WRAPPING UP 2010 SEASON
Ptaszynski, Coleman lead
Wharton's statistic parade
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WHARTON - Scott Ptaszynski was the hitting leader and Jonathan Coleman the pitching leader for the Wharton American Legion Post #91 baseball team this past summer.
Playing in the 20-team Morris County American Legion Senior Baseball League, Wharton finished in second place with 15-3-1 league record. Randolph won the regular-season title with a 17-2 mark. Wharton was 2-1 in the league's post-season playoffs and then split four district tournament post-season games to finish the 2010 season with a 19-6-1 record.
Ptaszynski either led or tied for the top spot in nine offensive categories, including sharing the team lead in batting average with Joe Casale. Ptaszynski hit .368 by going 25-for-68 and Casale got there by going 21-for-57.
Ptaszynski led the team in hits (25), RBIs (17), triples (2), runs scored (22), at-bats (68), and total bases (39). He tied Casale for the team lead in home runs (2), and was hit with a pitch four times, tying him with Justin Hartman and Chris Hendershot.
Casale led the team in doubles with seven with Willie Rzucidlo second with six. Casale was second to Ptaszynski in RBIs with 13 with Hendershot and Coleman each driving in 10 runs.
Chris Fleischman scored 19 times; Casale had 16 runs; and Rzucidlo scored 14. Casale and Rzucidlo were 2-3 in hits with Casale at 21 and Rzucidlo at 20. Rzucidlo was third in batting average at .322 (20-for-62) and Coleman was the only other Wharton hitter at .300 or better, finishing 15-for-50 for .300.
Hendershot drew a team-leading 11 walks; Mickey Weiks drew nine walks; and while Casale, Ptaszynski and Joe Moran each had eight. Weiks and Coleman each had two sacrifice flys and Fleischman led the team in sacrifices with six.
Fleischman was 9-for-9 in stolen bases; Ptaszynski was 8-for-9; and Weiks finished 6-for-6. Casale had the second-most total bases with 34 and Rzucidlo had 31.
Coleman was 8-1 pitching and led the team in innings pitched (58.2), games started (9), complete games (5), strikeouts (80), earned-run average (1.43) and shutouts (3).
Moran was 3-2 with a 2.19 ERA and struck out 38 in 44.2 innings. John McDonald was 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA and struck out 28 in 28.1 innings.
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Back-to-back losses KO Wharton from districts
WHARTON - Waldwick did something no other American Legion baseball team could do this season - it handed Wharton pitcher Jonathan Coleman a loss.
And Bobby Graber and Nick Macaione did something no other pitchers did this season, too - silence the Wharton bats with back-to-back one-hitters.
Waldwick and Graber stopped Wharton and Coleman, 10-0, in a seven-inning mercy-rule game in the District One losers bracket final on Wednesday, July 21, at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park to send Waldwick to the state tournament at Mercer County Park and send Wharton home.
On Tuesday, July 20, Macaione and North Warren handed Wharton its first loss of the tournament, a 14-2 mercy-rule game that was stopped by curfew with two outs to go to make it an official seven-inning game. Wharton graciously agreed to concede the game rather than to have North Warren, which went through the tournament unbeaten, make the trip from Blairstown the next day in order to make the two outs needed to finish the inning and make the game official.
Waldwick touched Coleman (8-1), working on three days rest after throwing 120 pitches in Wharton's 16-5 win over Union on Saturday, July 17, for nine runs (five earned) on nine hits in five innings. Coleman struck out five and walked five. John McDonald pitched the final two innings and allowed an earned run on two hits while striking out three and walking one.
Waldwick scored seven times in the top of the second inning in the losers bracket final. Coleman gave up a leadoff homer to center and walked the next two batters when an error on potential doubleplay grounder loaded the bases.
A two-run single and a two-run bloop double followed and then the next batter his another two-run homer to center to account for the sixth and seventh runs of the inning.
Coleman gave up unearned runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings before McDonald gave up the final run of the game in the seventh.
Mickey Weiks got the only hit off Graber, who struck out four and walked none.
In Tuesday's game, Wharton was met with a flurry of three-run homers as North Warren scored nine of its 14 runs on shots that cleared the fence.
North Warren scored three times in the second inning and put together back-to-back five-run innings in the third and fourth innings before could get on the board.
Nelson Jimenez, David Lummie and Starling Gonzalez did he pitching for Wharton and none of them could escape the North Warren bats that pounded out 12 hits.
Two walks and a three-run homer accounted for North Warren's second-inning runs; a double, two walks, two wild pitches a suicide squeeze and another three-run homer brought in North Warren's five third-inning runs; two more walks, a single, three errors and yet another three-run home run put five more runs on the board in the fourth inning.
Wharton scored its two runs in the fourth inning when Willie Rzucidlo led off with his team's only hit of the game - a single. Rzucidlo was forced at second by Chris Fleischman, Scott Ptaszynski walked and both Fleischman and Ptaszynski moved up a base on a balk. Fleischman scored Wharton's first run on a wild pitch and Ptaszynski came home with the second run on Macaione's second balk of the innings.
Macaione struck out 10 and walked but two.
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Wharton rips four HRs to beat Glen Rock, 12-8
WHARTON - Putting a little "long ball" into their attack, the Wharton American Legion hitters scored 12 runs on 12 hits - four of them home runs - to beat Glen Rock, 12-8, on Sunday, July 18, to remain in the winners bracket of the District One American Legion Senior Baseball Tournament being held at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park.
Jonathan Coleman, Justin Hartman, Willie Rzucidlo and Starling Gonzalez each hit solo home runs to account to lead off innings - Coleman and Hartman banging out back-to-back homers to open the third inning.
The four-homer output gives Wharton a two-day total of seven metal-bat home runs as Joe Casale, Chris Hendershot and Scott Ptaszynski each homered the day before in Wharton's 16-5 opening-day victory over Union Catholic.
