Cranford squeezes out win over South Plainfield in North 2 Group III baseball

Written by
Brian Hartnett
Editorial Intern
Jun. 1, 2013 2:34 PM

CRANFORD - A pitcher’s duel turned into a game of small ball in the sixth inning of Friday’s NJSIAA North 2 Group III baseball finals, as top-seeded Cranford used a suicide squeeze play to break a 1-1 tie and emerge with a 5-1 victory over second-seeded South Plainfield.
Cranford (23-1) began the bottom of the sixth with two consecutive singles. Cranford senior pitcher Ryan Williamson then bunted down the third base line, and South Plainfield (23-7) failed to get the forceout at third, which loaded the bases.

Two batters later, Cranford senior catcher Chris Folinusz broke for home, and Cougars senior first baseman Alex Plick put down a bunt, scoring both Folinusz and pinch runner Bobby Bruns after an errant throw to first base.

“I think the book on Cranford is that they’re an excellent small ball team, and they’re going to do a lot of things right, which they proved again today,” South Plainfield coach Anthony Giuda said. “We prided ourselves on our defense all season and unfortunately, when you give a team like Cranford a couple of extra outs, they’re going to capitalize on it.”

The suicide squeeze play put Cranford up 3-1, and the Cougars extended their lead later that inning when junior left fielder Matt Ravitier lined a single to right field to plate two more runners.

South Plainfield went down in four batters in the top of the seventh, and Cranford, the defending Group III champion, earned its third sectional title in four years.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been here, and we like the fact that we’re playing the best in the section,” Giuda said. “In order to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, and we hung with them.”

The Tigers scored the game’s first run in the top of the second, as junior catcher Justin Marks lined a single up the middle to score senior left fielder Jeff Pellegrino.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130601/NJSPORTS0130/306010028/Cranford-squeezes-out-win-over-South-Plainfield-North-2-Group-III-baseball?nclick_check=1

Baseball - 2013 NJSIAA Tournament - North 2, Group 3 - Round 4 - South Plainfield (1) at Cranford (5) - Baseball

South Plainfield (1) at Cranford (5) - Baseball

Star-Ledger, May 31, 2013 9:56 p.m.

By Chris Ryan

With the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, Cranford coach Dennis McCaffery decided to take a chance. Thanks to the execution of Alex Plick, the gamble paid off in a big way.
Plick dropped down a perfect bunt to pull off a suicide squeeze which scored Robert Bruns from third base, and, following a dropped throw at first, Albert Garguilo scored all the way from second.
The suicide squeeze highlighted a four-run rally to lift top seed Cranford, No. 2 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to a 5-1 victory against second seed South Plainfield in the final of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 tournament in Cranford.
Matt Ravitier followed the bunt with a two-run single to cap the rally and give Cranford (23-1) a four-run lead after the game was tied for the majority of the afternoon. The scoring was facilitated by the bunt, which Plick said he was prepared to do when he stepped to the plate.
"I was just happy. It's good to get it down, and it's good that everything worked out," the senior first baseman said. "Because (the pitcher) went from the windup, so the guy from second got a really good jump, and he went from third and scored."
The rally gave support to senior left-hander Ryan Williamson, who finished a complete-game victory. He surrendered one run on seven hits while striking out four and walking one.
South Plainfield (23-7) struck first, as Justin Marks capitalized on a single and a balk to hit an RBI single in the second inning. Cranford's offense responded quickly, with Williamson hitting a triple in the third, and Ravitier later tying the game on an RBI single.
"I love these guys, we're a team, and we're playing team ball," Williamson said. "We're getting timely hitting, and we're just putting it in play, and making them make plays."
The left-hander allowed three hits the rest of the way, and only one runner reached third base, which came after a throwing error in the fifth inning.
Ravitier finished 2-for-2 with three RBI, while Garguilo scored two runs. For South Plainfield, Taylor Born and Aidan McDermott each finished with two hits.
Cranford clinched its second straight sectional championship and its third in four seasons. It will play Paramus in the Group 3 semifinals on Tuesday as Cranford continues its defense of the Group 3 title.
For a program in which postseason success has become a theme, Ravitier said the confidence each player has in each other has played a key role in this season's success.
"Being a part of this team is a blessing," Ravitier said. "It's such a tight group of guys. We're so close together, and we know we're going to get the job done every single time we go out there."

http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/2304148373713504233/south-plainfield-1-at-cranford-5-baseball/