Posted: Monday, April 7, 2014 12:01 am
By MICHAEL McGARRY, Staff Writer The Egg Harbor Township High School baseball team made its first Saturday trip of the season a successful one this past weekend. The Eagles beat Cherokee 3-2 at Cherokee. Todd Henry hit a two-run, two-out triple in the top of the fifth inning to spark EHT. Relief pitcher Jordan Wisser entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh and got a groundout for the final out. Cherokee had beaten EHT by the combined score of 26-0 the past two seasons. "I think (the win) was a big confidence booster for us," EHT coach Bryan Carmichael said. EHT (3-0) joins St. Augustine Prep (3-0), Vineland (3-0), Buena Regional (3-0) and Ocean City (2-0) as the Cape-Atlantic League's only undefeated teams after the season's first week. The game against Cherokee was the first of several weekend trips EHT will take to test itself against perennial South Jersey powers this season. The Eagles will play in the Tom Heinkel Tournament at Bishop Eustace this Saturday. The other teams in that event are Malvern Prep, of Pennsylvania, and St. Augustine Prep. The Eagles also will play in a tournament at Eastern Regional on April 26 and at West Deptford on May 3. "Our schedule us unforgiving, and I'm the guy that made it," Carmichael said. "I don't care about my record. My job is to make kids better, and the only way you're going to do that is by playing good competition." EHT became one of the biggest stories of the season's first week when Misael Castillo threw a no-hitter in his first varsity start to propel the Eagles to a 2-0 win over Holy Spirit. The junior struck out 14 in seven innings. The Eagles also beat Lower Cape May 7-4 last week as Monny Strickland hit two doubles. Carmichael emphasizes pitchers throwing strikes and hitters having quality at-bats. He says if the Eagles do that, the results will take care of themselves. "We have a confident bunch of kids. They believe in themselves," he said.
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POSTED: SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2014, 8:25 PM
By Phil Anastasia Here's the new Top 20 in South Jersey baseball, with preseason rankings in parentheses: 1. St. Augustine (2) 3-0 The Hermits move up to the top spot after a strong opening week. They got good work from sophomores Billy Chillari and Mike Vasturia, both on the mound and at the plate. 2. Bishop Eustace (3) 4-0 Junior Ryan DiMeo leads BE with three extra-base hits. Senior sinkerballer Alex Hull got the save with a scoreless 7th in Sunday's 4-3 win over Audubon in the title game of the Ralph Shaw Classic. 3. Northern Burlington (4) 3-0 Pitt recruit Zack Gakeler is off to a hot start with a double, home run and pitching win. 4. Pennsville (5) 2-0 Senior Josh Shimp has 4 doubles in the Eagles' first two games. Pennsville has outscored GC and GCIT by a combined 22-2. 5. Gloucester Catholic (1) 3-1* Junior infielder Anthony Harrold leads SJ with three home runs. *The Rams play late Sunday at Diamond Nation. 6. Washington Twp. (7) 3-0 Senior catcher Kevin Bucci leads the Minutemen with three extra-base hits. 7. Eastern (NR) 5-0 For the second year a row, the Vikings went unbeaten through four games in Florida. 8. Vineland (NR) 3-0 Seniors Johnny Malatesta and Ivan Rivera both pitched complete games in 3-1 victories last week. 9. Moorestown (9) 2-1 Delaware recruit Scott Zimmer pitched a two-hitter with 10 Ks in a 1-0 win over then-No. 8 Burlington Township on opening day. 10. Cinnaminson (14) 4-0 Senior Christian Deluca was 6-for-7 with two doubles and a grand slam as the Pirates won two games and captured the title of the Rohrer Tournament at Haddon Twp. 11. Audubon (11) 3-1 The Green Wave has allowed just four runs this season with good pitching from Wayne Test, Austin Tassi and Kevin Terifay. 12. Egg Harbor Twp. (NR) 3-0 Junior Miseal Castillo pitched a no-hitter with 14 Ks in a win over Holy Spirit. EHT plays Bishop Eustace in the first round of the Heinkel Tournament Saturday at the Crusaders' place. St. Augustine plays Malvern Prep in the other game. 13. Haddonfield (19) 2-0 The Bulldogs have gotten strong pitching from seniors Carter Fichter and Mark Ostbye. 