In contrast, Wharton hit two home runs in the 19-game wood-bat season in the Morris-Sussex League - one each by Casale and Ptaszynski.
If Wharton beats North Warren in their 7 p.m. game on Tuesday, July 20, at Overpeck Park, Wharton will be one of the two District One teams to qualify for play in the upcoming regional tournament. A loss Tuesday, and Wharton will have to fight back through the losers bracket to nail down District One's second qualifying berth for the state regional tournament that will be held in West Windsor.
Wharton wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard, scoring five times in the first inning to take a lead it never lost.
Rzucidlo opened with a single and Casale and Ptaszynski drew walks to load the bases. Hendershot followed with a bouncer to second that was misplayed into an error that allowed Rzucidlo and Casale to score and sent Ptaszynski to third, from where he scored on Coleman's sac fly to deep left field to give Wharton a 3-0 lead.
Hartman followed with a double to send Henderson to third and both Hartman and Henderson came in to score when Kris Kallistros hit a two-out, two-run single.
Glen Rock scored two in the top of the second on a walk, an RBI double and a sac fly and then pulled to within 5-3 with a run in the second-inning on a walk, an RBI double with the runner taking third on the throw, and a sacrifice fly.
Wharton answered with back-to-back solo home runs by Coleman and Hartman. Coleman's blast sailed well over the wall at the 350-foot mark in center and Hartman's deep drive to right-center left the park at the 330-foot mark to give Wharton a 7-3 lead after three.
Glen Rock scored twice in each of the next two innings, getting two runs on three singles and an error in the fourth and adding a two-run homer in the fifth.
Wharton answered each inning with a two-run burst of its own.
Rzucidlo led off the fourth with a home run over the 320-foot sign in left and Coleman's RBI groundout drove in the second run after Wharton had loaded the bases on an error, a single by Ptaszynski and a walk to Hendershot.
In the fifth, Wharton restored its four-run lead when Gonzalez led off with a home run over the right-center wall and Rzucidlo walked and then raced around the bases to score when Casale's single got through the Glen Rock center fielder for an error.
Each team scored a run in the eighth with Glen Rock getting runners on first and third with one out and scoring on a 1-6-4 force at second when the ball deflected off winning pitcher John McDonald.
Wharton's final run came across when Casale singled, went to third on Ptaszynski's single, and scored on Coleman's second sacrifice fly and fourth RBI of the game.
McDonald (3-0-1) got the win in relief, working the last 4.1 innings and allowing but one run (earned) on five hits while striking out one and walking one. Joe Moran started and worked into the fifth when he was relieved by David Lummie, who got one out and walked three batters before McDonald was called in to pitch.
Rzucidlo finished 3-for-5 with his homer and three runs scored. Hartman, Casale and Ptaszynski each had two hits with Hartman going 2-for-5, with a homer, double and two runs scored; Casale finishing 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored; and Ptaszynski going 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored.
Coleman finished 1-for-3 with his homer, two sac flys and a run scored; Gonzalez was 1-for-1, homering in his lone at-bat; Kallistros was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored; and Hendershot had an RBI and a run scored in four at-bats.
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Wharton 3-HR attack backs Coleman's pitching
WHARTON - In the first inning, Wharton pitcher Jonathan Coleman was given a rude introduction to metal bats ... after that, however, the Union Catholic baseball team was introduced to Jonathan Coleman - make that the REAL Jonathan Coleman.
Coleman, who entered Saturday's (July 17) first-round game in the American Legion District One Baseball Tournament at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park with an 7-0 record and glittering 0.45 ERA in the wood bat Morris-Sussex league, was roughed up by Union Catholic's metal bats in the top of the first inning, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, a walk and an error.
With the Wharton bullpen starting to heat up, Coleman got out of the inning with an infield popup and a strikeout, leaving Wharton in a 4-0 hole before it had taken its first at-bats.
Coleman scattered six hits the rest of the way and, thanks to three Wharton home runs and an 11-run fourth inning, walked off the field with a 16-5 complete-game victory. He struck out seven, walked one, hit two batters and allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits.
The game, scheduled to go nine innings, was halted by the tournament's 10-run, seven-inning mercy rule after Union Catholic batted and did not score in the top of the seventh.
Wharton plays Glen Rock on Sunday, July 18, in a 3 p.m. second-round game at Overpeck Park.
Wharton (16-3-1) stranded two runners in the first and didn't get on the board until the third inning when Chris Fleischman reached on a two-out error and Joe Casale ripped a two-run homer that cleared the 330-foot sign on the fence in left-center.
Casale finished the game 4-for-5 with a homer, double, five RBIs and three runs scored to lead Wharton's 13-hit attack.
Wharton pulled to within a run in the fourth when Chris Hendershot led off the inning with a home run blast that went well over the 350-foot sign in center field. Wharton then loaded the bases with no outs when Justin Hartman walked, Mickey Weiks was hit with a pitch, and Chris Kallistros single, but Union Catholic got out of the inning on an infield pop fly and a doubleplay.
After Union Catholic made it 5-3 with a back-to-back two-out doubles in the top of the fifth, Wharton came roaring back with 11 runs on six hits - including a three-run homer by Stan Ptaszynski - and was aided by two walks, three balks and two Union Catholic errors.
Fleischman and Casale opened the big inning with back-to-back doubles and, after Ptaszynski was hit with a pitch and Hartman walked to load the bases, Weiks was also hit to force in Casale with the run that tied the score at 5-5.
Kallistros worked a base-loaded walk to drive in Ptaszynski with what proved to be the winning run; Brandon Ruiz reached on an error as Hartman scored; Fleischman singles to drive in Weiks; Casale singles in Kallistros and Ruiz comes around to score on an error on the play; and then Ptaszynski drills a home run to left-center to drive in Fleischman and Casale to give Wharton a 13-4 lead.
