seasons left for EHT,l he has plenty of time to grow both on and off the field. Last season the Eagles went 20-5 overall and made it to the semifinals of the South Jersey Group IV playoffs. Petracci had a .271 batting average with 16 hits, 17 runs, 17 RBIs, four doubles and two triples. “He’s going to mature,” Carmichael said. “These kids are only sophomores, they’re not even driving yet. Our sophomore class is talented, and he’s only one of a few from them that will be signing Division I.” Petracci also sees potential for his final two seasons at EHT. “Everyone on the team is a bunch of real hard workers,” Petracci said. “We’re real excited. The past couple seasons we started to win a lot. My class of 2019 and 2020 is promising, and we’re not gonna settle for anything but a state championship.” Jordan Sweeney’s goal always has been to play NCAA Division I baseball. That’s been his goal, even though he has the potential to be an MLB draft pick in 2019. On Sunday, Sweeney took the first steps in achieving his goal when he verbally committed to play for Rutgers University. He will receive a partial athletic scholarship. Sweeney, a rising junior at Egg Harbor Township High School, is one of South Jersey’s most exciting young players. “It feels awesome. It’s like a lot of weight is off my shoulders,” said Sweeney, who turns 17 on Thursday. “Now, the only thing on my mind is winning and getting better.” Sweeney, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound pitcher and outfielder, was recruited by Rutgers for his bat. He could also get a shot to play first base and pitch. Rutgers, which plays in the Big Ten Conference, went 19-34 last season under fourth-year coach Joe Literrio. Rutgers’ roster includes rising sophomore pitcher Kyle Gerace (Mainland Regional). Egg Harbor Township senior pitcher Drew Hickman was 5-2 with a 2.54 ERA. He threw three complete games and struck out 35 and walked 11 in 49 2/3 innings. Mainland Regional senior pitcher Anthony Capasso went 4-3 with a 1.27 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 44 innings. As a sophomore, Sweeney hit .467 (35 for 75) with nine home runs, 10 doubles, 29 runs and 46 RBIs in 25 games for the Eagles, who finished reached the South Jersey Group IV semifinals and finished 20-5. He also went 3-1 with a 2.80 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 35 innings and was a first-team Press All-Star. “I think (last season) just solidified everybody’s thoughts,” EHT coach Bryan Carmichael said. “Everyone saw a sample size of how good he can be. It was one of the best high school seasons in the area in recent years, and he was only a sophomore.” Already, the thought of being an MLB Draft prospect has crossed his mind, Sweeney said. Carmichael would like to get Sweeney involved with some area showcase games and teams. “I do want to go to college and experience it,” Sweeney said. “I feel I’ll grow as a player there and be more prepared going into the draft as a junior in college as opposed to being a senior in high school. I think I can be drafted out of high school, but if I keep working hard, my goal is to go after my junior year in college.” The list of colleges in contact with Sweeney was long and full of high-level programs, including St. John’s, Boston College, Villanova and Virginia. But the two most active were Rutgers and Delaware. Rutgers and Delaware had coaches at Sweeney’s games all spring. One of those coaches was Rutgers assistant Tim Reilly, a 2005 Holy Spirit High School graduate and former standout catcher for the Scarlet Knights. “It definitely made me feel wanted by those two schools,” Sweeney said, “which weighed into the decision that narrowed it down to those two. They showed a lot of interest in me.” Sweeney visited Delaware on Wednesday and Rutgers on Sunday. He announced his choice on Twitter when he got home Sunday night. He became the second rising junior from EHT to commit to a Division I school. Robbie Petracci announced July 26 he will play for Old Dominion. “We’re leaders on the team, and our goal is to get past the sectional semifinals and make it to the Group IV championship,” Sweeney said. “That is all that’s on our minds now.” 1. St. Augustine
24-7 Senior leadership was the key to the Hermits' success, according to coach Mike Bylone. 2. Gloucester Catholic 28-3 Junior LHP Andrew Vail was 6-0 with a 1.42 ERA for the Non-Public B state champs. 3. Bishop Eustace 23-6 Freshman Chase Conklin batted .482 with 18 stolen bases. 4. Lenape 20-7 Junior infielder Jake Topolski batted .415 with 24 RBIs. 5. Eastern 22-7 Senior third baseman Davis Schneider set the school record for career hits with 138. 6. Shawnee 19-6 Junior catcher Colin Wetterau had a .994 fielding percentage and a .354 batting average. 7. Highland 19-7 Senior RHP Anthony Masselli was 7-1 with a 1.96 ERA for the South Jersey Group 3 champions. 8. Rancocas Valley 18-5 Senior Tyler Dearden batted .379 and walked 27 times. 9. Egg Harbor Twp. 20-5 Sophomore Jordan Sweeney led South Jersey with 9 HRs and also had 46 RBIs. 10. Audubon 25-5 Senior Andrew Fehr: 10-1 with 1.43 ERA on mound plus .506 batting average with 42 RBIs. 11. Washington Twp. 17-9 Senior catcher Alex Gattinelli batted .350 with 23 RBIs. 12. Vineland 17-7 The Clan were outright champions of the CAL American, edging both St. Augustine and Egg Harbor Twp. 13. Cherry Hill West 15-9 Senior John Stankiewicz: 7-1 with 1.60 ERA on mound plus .522 batting average with 11 extra-base hits. 14. Delran 21-5 Junior Luke Smith was 5-0 with a 2.32 ERA and also batted .407 with 12 extra-base hits. 15. Holy Spirit 21-6 Junior catcher Matt Rivera batted .442 with nine doubles and five homers. 