14. Millville (6) 0-2 Senior Kyle Cox is off to a strong start with two home runs and a great pitching outing. 15. Burlington Twp. (8) 0-2 The Falcons haven't started hitting yet. 16. Buena (NR) 2-1 The Chiefs rallied from a 5-0 deficit to beat Moorestown 8-6 on Saturday. 17. Hammonton (NR) 2-1 Senior Justin Smith, who battled injuries as a junior after a sensational sophomore season, is off to a good start. 18. Delsea (15) 1-1 Junior Joe Brewin pitched a one-hitter for the Crusaders. 19. Paul VI (18) 0-0 The Eagles come out of the gate with Bishop Eustace, Washington Twp., Cherry Hill West and Pitman this week, although Monday's division game at BE could be a washout. 20. Cherry Hill East (16) 1-1 The Cougars' lineup looks much stronger than last year. Under consideration (listed alphabetically): Camden Catholic (0-2), Cherry Hill West (0-2), Haddon Twp. (3-1), Ocean City (2-0), Sterling (1-2), West Deptford (2-1). -- Contact Phil Anastasia at [email protected] -- Follow @PhilAnastasia on Twitter Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/254120251.html#kuQ3UsBvHHwRfPFj.99 Published: Thursday, April 10, 2014
by Gary McPherson for The Central Record EVESHAM—Pitching is usually ahead of hitting in the early going of any baseball season. For Cherokee, that premise has led to an 0-2 start, despite a pair of solid outings from their starting pitchers. The Chiefs dropped their home opener to Egg Harbor Township, 3-2, mustering only four hits in the nonleague matchup April 5. Senior Frank Rosetti was the hard luck loser, scattering four hits over five innings, while striking out six. Through their first two games, the Cherokee bats have produced just three total runs. “Coming into the season, I wasn’t too worried about our offense,” said Cherokee head coach Marc Petragnani. “But based on the results of the preseason, I feared we might start the season slow offensively.” The Eagles (3-0) got a run in the second on a single by pitcher Austin Fottrell and added two more in the fifth on a two-out triple by Todd Henry. Fottrell cruised through the first six innings, allowing just three Chiefs as far as second base. In the 7th, with their backs to the wall, Cherokee finally got to the senior righty. With two outs, the Chiefs loaded the bases. Closer Jordan Wisser was brought in to slam the door. But senior center fielder Mike Follett had other ideas. Follett’s two-out single brought the Chiefs to within one. Unfortunately for Cherokee, the rally would end there. Wisser induced a ground out to the next batter, dropping the Chiefs to 0-2. Petragnani said he and his staff don’t want his hitters to get over anxious and begin to press. “They are here for a reason. They all have the ability to perform at the plate,” he said. “They just have to relax and do what they have done in the past." Rosetti’s strong performance was the second in two days for Chiefs’ pitchers. Matt Curry turned in a gem the day before, only to fall to Mainland, 2-1. Petragnani has the same advice for his pitchers as he does his hitters. Keep working and don’t get frustrated. “They can’t be blamed for the loss. Just look at Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels when your offense isn’t producing,” said Petragnani. “When you are the pitcher and only give up three runs in five innings, we should be in it. Hopefully we pick him up next time he is on the hill.” Posted: Saturday, April 5, 2014 7:11 pm
Egg Harbor Township 3 Cherokee 2 EHT starting pitcher Austin Fottrell hit a triple in the second inning to score the first run of the game. Max Joseph hit a two-run double in the seventh for Cherokee. Egg Harbor Township 010 020 0-3 5 1 Cherokee 000 000 2-2 4 0 2B-Joseph C. 3B-Henry EHT. WP-Fottrell (1-0). LP-Rosetti (0-1). Records-EHT 3-0; Cherokee 0-2. Photo courtesy: E.H.T. Eagles varsity baseball pageIt may be early in the 2014 high school baseball season, but one local pitcher has already recorded a no-hitter in the Cape-Atlantic League.