With the bases empty, Hendershot draws a walk and scores on three consecutive balks by the Union Catholic pitcher.
Union Catholic threatened in the top of the sixth when a single and a hit batter put runners on first and second with one out, but Wharton got out of the inning with a 1-6-3 double play with Coleman taking the comebacker and throwing to Ptaszynski at second and Kallistros digging Ptaszynski's low throw to first out of the dirt for the third out.
Wharton scored twice in the sixth when Ruiz walked, Willie Rzucidlo singled and, after both runners were moved up on a balk, Casale and Ptaszynski follow with back-to-back RBI singles.
Casale had plenty of help at the bat as Ptaszynski, Fleischman and Rzucidlo each finished with two hits. Ptaszynski was 2-for-3 with a homer, walk, four RBIs, two runs scored and was hit once; Fleischman was 2-for-5 with a double, RBI and three runs scored; and Rzucidlo finished 2-for-5 and scored a run.
Hendershot was 1-for-4 with his solo homer, a walk and two runs scored; Hartman was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored; Kallistros was 1-for-3 with a walk, RBI and run scored; Weiks was 0-for-1, was hit three times, drove in a run and scored a run; Ruiz had a walk, RBI and two runs scored in three at-bats.
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Coleman named to start District One opener
WHARTON - Rested and ready, the Wharton American Legion senior baseball team gets it first taste of 2010 District One Tournament competition on Saturday, July 17, when it plays a noon game against a Union Catholic at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park.
Wharton qualified for the districts with its second-place finish in the Morris-Sussex American Legion Baseball League, finishing the regular season with a record of 15-3-1 behind regular-season champ Randolph (17-2).
A three-peat as the league's playoff champions was derailed when Wharton lost a 4-2 decision to Denville in a semifinal game played at Wharton's Bill Lewis Field on Sunday, July 11. The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak.
Since that game, Wharton has worked out but not played, assuring that its five-man pitching staff will be well-rested for the district's eight-team, double-elimination type competition that opens Saturday.
And what a pitching staff it is!
Jonathan Coleman, Wharton coach Neal Healy's choice to pitch the district opener, is the leading pitcher on a team that boasts five hurlers who posted earned-run averages less than 1.60 in the Morris-Sussex wood bat league.
The pitching stats will be serverly tested, however, as the district tournament will use metal bats throughout its competition.
Coleman brings a record of 7-0 record with an ERA of 0.45 into the tournament. In 46.2 innings pitched, he gave up four runs (three earned) on 22 hits while striking out 68 and walking 16. He completed four of the seven games he started and finished with three shutouts and shared a fourth.
Joe Moran (3-2) has an ERA of 1.56 in 40.1 innings pitched. He gave up 16 runs (nine earned) on 31 hits while striking out 36 and walking 21. He started six games, completed three and shared the shutout with Coleman.
John McDonald (2-0-1) enters the districts with a 1.59 ERA in 22 innings pitched. He gave up seven runs (five earned) on 14 hits while striking out 24 and walking 11 and completed one of his three starts.
David Lummie (1-0) and Chris Kallistros (1-1) were used in relief. Lummie has an ERA of 0.58, giving up two runs (one earned) on seven hits while striking out three and walking two in 12 innings. Kallistros' ERA is 1.40, giving up five runs (two earned) and seven hits while striking out seven and walking three in 10 innings.
Wharton has impressive offensive stats as well as six of the team's top eight batters finished the regular season with batting averages better than .300.
Scott Ptaszynski hit .362 and led the team in runs (18), RBIs (13), triples (2) and stole eight bases in nine attempts.
Joe Casale hit .349 and shared the team lead doubles with six; Chris Hendershot hit .333 while drawing eight walks and getting hit with pitches four times; Coleman hit .325; Doug Juno hit .320; and Willie Rzucidlo hit .304, tied with Casale for the team lead in doubles with six, drew a team-leading 15 walks and stole five bases.
Just missing the .300 mark were Brandon Ruiz and Chris Fleischman. Ruiz hit .290 and Fleischman hit .273 with a team highs in runs scored (15), sacrifice bunts (6) and stolen bases (9-for-9).
While it's two-and-out in the District Two tournament, it is not a traditional double-elimination tournament as the teams do not play through to determine a district champ. The first team to reach 3-0 is declared the champion and the team that comes out of the losers bracket is declared the runnerup and both teams move on to regional competition.
If Wharton wins its Saturday game, it will play a 3 p.m winners bracket game on Sunday, July 18, in the next round. If Wharton loses Saturday, it plays a 9 a.m. losers bracket game on Sunday.
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Wharton loses playoff semifinal to Denville, 4-2
WHARTON - There will be no four-peat ... it won't be deja-vu all over again for Wharton in the Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League's post-season playoffs after Sunday's (July 11) 4-2 loss to Denville in a semifinal game played at Bill Lewis Field here.
Wharton lost a battle of five-hitters in its attempt to defend the playoff title it has won the past three seasons, including last year when it handed Randolph its only defeat of the season in the 2009 championship game.
It's on to the state district tournament now for Wharton (17-4-1), which will play its first game on Saturday, July 17, against an opponent and at a time and place that has yet to be determined.
Denville (15-7) moves on to the playoff championship game scheduled for Tuesday, July 13, at Veteran's Memorial Field in Denville where it will play the winner of the Roxbury-at-Mendham semifinal that is scheduled for Monday, July 12, at 5:30 p.m. Mendham beat regular-season champion Randolph, 5-2, at Randolph on Sunday in a quarterfinal that had been postponed from Saturday, July 10, because of wet grounds.
