By Connor Hughes/For The Star-Ledger
Standing in left field with Jackson nursing a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, Joe Demaio played every possible scenario over in his mind. No matter what happened, if the ball came his way, he’d be prepared.
“I just wanted someone to hit me the ball so I could make a play,” Demaio said.
So when South Plainfield’s Kyle Dickerson swung and lifted one high to right field, Demaio knew exactly what to do.
The Jackson outfielder camped underneath it for one out, then fired home to catch a tagging Rob Eggert. The 7-2 double play secured a 2-0 Jackson victory in the Autism Awareness Challenge in North Brunswick.
“When it left the bat I ended up going back because I thought it was gonna be deeper than it was,” Demaio said. “I ended up having to run in on it. That gave me a running start when I let it go.”
The double play ended South Plainfield’s best chance for a run on the day. Throughout the majority of the contest, Jackson, No. 16 in The Star-Ledger 20, watched as starting pitcher Ryan Takacs took over.
Through 6 1/3 innings, the righty allowed three hits, walked two and struck out four.
“I was feeling it,” Takacs said. “I was a little around the strike zone, but I was getting the job done. Then I just lost it a little in the seventh."
Eggert led off the game’s final frame with a single before stealing second. Takacs then hit the next two batters to load the bases. The situation pulled coach Frank Malta out of the dugout for a pitching change.
Out came Takacs and in came Chris Hawryluk.
“Ryan really battled to get us to that point,” Malta said. “Bringing Chris in wasn’t something we anticipated in that situation. Chris is a sophomore and Ryan is a junior. We know those two can be very effective.”
Hawryluk threw just one pitch before Demaio’s double play.
“That last play was pretty nice,” Takacs said. “I thought it was actually going to drop, but (Demaio) came running in, he got momentum and he got the out.”
On the other side, South Plainfield starter Vincent Pellegrino matched Takacs in a pitching duel. The right-hander went the distance, allowing four hits, one earned run and no walks while striking out one.
A passed ball in the third and sacrifice fly in the seventh were the lone runs that came across under his watch.
“He did a great job on the mound,” Malta said. “They’re a very good team. It was a great test for us today. You can see with the way they all play the game they do a great job.”
It was Jackson's first year at the Autism Awareness Challenge. For the last seven years, teams across the state have come together to raise autism awareness. The tournament is run and organized by Colorado Rockies scout Mike Garlatti.
“I’ve known Mike for a while and I was very honored when he asked us to play,” Malta said. “To be able to explain to our guys what these games and showcases are all about is a great thing.
“Mike had a dinner for us and we got to bring a few kids up and they heard him speak and they got a little more respect when it comes to people dealing with autism.”
Eggert finished 2-for-3 for South Plainfield. Mike Petrizzo and Brandon Janofsky scored the lone runs for Jackson.
http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/3325451014080730658/south-plainfield-0-at-jackson-2-baseball/
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