By Scott Uhing April 5, 2014 12:08 PM It just happened to come in his very first varsity start. Egg Harbor Township is still reveling over Misael Castillo’s incredible pitching performance this week, striking out 14 batters and allowing only two baserunners in a close 2-0 victory over conference rival Holy Spirit. While thrilled to have achieved a no-hitter in his debut, Castillo credits his teammates for having his back. The Eagles will need that unity after returning only one senior position player from an 11-11 season; but for now, it’ll be one game at a game for Castillo, who appears to be just one of the many talented pitchers in our area. The South Jersey Sports Report spoke with the rising star about what was going through his mind during the game’s final outs, and how his team can stay focused this season. Here’s our exclusive interview with Egg Harbor Township Eagles junior pitcher Misael Castillo: Read More: http://973espn.com/another-young-gun-in-group-of-strong-arms/?trackback=tsmclip Posted: Thursday, April 3, 2014 9:17 pm
Egg Harbor Township 7 Lower Cape May Regional 4 Monny Strickland had two doubles for the Eagles, while winning pitcher Tyler Fischer struck out five. EHT's Justin Epifanio and Bryan Brubaker were each 2-for-3 and had two RBIs. Erik Conrad had a double for the Caper Tigers. LCM 000 001 3-4 6 0 EHT 011 230 0-7 10 2 2B-Strickland (2), Justin Epifanio EHT; Erik Conrad LCM. WP-Fischer. LP-DiCave. Records-EHT 2-0; Lower 1-1. By DAVE O’SULLIVAN EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - The book on Egg Harbor Township junior left-hander Misael Castillo was: live arm, good curveball, but has a tendency to get a little wild sometimes. Castillo, at least for a day, rewrote that book. The southpaw buzzed through the Holy Spirit lineup, piling up 14 strikeouts while tossing a no-hitter in his first varsity start as the Eagles scratched out a 2-0 win over the Spartans in the opener for both squads on Wednesday afternoon. “It was amazing, honestly. My teammates had me pumped up and I was just trying to throw strikes and pound the strike zone. I was nervous,” Castillo said. “My coaches, they tell me what to do and how to pitch. I used to be a really bad pitcher before, so every mistake I make they help me correct it.” Holy Spirit coach Steve Normane, A former Rutgers University star making his debut as the head coach of the Spartans, said Castillo pitched a tremendous game. “Hats off to him. He pitched awesome. That was probably one of the best performances we’ll see all year, we just happened to get it in the first game. He threw strikes, kept us off balance and pounded the zone,” Normane said. “I was very impressed. One of the best high school performances I’ve seen in a while.” Castillo didn’t make any mistakes. Two walks was all that kept him from a perfect game. Castillo said he tried not to focus on the no-hitter, knowing that a 2-run lead was anything but secure against a team like Holy Spirit. “I wasn’t thinking about it until the last inning, honestly,” Castillo said. “It felt amazing. I wasn’t expecting to throw that well, but I came out confident and my teammates helped me out and had my back on a couple plays.” Catcher Mike Lahoud said he realized about halfway through the game that Castillo had a no-hitter going, but wasn’t about to talk about it, as per the old baseball superstition that if you mention a no-hitter you will immediately lose it. “(Misael and I) started talking about it secretly in about the third inning, but you can’t say anything out loud because that’s baseball. He was throwing strikes and giving us a chance. He was keeping everything low and then coming in with his curveball,” Lahoud said. “We knew that if we played how we can play we would come out on top.” Holy Spirit senior right-hander Mike Di Ianni, a seasoned varsity starter, nearly matched Castillo’s effort. Di Ianni allowed just four hits and struck out five, but EHT jumped on him early and that was the difference. With runners at second and third in the bottom of the first inning, Andrew Holmes laced a 2-run double to left for the only runs of the game. “He’s a good pitcher, throws a lot of strikes, but I think we handled it well,” Lahoud said of Di Ianni. “(Mike) pitched great. He ran into some trouble in that first inning, left the ball up and the kid took it the other way. It was a nice piece of hitting by Holmes and that was the game,” Normane said. “He settled down after that and kept us in the game. That’s a tough-luck loss for him