Denville took leads of 1-0 after two innings, 2-0 after four innings, and 4-0 after five innings before Wharton scored its two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Joe Casale led off the inning with a walk, Scott Ptaszynski singled and Chris Hendershot was hit with a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Denville starter and winner Brian MacDonald got two of his 10 strikeouts by fanning the next two batters but Justin Hartman hit a 1-2 pitch into center that falls in front of a charging Jake Moran to drive in Casale and Ptaszynski with Wharton's only two runs of the game.
Wharton threatened in its first at-bat when Chris Fleischman drew a one-out walk, Casale reached on an error, and Ptaszynski singled to load the bases. MacDonald got the next batter on a first-to-home force play and then retired the side on a bouncer to short.
Ptaszynski finished 2-for-3 with a run scored; Hartman was 1-for-3 with two RBIs; Willie Rzucidlo was 1-for-4; Chris Hendershot was 1-for-2 and was hit with a pitch; and Casale walked and scored a run in three trips.
Joe Moran started for Wharton and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits with one strikeout and one walk. Jonathan Coleman relieve Moran in the fifth and pitched no-hit ball the rest of the way, striking out five and walking one in 2.3 innings.
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Wharton 'tripled' its fun in 9-1 win over Sussex
WHARTON - Threes were wild at Bill Lewis Field here on Saturday, July 10, when Wharton beat Sussex, 9-1, in a quarterfinal-round game in the Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League post-season playoffs.
Three Wharton pitchers combined to hold Sussex to two hits ... Wharton scored all of its runs in three three-run innings ... three of Wharton's 12 hits were triples ... Jonathan Coleman finished with three hits ... Wharton made three errors.
The victory puts Wharton (17-3-1) into a semifinal round game against Denville (14-7) on Sunday, July 11, back at Bill Lewis Field here at 5:30 p.m.
In other quarterfinals played Saturday, Denville beat Pequannock, 5-0; Roxbury beat Parsippany, 3-0; and the Mendham-at-Randolph game was postponed due to a wet field and will be made up Sunday. The semifinals and championship game have also been pushed back a day with the semifinals now scheduled for Monday, July 11, and the championship game set for Tuesday, July 12, at sites and times to be determined.
Wharton wasted no time getting on the board as Willie Rzucidlo led off the first inning with a triple to deep center field and scored when Chris Fleischman followed with a sacrifice fly to right. Joe Casale singles but is forced at second when Scott Ptaszynski bounces to third. Ptaszynski scores when Chris Hendershot triples to deep right field and Henderson scores on the first of three singles by Coleman.
Wharton made it 6-0 in the second inning when Brandon Ruiz singled and scored on Rzucidlo's double off the fence in left-center. Fleischman walked and Casale reached on an error to load the bases and Rzucidlo scored when Ptaszynski once forces Casale at second. Fleischman scored the final run of the inning on the working end of a double steal with Ptaszynski taking second.
Sussex (12-9) scored its run in the top of the fifth inning on two singles and an error. With runners on first and third and no outs, a failed suicide-squeeze attempt resulted in the first out of the inning and, after a walk put runners on first and third again, starting and winning pitcher John McDonald (2-0-1) avoided further damage by getting the next two Sussex batters on a strikeout and a flyout.
Wharton put up its third three-spot of the game in the bottom of the sixth when Fleischman started the rally with the team's third triple of the day. Ptaszynski was hit with a pitch and Hendershot drew a walk to load the bases for Coleman, who got his third hit and second RBI of the game on a single.
Bryan Healy followed with an RBI single that brought in Ptaszynski and Joe Moran follows with a bases-loaded walk to force in Hendershot with Wharton's ninth and final run of the game.
McDonald worked the first five innings for the win, giving up one run (unearned) on two hits while striking out four and walking two. Moran pitched a hitless sixth inning with two strikeouts and Nelson Jimenez threw the last inning with no hits, two strikeouts and one walk.
Coleman finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Rzucidlo and Ruiz each had two hits with Rzucidlo going 2-for-3 with a a triple, double, walk, one RBI and a run scored and Ruiz going 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored.
Fleischman was 1-for-2 with a triple, sac fly, a walk, one RBI and two runs scored; Hendershot was 1-for-3 with a triple, walk, RBI and two runs scored; Moran was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI; Casale was 1-for-2; Healy went 1-for-1 with an RBI; and Ptaszynski had an RBI, scored twice and was hit with a pitch.
Notes: Wharton beat Denville, 2-0, in their June 20 regular-season meeting at Wharton as Coleman allowed but two hits and struck out 11 ... Jimenez made his first appearance of the season for Wharton, getting the OK to play after recovering from a knee injury that ... Healy's RBI single in the sixth was his first American Legion hit ...
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Coleman 5 no-hit innings put Wharton into quarters
WHARTON - Jonathan Coleman pitched five innings of no-hit ball and Joe Moran threw two innings of one-hit ball as Wharton stopped SugarLoaf, 9-0, in a first-round game in the Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League playoffs at Bill Lewis Field here on Thursday, July 8.
Wharton, the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, will play host to No. 7 seed Sussex in a 5:30 p.m. quarterfinal-round game scheduled for Saturday, July 10, at Bill Lewis Field. SugarLoaf, the No. 15 seed, finishes its season with a 7-12-1 record.
Coleman struck out nine and walked four and hit a batter and got out of two jams with strikeouts. SugarLoaf's leadoff hitter reached on a two-base error in the second inning and Coleman struck out the next three batters and, in the fourth, Coleman loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter with one out only to get the next two batters on strikeouts to end that threat.
SugarLoaf's only hit came off Moran when the leadoff hitter in the sixth inning hit a bloop to short right field that fell in between Wharton's right fielder, first baseman and second baseman. Moran finished with three strikeouts and one walk for his two innings of work.
Wharton had no trouble getting hits with Coleman leading 12-hit attack by finishing 3-for-3 with two RBIs, a walk and two runs scored. Joe Casale, Chris Fleischman and Chris Hendershot each had two hits.
