South Plainfield (4) at Cranford (2), NJSIAA Tournament, Final Round, North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 - Baseball
By
on May 29, 2015 9:28 PM
Richard Greco | For NJ Advance Media
CRANFORD -- There is something about playing with its back against the wall that brings the best out of South Plainfield.
After being held scoreless through the first six innings, the third-seeded Tigers rallied to score two runs in the top of the seventh to force extra innings and scored two more in the top of the eighth.
With two runs in hand, Jake Alba closed the door with a perfect bottom of the eighth to lead South Plainfield over top-seeded Cranford, 4-2, in the championship game of the NJSIAA/Star-Ledger/Parisi North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 tournament on Friday at Memorial Field.
South Plainfield advances to face Mount Olive, a 3-2 winner over River Dell in the the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 final, on Tuesday at Kean University in Union.
"We've always been that team that comes back late," Kyle Dickerson, who scored the game-winning run, said. "We are never out of the game. That's just been our team motto. It keeps us in the game. It keeps us knowing that we're always going to be in the game. It keeps us knowing that we're always going to be competing with the other team."
The Tigers' late rally started when catcher Chris Marrero walked to start the top of the seventh. A single from Dickerson, who finished the day one for three with two runs, advanced him to second base and he scored when Cranford error on a sacrifice bunt from L.J. Scarpitto, who had a hit, a run scored and two RBI.
Scarpitto was safe at first and Dickerson advanced to third, where a single from Bryan Gillen, who had two hits, allowed him to score to tie the game at 2-2.
It was Scarpitto and Dickerson again in the eighth that propelled South Plainfield. With two outs Dickerson walked, stole second and advance to third on a wild pitch to be singled home by Scarpitto. Following his teammates' footsteps, Scarpitto stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on a passed ball to put South Plainfield ahead, 4-2.
"It was frustrating for a little bit," Scarpitto said. "We just stayed even keeled. We know how we can play and we knew sooner or later we were going to get some runs."
A two run lead was all that Alba needed. He allowed one hit in four innings of work, striking out four in the process. The bottom of the eight was his with some help from shortstop Nick Polizzano, who recorded the first two outs on grounders and caught a pop up to solidify South Plainfield's sectional championship.
"In the bottom of the eighth inning, with that lead, there were some questions as if I was going to go back in," said Alba, who came in relief for stater Vincent Pellegrino in the fifth inning. "There was no doubt that I was going to go back in. I talked to both coaches and I think they knew that I wanted it as much as anybody else on this team."
Cranford got to work early on South Plainfield and jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Patrick Knight singled in Garrett Forrestal in the top of bottom of the first. The Cougars extended their lead to 2-0 when Mike Smith scored on a pass ball.
Chris Librera started for Cranford, allowing no earned runs on three hits and striking out four through 3 2/3 innings. Knight came on in relief and gave up four runs on three hits and five walks through 4 1/3. He struck out four.
http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-4444214407935872744/south-plainfield-4-at-cranford-2-njsiaa-tournament-final-round-north-jersey-section-2-group-3-baseball/
Baseball: Late rallies lead South Plainfield’s to first sectional title since 1975
Harry Frezza, @thefrez56
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/05/29/baseball-late-rallies-lead-south-plainfields-first-sectional-title-since/28186895/