but he’ll be fine.” Normane said he is confident his team will turn the page quickly. “We’ll look to bounce back. The good thing is we have three games in the next three days,” Normane said. “I have a ton of confidence in these guys. If our pitching staff goes out there and gives up only two runs per game I have confidence that we’ll score three from here on out.” Written by Bill LeConey Wednesday, April 02, 2014 10:23 pm EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - To say that Misael Castillo made an impressive debut as a starting pitcher for Egg Harbor Township High School on Wednesday would be the understatement of this or just about any high school baseball season. Can you say: "No-no debut?" Yes, you can. Castillo, a junior left-hander, pitched a no-hitter vs. Holy Spirit in his first-ever high school start Wednesday. He struck out 14, walked one and hit a batter in the 2-0 victory. Sophomore Andrew Holmes had a two-run double in the first inning for the only scoring in the season opener for both teams. "This is amazing, honestly. I was not expecting to throw like that," said Castillo, who played center field and made a few relief appearances in his only varsity experience last season. "But I did it for the team - everything I do is for the team. All the momentum my team was giving me, and the fielding plays they made behind me, it was hyping me up and giving me that confidence to throw strikes. I just stayed in there and stayed confident." “I didn’t know what to expect from him,” said EHT coach Bryan Carmichael. “I know he has potential, and I think he proved that potential today. “I think the best thing that has happened to Misael is that he’s matured. He showed his maturity on the mound today, even though it was his first start. He’s matured as a human being. That’s part of the reason he didn’t pitch for us last year, because he couldn’t control his emotions, and that resulted in (wildness). He did a great job of getting ahead of hitters today.” Castillo is not physically intimidating. In fact, you could say he is slightly built. But he throws surprisingly hard, and his location was outstanding on Wednesday. "I've been clocked at 89 (mph), hit 90 a couple times. I'm small, but I just use all my momentum going to the plate," Castillo said. “He threw hard. He was throwing strikes, and especially first-pitch strikes,” said first-year Holy Spirit coach Steve Normane. “I don't know what his splits were, but he had to have thrown somewhere near 80 percent strikes. It was one of the best high school pitching performances I've seen in a long time.” Castillo’s performance not only ruined Normane’s debut as Holy Spirit’s head coach, but also ruined a solid outing by Holy Spirit senior ace Mike Di Ianni, who allowed only four hits and struck out five. “It'll probably be one of the best performances we'll see all year,” Normane said of Castillo’s seven-inning gem. “We just happened to see it in the first game. Hopefully we got it out of our system. We’ve got three more games in three days, so we get a chance to get back out there and swing the bats again, and hopefully start hitting the ball.” Egg Harbor Township went 11-11 last year and returns only one senior position player, infielder Manny Strickland, along with outstanding junior catcher Mike Lahoud, who has verbally committed to Monmouth University. Carmichael said the team has a bit of a chip on its shoulder as it fights to prove it can contend in a tough Cape-Atlantic League American Conference. “Everybody says we’re rebuilding. There might be some new names here, but we’re not rebuilding. We have some pretty talented kids here, as you saw today. Our kids were ready to play, and it’s great to get that first win.” Posted: Wednesday, April 2, 2014 7:42 pm
Egg Harbor Township 2, Holy Spirit 0 From Press staff reports In his first varsity start, junior pitcher Misael Castillo pitched a no-hitter and lifted the Egg Harbor Township High School baseball team to a 2-0 victory over Holy Spirit on Wednesday in a Cape-Atlantic League matchup. "We knew he had potential." Eagles head coach Bryan Carmichael said about his opening day pitcher. "He bought in and believed in what we were teaching him. He was dominant." Castillo went the distance striking out 14 in seven innings. Andrew Holmes went 1-for-3 with a double that brought in EHT's two runs in the first inning. Holy Spirit 000 000 0-0 0 0 EHT 200 000 0-2 4 0 2B-Holmes E. WP- Castillo (1-0) 14k. LP- DiIanni (0-1) 5k. Records-EHT 1-0; Holy Spirit 0-1. |