16. West Deptford 15-12 Senior shortstop Kyle Garrison batted .470 with eight home runs. 17. Holy Cross 17-9 Junior infielder Zac Taylor hit .456 with 11 doubles. 18. Deptford 17-7 Junior infielder Jake Field hit .500 with 11 doubles and five triples. 19. Cherokee 13-12 Senior RHP Jarrad Delarso needed just 69 pitches to throw one-hitter in 1-0 win over Washington Twp. 20. Clearview 15-9 Senior shortstop Tim Dezzi batted .432 with 14 extra-base hits. 21. Millville 13-8 Senior infielder Nick Grotti batted .420 for the Thunderbolts. 22. Pennsville 18-9 Junior Max Dineen led South Jersey with 51 RBIs and 26 extra-base hits. 23. Delsea 15-6 Senior RHP Brad Dobzanski was 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA with 43 Ks and 6 BBs in 31 IP. 24. Haddonfield 16-7 Senior infielder Joey Loperfido batted .586 and scored 36 runs. 25. Seneca 15-9 Junior infielder Kevin Gsell led South Jersey among qualifiers with a .594 batting average. THE PRESS BASEBALL FINAL ELITE 11
Local teams in bold. 1. St. Augustine Prep 24-7 2. Gloucester Catholic 28-3 3. Bishop Eustace 24-7 4. Southern Regional 18-9 5. Lenape 20-7 6. Eastern 22-7 7. Toms River North 20-7 8. Toms River South 22-5 9. Egg Harbor Township 20-5 10. Highland Regional 19-7 11. Shawnee 19-6
By DAVE O'SULLIVAN Staff Writer ATLANTIC CITY -- Apparently, the rest of the Egg Harbor Township baseball players were getting a little tired of first baseman Connor Agostino getting all the hits in the state playoffs. The Eagles pounded out 14 hits in dominating Clearview, 15-6, in the second round of the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs on Thursday afternoon at the Chelsea Heights field in Atlantic City. The win puts EHT into the sectional semifinals, where they will host either No. 14 Jackson Memorial or No. 11 Southern Regional on Tuesday. The win was the second straight at the Atlantic City field, as rain forced the Eagles' first-round game against Kingsway to be played Wednesday instead of Tuesday. But shortstop Andrew Fowler said that might have been a break for the Eagles because it allowed them to get right back on the field after a good performance in a 4-0 win over the Dragons. "After yesterday's win, today we came out here thinking we had a shot at this," Fowler said. "After that win, we really picked it up. The rain delay actually helped us, because we were hot yesterday and kept that going into today. It was good not to have to have a practice in between." "We had the mentality going in that we needed to hit the ball to win this game. Pounding out 14 hits, that's a good job. We got the job done. We all pulled for each other and the dugout was going crazy," said senior center fielder Nick Milhan. "We're rolling right now, that's all I have to say about that. We're just waiting to see the outcome of the other game and we'll have the same mindset going into the next round." The Eagles (20-4) wasted no time, jumping on Clearview starter Alex Soriano for six runs in the bottom of the first inning after sophomore right-hander Jordan Sweeney worked out of a first-and-third jam to start the game. Fowler led things off by getting hit by a pitch and Milhan followed with a double to left. Sweeney walked to load the bases, and Agostino — who had a pair of doubles against Kingsway — stayed hot with a two-run single to left. Kyle Transue followed with a run-scoring double down the left-field line, and Jon Storz made it 4-0 with an RBI groundout. Drew Hickman, the No. 8 batter, added an RBI single to left before Fowler came up again and laced a run-scoring single to left to push the lead to 6-0. "It's like an illness. If one guy catches it, we all catch it," Fowler said of the Eagles' hot hitting so far in the postseason. "The energy is up and if one guy gets hot, we all get hot. It's a good time to heat up. In the beginning of the year we were playing good baseball. We're 20-4 now, so obviously we've been playing good baseball, but we knew we hadn't played our best baseball yet. We just put up 15 runs, but we know we can do better. "One-through-nine, Cory Smith had two hits out of the No. 9 hole, Drew has been heating up in the No. 8 hole, we've been looking good," he added. Clearview (15-9) rallied in the third, however, putting up four runs to cut the gap to 6-4. The big blow was a three-run triple off the left-field fence by Adian Hoffman. But once again, the Eagles exploded in the bottom of the fourth, rallying for nine runs to take a 15-4 lead. Transue drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 7-4 before sophomore right fielder Robbie Petracci, who had been struggling of late, roped a three-run triple to deep center to make it 10-4. "We needed that ball. It was bases loaded with no outs, we needed that hit and that triple was huge," Milhan said. "It kind of helped us pull away even more and secured the win." Storz followed with an RBI single and Fowler added a two-run single up the middle before Sweeney launched a two-run home run to left. The Pioneers picked up two runs in the top of the fifth, but Cory Kessler allowed just two base runners in the final two innings to shut the door. Every starter in the EHT lineup had at least one hit, and Sweeney and Petracci each finished with three RBIs. Sweeney added three runs scored, while Agostino, Fowler, Milhan and Transue each scored twice. Sweeney picked up the win despite not having his best outing, as he allowed five earned runs, but he allowed just five hits while striking out five in five innings of work. Sweeney's home run was his ninth of the season, good for fourth-best in the state. He's also second in the state in RBIs with 46. Contact Dave O'Sullivan: sully@acglorydays; on Twitter @GDsullysays |