Egg Harbor Township junior right-hander Brandon Riggs is beginning to make a name for himself among the elite of Cape-Atlantic League pitching. A lot of talk has been made this season of the star pitchers the league has to offer, and rightfully so. Guys such as Matt Ardente of Absegami, Sean Mooney and Zach Altieri of Ocean City, Mike Vasturia of St. Augustine Prep, Kyle Gerace and Nick Droboniku of Mainland Regional, Denny Brady of Buena Regional and Alex Boney of Cedar Creek have made a name for themselves by building standout careers on the mound, and by winning big games against tough competition. Brandon Riggs has been one of Egg Harbor Township’s best pitchers the past two seasons, and the junior proved just how good he is by pitching the Eagles to a first-round playoff victory over a tough Absegami squad. (Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan) Riggs has shown the ability to do that as well during his last two years on the varsity level. Last year, pitching coach Sean Coyle said, Riggs beat such teams as Eastern Regional (which went on to win the sectional championship), St. Augustine Prep and Malvern Prep. This year, Riggs is 5-2 with an ERA under 2.50, and recently out-dueled Ardente in an intense playoff matchup that EHT won 4-3. Perhaps the reason Riggs isn’t getting a lot of attention is because he doesn’t throw 90 mph and doesn’t rack up a ton of strikeouts. He is efficient, however, and simply pounds the strike zone and lets his fielders work behind him. He works quickly, which allows his defenders to get into a rhythm and makes for some quick innings. He may never be the type of pitcher who college recruiters salivate over and flock to see, but by the time his high school career is over next spring he could be a guy who has double-digit career wins and is among the league leaders in several pitching categories. — Dave O’Sullivan, Publisher
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Press staff reports Justin Epifanio went 3 for 3, including a double, with two runs and one RBI to lead host Egg Harbor Township High School to a 9-6 victory over Mainland Regional in a Cape-Atlantic League American Conference baseball game Thursday. EHT’s Bryan Brubaker added a two-run double and scored twice. Tyler Fischer struck out five through 31/3 innings to earn the win. Nick Trifetti, George Morton and Dean Deveny doubled for Mainland, which is ranked fourth in The Press Elite 11. The Mustangs play Delsea Regional today in the South Jersey Group III final. Mainland Regional 110 201 1—6 7 2 Egg Harbor Township 004 005 0—9 9 3 2B—Trifetti, Morton, Deveny M; Brubaker, Epifanio E. WP—Fischer (4-4) 5k. LP—Gagnon. Records—Mainland 22-5; EHT 15-13. MICHAEL McGARRY Staff Writer
The Press of Atlantic City GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - Coach Bryan Carmichael of the Egg Harbor Township High School baseball team gave the Eagles a pep talk before they played Absegami in a playoff game Monday. "I talked to them (Sunday) while we were practicing," Carmichael said, "and I said, 'Why not us? Why can't we do this?' We belong here." Egg Harbor Township kept that faith even when it was three outs away from defeat. The Eagles scored three runs in their final at-bat to beat Absegami 4-3 in a South Jersey Group IV first round game. EHT, the No. 10 seed, will play at No. 2 seed Toms River North in the quarterfinals Thursday. The win gave EHT its first playoff victory in Carmichael's five seasons as coach. Shortstop Justin Epifanio began the winning rally with an infield single and scored the tying run. "Our goal was to play with as much heart as we could," Epifanio said. "We never stopped believing in ourselves." Egg Harbor and Absegami are Cape-Atlantic League American Conference rivals. Monday was the third meeting of the season between the Eagles and seventh-seeded Absegami. The schools had split their first two games with each team winning its home game. Monday turned into a pitcher's duel between Matt Ardente of Absegami and Brandon Riggs of EHT. Ardente struck out eight in the first six innings. Riggs finished with four strikeouts in 6.1 innings. He kept Absegami hitters off-balance for the most part with his cutter. Riggs also benefitted from excellent defense. Epifanio had seven assists at shortstop. Right fielder Gaby Carino made a diving, backhanded catch in the third inning. Still, EHT trailed 2-1 when it came to bat in the top of the seventh inning. Epifanio led off with an infield single. "I just wanted to grind out an at-bat and get on base any way I could," he said. The Eagles then took advantage of some Absegami miscues. The next two EHT hitters after Epifanio reached on Absegami throwing errors. After a strikeout, EHT attempted a squeeze play. Epifanio broke for the plate. The bunt wasn't necessary, however. The pitch was high and sailed to the backstop. Epifanio dove across home plate to tie the game at 2-2. "I just tried to get a good jump and not think about it too much," Epifanio said. The Eagles took a 3-2 lead when Nick Pera scored on a throwing error - the Braves' third miscue of the inning. Carino knocked in a run with a groundout to put EHT up 4-2. "We've been pretty consistent all year defensively," Absegami coach Brian Wastell said. "We imploded a little bit. We got out of sorts, and Egg Harbor Township made us pay for it." The Braves staged a mini rally of their own in the bottom of the seventh. Franco Ruiz knocked in a run with a two-out RBI single to cut EHT's lead to 4-3. But Eagles reliever Tyler Fischer threw a curveball to get an Absegami hitter to ground out to Epifanio for the final out. The batter before the final out Fischer had allowed Ruiz's RBI single. "I felt a lot of pressure," Fischer said. "But I just focused on the game. I