Wharton, which scored five of its six at-bats, took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Coleman and Mickey Weiks singled and Coleman scored when Doug Juno reached on an error.
In the third, Fleischman walked and scored on Casale's homer to deep right and, after Scott Ptaszynski tripled, Coleman drove him in with a single for a 4-0 Wharton lead.
Hendershot singled in Wharton's fourth-inning run and John McDonald scored on a passed ball in the fifth to give Wharton a 6-0 lead.
Wharton wrapped up the scoring in the sixth inning when Hendershot singled and scored on a triple to left-center by Coleman. Starling Gonzalez grounded out to short to score Coleman and, after McDonald reached on an error, Willie Rzucidlo followed with an RBI double to end the scoring for the game.
Casale finished 2-for-3 with a homer, double, two RBIs and a run scored; Fleishchman was 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored; and Hendershot finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Rzucidlo was 1-for-4 with an RBI double and a walk; Ptaszynski was 1-for-3 with a triple, walk and two runs scored; Weiks finished 1-for-3; McDonald scored two runs; and Gonzalez had an RBI in his only at-bat.
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(For complete playoff scores and quarterfinal-round schedule, please visit the "Legion Baseball" page)
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Wharton beats Mo-Town to finish in 2nd place
WHARTON - A six-run third inning that led to a 9-2 victory over Morristown coupled with regular-season champ Randolph's 15-2 victory over Pequannock enabled Wharton to leap-frog over Pequannock and finish second in the Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League after the dust had cleared Monday, July 5, the final day of the regular season.
Wharton finished with a 15-3-1 record and 31 points to edge Pequannock (15-4, 30 points) and Mount Morris (14-3-2, 30 points) for second place and the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Morris-Sussex post-season playoff championship. Randolph finished with a 17-2 record and 34 points.
The playoffs for the 20-team league begin Wednesday, July 7, with four preliminary games - Newton at Mount Olive, Morristown at Flor-Mad, Milton at SugarLoaf, and Hopatcong at Lincoln Park - to put the tournament into a 16-team, single elimination format. First-round games are scheduled to start on Thursday, July 8, at the site of the better seeded team.
Wharton, the No. 2 seed, will open its bid for the tournament title by playing host to the winner of the Milton-SugarLoaf game at Bill Lewis Field in Wharton on Thursday, July 8, at 5:30 p.m.
Wharton used four pitchers against Morristown in Monday's game at Harry Shatel Field off Harter Road in Morristown.
Starter and winner David Lummie (1-0) working three scoreless innings while allowing three hits, striking out one and walking none. John McDonald threw two scoreless innings and gave up one hit and struck out two while walking none; Scott Ptaszynsk worked an inning and was touched for two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out two and walking none; and Justin Hartman pitched a scoreless and hitless seventh to finish.
Hartman opened Wharton's six-run third inning with a double and Willie Rzucidlo followed with a walk and Joe Casale reached on an error to load the bases. Mickey Weiks drove in Hartman with a sacrifice fly to center; Scott Ptaszynski's RBI single brought in Rzucidlo; and Jon Coleman was given an intentional walk to reload the bases.
Chris Henderson drew a walk to force in Casale for Wharton's third run of the inning; Joe Moran singles in Ptaszynski; and then Coleman and Hendershot score when Brandon Ruiz reaches on a two-base throwing error.
Wharton made it 8-0 in the fourth when Rzucidlo walked, Casale singled and, after both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Rzucidlo scored when Ptaszynski grounded out and Casale came in on another wild pitch.
The final Wharton run came in when Casale reached on an error, Chris Kallistros drew a walk and Hendershot followed with an RBI double to bring in Casale with the team's ninth run.
Morristown (3-16) scored its runs in the bottom of the sixth on a double, RBI single, stolen base and an error.
Morristown threatened in the third but Moran, playing right field, threw out a runner trying to score from second on a two-out single to right-center, hitting catcher Hartman with a one-hop throw that nailed the runner by five feet.
Hartman was 2-for-4 with a double and run scored to pace Wharton's six-hit attack. Hendershot finished 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs, two walks and a run scored; Ptaszynski was 1-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored; Casale was 1-for-5 and scored three times; Moran was 1-for-4 with an RBI; Rzucidlo was 0-for-2 but walked four times and scored twice; Weiks was 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly; and Coleman finished 0-for-1 with a run scored.
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Wharton moves into third place after forfeit win
WHARTON - A pre-game check by game officials discovered Hopatcong had ineligible players listed on their lineup card and Wharton was awarded a 7-0 forfeit victory in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game that had been scheduled for Saturday, July 3, at Bill Lewis Field in Wharton.
Wharton improves to 14-3-1 with the victory and moves ahead of Mount Morris (13-3-2) into third place in the league standings. Hopatcong finishes at 6-12-1.
Wharton could finish as high as second or as low as fourth depending on what happens on Monday, July 5, when Wharton faces Morristown in a 3 p.m. game at Harry Shatel Field off Harter Road in Morristown.
Randolph is in first place with a 16-2 record; Pequannock is second at 15-3; and Wharton and Mount Morris are 3-4 and complete the four teams that automatically qualify for the American Legion State Baseball Tournament.
Parsippany (12-6), Denville (11-7) and Sussex (11-7) are the teams alive for the fifth spot in the standings.
With the Morris-Sussex league fielding 20 teams, the league is allowed five state qualifiers. The fifth will be the team that wins the league?s post-season tournament and, if any of the top four teams win it, the team that finishes fifth in the regular season then becomes the fifth qualifier from the league.
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Moran 2-hits Lincoln Park to clinch at least 4th place
WHARTON - Wharton clinched at least a fourth-place finish in the Morris-Sussex American Senior Baseball League on Friday, July 2, when Joe Moran two-hit Lincoln Park, 5-0, in a game played at Boonton High School.
