Seton Hall Prep baseball team members gather after winning the Greater Newark Tournament title on Saturday, May 17.
VERONA, NJ — On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, May 17, the top-seeded Seton Hall Prep baseball team defeated No. 2 seed Livingston, 6-0, to capture its 20th Greater Newark Tournament title at Doc Goeltz Field in Verona. This is the 92nd GNT.
Senior right-hander Marcelo Harsch (5-0) was nearly untouchable against a very good Livingston lineup. He allowed just three singles over six innings with 11 strikeouts and two walks. Junior JJ Drennan pitched the seventh inning and allowed one hit with three strikeouts.
Following the game, Harsch said, “Every single game, there is always one thing I want to improve on. We still have goals to accomplish this season. We have got to come into each game playing with heart, intensity and focus, and we did that today.”
In the bottom of the first inning, senior Kaden Frei hit the first pitch to right-center field for a double. Senior Michael Bravette moved Frei to third on an infield groundout and senior Henry Ayers drove Frei home with an infield groundout.
Frei said, “It is an amazing opportunity to bat leadoff. We have some big bats behind me, so just setting the table for them to drive me in is a great feeling.” Frei was 3-for-4 with two runs scored on the afternoon.
In the second inning, senior Will Mahala took Adam Goldberg’s first pitch deep over the center-field fence to increase the Pirate lead to 2-0. Mahala said, “I was looking for a good pitch to hit and I got one on the first pitch and jumped on it.”
In the third inning, Frei led off with a bunt single, stole second, went to third on a single to left field by Bravette and scored on a sac fly to left field by Ayers. In the fourth inning, Mahala led off by topping an infield single down the third-base line, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a single to center field by senior William Garrett.
In the fifth inning, the Pirates closed out the scoring with two runs to make it 6-0. Garrett had another RBI single to center and junior Devin Aiken had a sac fly to left field.
Following the game, SHP head coach Mike Sheppard Jr. said, “The work ethic of this team and their willingness to put in the work to play better, smart baseball is what stands out for me. When the season started, we had a lot of guys that were rough around the edges and had a lot of things to work on. As the season moved along and the weather got warmer, it has energized our group. Today, I was really happy with our approach at the plate and it paid off.”
On Monday, May 12, at Porcello Field, the Pirates defeated West Essex, 11-1. JJ Drennan (6-0) pitched five innings, allowing no runs on one hit with five strikeouts and one walk. Sophomore Angel Salcedo threw the sixth inning, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout, one walk and one hit batter. Senior Santino Czarecki was 3-for-3 with five RBI, including a three-run double in the third inning.
Mahala was 3-for-3 with four runs scored, junior Jordan Burwell was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI, including a solo home run, and junior Daniel Comtois drove in two runs with a sac fly and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
On Thursday, May 15, also at Porcello Field, the Pirates defeated Montclair, 13-0.
Senior Roman Baldwin (4-0) threw four innings, allowing no runs on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Senior Chris Cerwinski threw the fifth inning and allowed one hit. At the plate, Aiken was 1-for-2 with three RBI, Czarecki was 1-for-2 with two RBI, and Drennan was 1-for-3 with two RBІ.
This week, the Pirates were scheduled to complete their Super Essex Conference–American Division schedule with a game at Columbia on Tuesday, May 20, after press time. The Pirates will host Ramapo on Thursday, May 22, and they will travel to Roxbury on Friday morning, May 23, for a game at 11.
Photos Courtesy of Seton Hall Prep
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