just flushed (the Ruiz hit) and came back and threw the next pitch." EHT (14-11) has had some big wins the past two seasons. The Eagles qualified for the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic – which annually features 16 of South Jersey's top teams – last season. They beat Eastern, the top seed in the South Jersey Group IV bracket, this season. "We're a team that has flown under the radar," Carmichael said. A playoff run can bring the Eagles even more credibility and attention. Egg Harbor doesn't seem to mind it will be an underdog Thursday. "We never count ourselves out," Epifanio said. Contact: EHT 100 000 3-4 6 2 Absegami 000 200 1-3 6 4 2B-EHT: Holmes, Carino. AB: Barnett WP-Riggs (4k) LP-Ardente (9k) Save-Fischer (0Ks) Records-EHT 14-11; Absegami 12-9 By Bill LeConey Staff Writer shorenewstoday.com GALLOWAY – "Why not us?" That's the playoff mantra of the Egg Harbor Township High School baseball team, according to head coach Bryan Carmichael. The Eagles answered their own question Monday with a comeback 4-3 win over Cape-Atlantic League rival Absegami in the first round of the South Jersey Group IV playoff tournament. The Eagles used solid pitching, good defense and some very aggressive play on the base paths to register their first playoff win in five years. Trailing 2-1 going into the seventh inning on the road against one of the top pitchers in the CAL in Matt Ardente, the No. 10 Eagles scratched together three runs, helped by some shaky fielding by the seventh-seeded Braves. Senior Justin Epifanio started the rally with an infield single and eventually scored the tying run on a suicide squeeze play with J.J. Swentkowski at the plate, as Ardente's pitch sailed high and wide of catcher Steven Hewa. "We've done a whole lot of that in practice," Epifanio said. "Coach always has us ready for situations like that. To be honest, I had a feeling it was coming. He was using a windup on the mound, so I knew I was going to get a good jump and we ended up getting a pitch over his head, which worked out for us." Another run scored on an Absegami throwing error, and another on a groundout by Gaby Carino. Tyler Fischer came on in the bottom of the seventh in relief of starter Brandon Riggs, allowing a two-out RBI single by Franco Ruiz before retiring Matt Branco on a groundout with the hot-hitting Ardente looming in the on-deck circle. "The attitude was to just come out, have a good time, play as a team and win as a family," said Fischer. "We've been struggling a little bit, but we came out and played a great game." Riggs, a junior, pitched very well, allowing six hits while striking out four in 6 1/3 innings. He also got plenty of defensive help, as Epifanio had eight assists at shortstop and Carino made a remarkable diving catch in right field to rob Omar Nunez of extra bases. "We had a good idea of what to expect from Ardente," Carmichael said. "We preach to the kids about putting the ball in play, putting pressure on the defense. Good pitching, defense and quality at-bats - that's what you need to win this time of year." Christian Barnett had an RBI single for Absegami, and T.J. Neil had a sacrifice fly to give the Braves a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Swentkowski drove in the first EHT run with a bases-loaded single in the first inning. It's been an up and down season for the Eagles (15-11), with tournament wins over Eastern Regional, the top seed in Group IV, Holy Cross and West Deptford, along with several discouraging losses. "We're kind of a team that's flown under the radar," Carmichael said. "we don't have a guy like Ardente that we're going to run out there on the mound who can strike a bunch of guys out. we have guys that pitch to contact, like the two guys today. "We've been telling the kids, 'Why not us? Why can't we do that?' We beat Eastern at their own tournament, we proved that we can compete at this level, we belong here." But they have not fared well in recent playoff appearances, losing three times in the last four years, including a home loss to Cherokee in a first-round game last year. "Last year we had a big crowd come out for us and they (Cherokee) spoiled our home playoff game in front of all of our fans," Epifanio said. "And we just figured, 'Hey, why not do the same thing here?'" There's another one of those questions the Eagles answered with Monday's playoff win. Why not, indeed. The Eagles will face another tough test in the quarterfinal on Thursday as they travel to second-seeded Toms River North, a 3-2 winner over Shawnee on Monday. But after getting past Ardente, who is headed to Seton Hall on a partial baseball scholarship next fall, the Eagles feel they're ready for just about anything. "That was huge," Epifanio said. "He's probably the best pitcher we're going to see in the playoffs. That's just a huge win for us and it gives us a lot of momentum going forward." By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP -- Trailing 2-1, Egg Harbor Township loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning against Cape-Atlantic League rival Absegami in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs on Monday. But the Eagles had one out, and Braves ace Matt Ardente — arguably the best pitcher in South Jersey — was on the hill and two outs away from closing out a playoff win. Eagles coach Bryan Carmichael called for the suicide squeeze play with J.J. Swentkowski at the plate and the speedy Justin Epifanio at third base. Why not? The Eagles were playing with house money. They came in as the No. 10 seed with nothing to lose, so Carmichael figured a risky play might be just what EHT needed to tie the game. It didn’t go exactly according to plan, but in the end the move worked out. Epifanio sprinted toward the plate