Wharton is 13-3-1 with 27 points with two regular-season games to go and has clinched fourth place in the league and could move up to third if Wharton if Wharton wins its final two games and Mount Morris (13-3-2) loses its finale.
Moran, who struck out six and walked two, was in trouble only twice in the game. He gave up a two-out double only to strike out the next batter in the first inning and he loaded the bases with two outs by giving up his only two walks of the game and a single for his second hit of the game in the sixth only to strike out the final batter of the game.
Wharton got all the runs Moran would need in a three-run second when Chris Hendershot and Jonathan Coleman singled to put runners on first and second with no outs.
Justin Hartman's sacrifice bunt attempt ended up in a force play at third, but Mickey Weiks followed with a single to bring in Coleman and Brandon Ruiz hits another single to bring in Hartman. With Weiks on third and Ruiz on first, Ruiz is thrown out trying to steal but Weiks scores on a delayed steal of home to give Wharton a 3-0 lead.
In the third inning, Coleman doubled, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Weiks.
Wharton closed out the scoring in the fifth when Scott Ptaszynski singled and scored on a double by Joe Casale.
Coleman, Casale and Hendershot each finished with two hits to spark Wharton's 10-hit attack. Coleman was 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored; Casale was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI; and Hendershot was 2-for-4.
Weiks was 1-for-1 with an RBI and a run scored; Ruiz finished 1-for-2 with an RBI; Ptaszynski was 1-for-3 with a run scored; Doug Juno was 1-for-2; Hartman was 0-for-1 with a run and was hit twice with pitches; and Willie Rzucidlo was 0-for-1 with three walks and two stolen bases.
Wharton has a noon game Saturday, July 3, against Hopatcong (6-11-1) at Bill Lewis Field in Wharton before finishing its regular-season schedule on Monday, July 5, with a 3 p.m. game against Morristown (3-15) at Harry Shatel Field off Harter Road in Morristown.
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Coleman, Kallistros combine on 4-hitter to beat Flor-Mad
WHARTON - Jonathan Coleman pitched five innings of three-hit ball to win his sixth game without a loss when Wharton beat Flor-Mad, 8-1, in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game played at Lurker Park in Hanover on Tuesday, June 30.
Coleman allowed no earned runs and struck out nine and walked none. Chris Kallistros came on to pitch the last two innings and he gave up no runs on one hit while striking out two and walking one.
Wharton remains in fourth place (through games of Tuesday, June 30) in the league with a 12-3-1 record and 25 points. Randolph (14-2) and Mount Morris (13-3-2) are tied for first place in points with 28 each, although Randolph has the edge with fewer games played. Pequannock (13-3, 26 points) is in third place while Denville (11-5), Parsippany (11-5) and Sussex (11-7) each have 22 points and are tied for fifth.
Wharton scored single runs in each of the first three innings as Chris Fleischman reached on an error, stole second and scored on Doug Juno's single in the first; Mickey Weiks doubled, stole third and came in on to score on an error on the play in the second; and, in the third inning, Scott Ptaszynski singled, stole second, took third on a groundout by Juno, and scored when Justin Hartman bounced out.
Wharton scored four times in the fourth inning to take a 7-1 lead.
Weiks singled, stole second and scored on Willie Rzucidlo's single. Fleischman was hit with a pitch and Ptaszynski reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Juno followed with a two-run single to bring in Rzucidlo and Fleischman and Ptaszynski scored the fourth and final run of the inning on a Flor-Mad throwing error.
Wharton closed out the scoring with a single run in the top of the fifth when Starling Gonzalez singled, Weiks was hit with a pitch, Chris Kallistros walked to load the bases, and Rzucidlo drew a walk to force in the run.
Juno and Weiks led Wharton's eight-hit attack as each players finished 2-for-3. Junior drove in three runs and stole two bases and Weiks scored two runs and also stole two bases.
Rzucidlo finished 1-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and a run scored; Brandon Ruiz was 1-for-2 with a stolen base; Ptaszynski finished 1-for-4 with two runs scored; Fleischman was hit with a pitch and scored twice in four appearances; and Hartman drove in a run.
Wharton is back in action on Friday, July 2, with a 6 p.m. game against Lincoln Park at Boonton High School. On Saturday, July 3, Wharton returns home to Bill Lewis Field in Wharton for a noon game against Hopatcong.
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Juno hit in 7th edges Sussex, 4-3
WHARTON - Doug Juno's walk-off infield hit drove in Willie Rzucidlo with the winning run as Wharton scored twice in its final at-bat for a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Sussex in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game played at Bill Lewis Field here on Tuesday, June 29.
Juno's RBI made a winner out of John McDonald (1-0-1), who scattered six hits and allowed three runs (all earned) in a complete-game seven-inning effort. McDonald struck out 11 and walked only two.
Wharton (11-3-1) was trailing 3-2 when Mickey Weiks led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single and Rzucidlo followed with a walk. Chris Fleischman's sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base and Scott Ptaszynski followed with a walk to load the bases.
Chris Hendershot worked another walk to force in Weiks with the tying run and then Juno beat out his infield hit to bring in Rzucidlo with the winning run.
With the regular season nearing completion, Wharton holds down third place in the 20-team league, five points (two for a win; one for a tie) behind league-leading Randolph (14-2). Mount Morris (12-3-2) is in second place; Pequannock (12-3) is now in third; and Denville (11-5) and Sussex (11-6) are tied in points for fifth place, although Denville has a game in hand.
Wharton took a 1-0 first-inning lead on back-to-back-to-back two-out singles by Ptaszynski, Hendershot and Jonathan Coleman.
Sussex tied the game with a run in the fourth on a double, sac bunt and a single. In the fifth, two doubles and a single produced two Sussex runs for a 3-1 lead.
Wharton got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Fleischman singled and scored on a triple by Ptaszynski.
Neither team scored in the sixth and McDonald held Sussex scoreless in the seventh to set up Wharton's seventh-inning comeback.
Wharton has three games in four days as it faces Flor-Mad on Wednesday, June 30, in a 7 p.m. game at Lurker Park in Hanover; plays Lincoln Park on Friday, July 2, in a 6 p.m. game at Boonton High School; and returns home to Bill Lewis Field for a noon game against Hopatcong on Saturday, July 3.
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Ptaszynski gets lone hit in 7-0 loss to Pequannock
WHARTON - Scott Ptaszynski's single sin the top of the sixth inning was the only hit of the night for Wharton in a 6-0 loss to Pequannock in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game played at Town Hall Field in Pequannock, on Sunday, June 27.
The game enabled Pequannock (11-3) to moved ahead of Wharton (10-3-1) by one point in the league's standings.
Pequannock, helped along by six Wharton errors that produced four unearned runs, scored single runs in the first and third innings and then put the game on ice with a four-run fourth inning that featured four of Pequannock's seven hits they got for the game.
Wharton had two runners on in each of three innings but could not score. Chris Hendershot walked and Chris Kallistros reached on an error with one out but Pequannock got out of the jam with an inning-ending double play.
In the fifth, Mickey Weiks was hit by a pitch with two outs and Starling Gonzalez drew a walk before Pequannock escaped further damage by getting the next batter to flyout.
In the sixth, Ptaszynski singled and Kallistros reached on an outfield error with two outs before the last Wharton batter popped up to second to end the game.
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Coleman three-hitter stops Randolph, 1-0
WHARTON - Wharton's Jonathan Coleman outdueled Randolph's Connor Kraud in a battle of three-hitters as Wharton edged Randolph, 1-0, in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game played at Bill Lewis Field here on Friday, June 25.
Wharton's victory - coupled with Denville's 4-0 victory over Mount Morris on Friday evening - puts the four teams within a point of each other at the top of the standings as the season enters its final stages.
Randolph (11-2) and Denville (11-4) are tied at the top, each with 22 points (two points for a win; one point for a tie). Wharton (10-2-1) and Mount Morris (10-3-1) each have 21 points. Pequannock (9-3) holds down the No. 5 spot with 18 points.
Coleman (5-0) struck seven and walked four in his seven-inning complete-game effort that put a stop to Randolph's 10-game hitting streak. Kraud struck out two, walked two and hit a batter.
Wharton scored the only run of the game and got two of its three hits in the bottom of the fifth inning when Chris Kallistros singled, went to third on a passed ball and, after John McDonald came in to pinch-run for Kallistros, Joe Moran (who had the third hit) then sacrificed McDonald to third and Joe Casale followed with a single to bring in McDonald with the winner.
Coleman had four big defensive plays behind him in registering his shutout. Shortstop Chris Fleischman twice threw out runners after going far to his right to field groundballs in the hole between short and third. Left fielder Casale ran down what looked to be a sure triple in the left-center gap. And Mickey Weiks, playing right field, made a quick recovery and catch of a hard single that took a bad hop and almost got past Weiks.
Wharton travels to Pequannock on Sunday, June 27, for a 1 p.m. game at Pequannock's Town Hall Field. Wharton returns home to Bill Lewis Field on Monday, June 28, for a 6 p.m. game against Hopatcong and then entertains Sussex in a 6 p.m. game on Tuesday, June 29, also at Bill Lewis Field.
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Wharton held to five hits in 6-2 loss to Mount Olive
WHARTON - Scoring its only two runs of the game in its final at-bat, Wharton lost a 6-2 decision to Mount Olive in a Morris-Sussex American League Senior Baseball League game played at Bill Lewis Field here on Monday, June 21.
Mount Olive (6-8) scored twice in its first at-bat and then added single runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings as the visitors out-hit Wharton, 8-5, to secure its victory.
Wharton (9-2-1) got two of its five hits in the final inning when Scott Ptaszynski walked, Chris Kallistros followed with a single; Justin Hartman forced Kallistros at second as Ptaszynski took third; Ptaszynski scored when Joe Moran bounced out to second; and Hartman came in to score on Mickey Weiks' single.
Kallistros (1-1) took the loss, going the first six innings and allowing five runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out five and walking two. Weiks threw the last inning, giving a run on two hits.
Ptaszysnki finished the game going 1-for-2 with a double, walk and a run scored; Weiks was 1-for-3 with an RBI; Chris Fleischman finished 1-for-3; Doug Juno and Kallistros were each 1-for-1 to complete the Wharton offense.
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Coleman's 3-hitter, Ptaszynski 3 RBIs stops Musconetcong
WHARTON - Jonathan Coleman pitched a complete-game three-hit shutout and Scott Ptaszynski drove in three runs when Wharton defeated Musconetcong, 11-0, in a Morris-Sussex Babe Ruth League Senior Baseball League game played at Lenape Valley High School on Sunday, June 20.
Coleman (4-0) struck out nine and walked none as Wharton improved to 9-1-1 for the season.
Wharton scored in every inning except the first, taking the lead for good with a single run in the top of the second when Justin Hartman was hit by a pitch and, after being replaced on the basepaths by courtesy runner Bryan Healy, Healy reached third on a two-base error and scored when Mickey Weiks' potential inning-ending ground out was booted.
In the third inning, Wharton made it 3-0 when Ptaszynski singled to right and took second when the right fielder bobbled the ball. Chris Hendershot followed with an RBI single; Hendershot took third on Hartman's single and then scored when John McDonald followed with the fourth single of the inning.
In the fourth, Willie Rzucidlo doubled and Chris Fleischman single to put runners on second and third. Joe Casale drove in Rzucidlo with a single and Fleischman scored when Ptaszynski grounded out for his first RBI of the game.