and the pitched sailed high and inside and got past Absegami catcher Steve Hewa as he was attempting to catch the pitch and make a tag in one motion. Epifanio scored to tie the game at 2, and the Eagles tacked on two more runs to take a 4-2 lead. Tyler Fischer came on in relief after starter Brandon Riggs ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh, and nailed down the save as the Eagles escaped with a 4-3 victory. “I got a really good jump because (Ardente) has a long wind-up, so I felt good with the jump I had. I felt like I was there in plenty of time,” Epifanio said. “We were just grinding out at-bats. As the leadoff hitter (in the seventh) I just had to find a way to get on base. It wasn’t something I had to think about, I just had to go do it. I was just a piece in the puzzle, found a way on base. Everything fell in line after that and it worked out the way we wanted. The balls bounced the way we wanted them to.” Epifanio started the seventh by reaching on an infield single, beating the throw from Absegami shortstop Matt Branco on a high chopper. Nick Pera then laid down a sacrifice bunt, but an infield error allowed him to reach safely and put runners at first and second with no outs. The error was one of three the Braves made in the inning that aided EHT’s rally. The second error loaded the bases, and after a strikeout, Epifanio raced home to tie the game, 2-2. Pera scored on the third error of the inning to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead, and Andrew Holmes scored on Gaby Carino’s fielder’s choice. Ardente worked out of the jam by getting a groundout, giving the seventh-seeded Braves one last chance to tie the game. Drew Roesch and Tyler Welch both reached on singles with one out, putting the tying runs on base. After a pop-out, Franco Ruiz laced a single to right-center that scored Roesch and brought the Braves within one, 4-3. But Fischer worked out of the jam by getting a groundout to end the game. “It’s awesome. We play them a lot, so we are familiar with them. Coming back against those guys, that’s a good win. We haven’t won a playoff game in about four or five years,” said EHT catcher Mike Lahoud. The Eagles (15-11) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, as Swentkowski singled with the bases loaded. EHT starter Brandon Riggs cruised through the first three innings before Absegami scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Christian Barnett tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single and T.J. Neil followed with a sacrifice fly to plate courtesy runner Chris Dolan. Riggs pitched an outstanding game, allowing six hits while striking out four in 6 1/3 innings. Fischer allowed just one hit to record the save. “Riggs always comes up big for us in big games,” Lahoud said. “He won some big games last year, a couple this year. He just hits his spots. He goes after guys and hits his spots, and that’s all you can ask for.” Riggs also got some stellar defensive help. Epifanio finished with eight assists at shortstop, and Carino made a diving catch in right field in the third to rob Omar Nunez of an extra-base hit. “There was no pressure on me. I just thought about it like a regular-season game. I think we play better when we are in a tough spot. We definitely had a lot of energy on the bench,” said Riggs, a junior right-hander. Epifanio said it was a huge confidence boost for the Eagles to know that they could get past a tough pitcher in the first round of the playoffs. “We’ve always been back and forth with these guys, and (Ardente) is one of the best pitchers in South Jersey and probably the best pitcher we will see in the playoffs. It was huge for us to get a win like that, just grinding every pitch,” Epifanio said. “We knew we weren’t going to come in here and hit the heck out of the ball. We knew we would have to grind out at-bats against him. Last year it was the same way. And the year before that, and the year before that. We knew what we were going to see, and the coaches had us well prepared, as always, and we just came out and executed.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: [email protected]; on Twitter @GDsullysays Junior Brandon Riggs earned the win against Absegami, allowing six hits in six-plus innings while striking out four. •Egg Harbor Twp. 5, West Deptford 2: Drew Hickman picked up the complete-game victory.
•Egg Harbor Twp. 9, Audubon 4: The Eagles took the title game. http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/05/02/baseball-roundup-paulsboro-claims-diamond-berth/26815783/ AUDUBON at EGG HARBOR
When: Saturday, 3 p.m. Records: Audubon enters Saturday's game at 4-5, while Egg Harbor is 7-7 The game at a glance: Both teams have been hovering around .500 all season, but Egg Harbor will look to stay hot after winning four of its last five games. Audubon will look to get out of its current four-game losing skid. A look at Audubon: Audubon won its first three games of the season, but things have taken a turn since April 18. Audubon has not registered a win since it beat Collingswood on April 16. A look at Egg Harbor: Egg Harbor has been impressive over the last five games, with its only loss coming against St. Augustine. Egg Harbor will look to finish the regular season on a strong note before heading into the state tournament. Andrew Holmes has led Egg Harbor's lineup, batting over .300, while six different players have launched home runs this year. Egg Harbor Township 3
Oakcrest 2 Nick Pera went 2 for 3 for an RBI to lead the host Eagles. Bryan Brubaker also scored a run and finished 2 for 2. Ryan Johnson doubled for Oakcrest. Oakcrest 002 000 0-2 8 0 Egg Harbor Township 000 030 0-3 8 2 2B-Johnson O. WP-Riggs (2-2) 3k. LP-Wright. Records-Oakcrest 6-10; Egg Harbor 8-7. |