In the fifth inning, Hartman walked, stole second and third and came in to score when the catcher's throw went past the third baseman.
Ptaszynski doubled in Rzucidlo, who had walked, and Fleischman, who had singled, in the sixth and then scored himself when he stole third and the Musconetcong made another throwing error trying to catch him stealing.
Wharton closed out the scoring with two runs in the top of the seventh when McDonald singled and Weiks walked to open the inning and, after both runners moved up on a wild pitch, McDonald scored when Moran grounded out to second for the first out of the inning and Weiks scored when Rzucidlo also bounced out to second.
Wharton's next game is on Monday, June 21, against Mount Olive at Bill Lewis Field here at 6 p.m.
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Wharton now 8-1-1 as Moran 5-hits Franklin, 3-2
WHARTON - Wharton righthander Joe Moran worked out of a one-in, two-on, one-out jam in the final inning to hold off Franklin, 3-2, in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game played at Bill Lewis Field here on Saturday, June 19.
Moran took a two-hitter and a 3-1 lead into the top of the seventh inning when Mount Olive got a run on a single to center, an infield and a one-out single to right field that brought in a run and left runners on first and third with one out.
Moran (2-0) got the next two batters to bounce into forceouts to end the game. Moran allowed two runs (both earned) on five hits while striking out six and walking six as Wharton improved to 8-1-1 with the win.
Wharton took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the third when Chris Fleischman hit a two-out single, Joe Casale walked and, after pulling off a double steal, both runners scored when Scott Ptaszynski followed with a double.
Franklin reached Moran for a run in the top of the fourth when two walks and a single loaded the bases and the run came in on a sacrifice fly.
Wharton scored what proved to be the winning run in the fifth inning when Fleischman walked, stole second, took third on an infield out by Casale, and scored when Ptaszynski reached on an error.
Wharton was held to four hits with Ptaszynski finishing 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs; Fleischman was 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored and three stolen bases; Chris Hendershot was 1-for-2 with a walk. Casale was 0-1 with two walks and a run scored.
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Wharton held to one hit in 4-0 loss to Sparta
WHARTON - Joe Moran's line single to right to lead off the third inning was the only hit Wharton got in a 4-0 loss to Sparta in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game played at Bill Lewis Field here on Wednesday, June 16.
Wharton had two other baserunners - Joe Casale led off the second by reaching on an error and Casel drew a one-out walk in the seventh - in losing its first game of the season after seven wins and a tie.
Sparta took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on back-to-back doubles and two singles and then added two more runs in the fourth on three walks and a two-run single.
Starling Gonzalez (1-1) went the first four innings and took the loss. John McDonald pitched one-hit, scoreless ball over the last three innings for Wharton.
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Coleman, Ptaszynski spark unbeaen (7-0-1) Wharton
WHARTON - Jonathan Coleman pitched six innings of three-hit ball and Scott Ptaszynski hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBIs as Wharton Post 91 defeated Milton, 8-1, in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game at Legion Field in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, June 15.
The victory improved Wharton's unbeaten record to 7-0-1, the best record in the league with Mount Morris second at 6-1-1.
Coleman (3-0) struck allowed one run (earned) on three singles while striking out 10 and walking but two before Joe Moran came on in the bottom of the seventh to finish the game, allowing two hits but striking out two to keep Milton off the board.
Ptaszynski led Wharton's seven-hit attack by finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the fourth inning and a two-run homer in the fifth. Ptaszynski was also hit by a pitch and scored three times.
Wharton took a 2-0 lead in its first at-bat when Chris Fleischman walked, Joe Casale reached on an error and Justin Hartman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Chris Hendershot was also hit by a pitch to force across the first run and Chris Kallistros drove in what proved to be the winning run when he followed with a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Casale.
A single by Starling Gonzalez, a walk to Willie Rzucidlo, a passed ball and an error on Casale infield bouncer gave Wharton a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
Wharton added two runs in the fourth when Gonzalez walked, stole second and scored on a single by Ptaszynski. Ptaszynski was moved up a base by a sacrifice bunt by Fleischman and, after Ptaszynski stole third, Casale followed with an RBI single to give Wharton a 5-0 lead.
Brandon Ruiz walked and scored on Ptaszynski's home run to left in the top of the fifth inning.
Milton scored its only run bottom of the fifth without benefit of a base hit on a walk, stolen base, wild pitch and sacrifice fly.
Wharton closed out the scoring in the top of the seventh when Ptaszynski was it by a pitch, moved up a base when Fleischman was safe on an error, and scored when Chris McCormick followed with a single.
Henderson was 1-for-2 with an RBI and was hit twice; Casale finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored; Gonzalez was 1-for-1 with a walk, runs scored and two stolen bases; Hartman was 1-for-2 and was also hit by pitch; McCormick finished 1-for-2 with an RBI; and Kallistros was 0-for-2 with a sac fly.
Wharton faces Sparta at Bill Lewis Field in Wharton in a 6 p.m. game on Wednesday, June 16; plays host to Franklin at Bill Lewis Field on Saturday, June 19, at 4 p.m; and takes to the road the next day with a 1 p.m. game against Muscanetcong at Lenape Valley High School.
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Weiks, Lummie two-hit Newton, 2-1
WHARTON - Mickey Weiks and David Lummie combined on a two-hitter and Chris Hendershot and Doug Juno drove in the runs when unbeaten Wharton defeated Newton, 2-1, in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game played at Bill Lewis Field here on Thursday, June 10.
Weiks (1-0) went the first four innings and allowed one hit and no runs while striking out five, walking two and hitting two batters. Lummie finished and gave up a hit and a run (unearned) while striking out one, walking none and hitting one batter.
Wharton (6-0-1) scored both its runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Willie Rzucidlo doubled and took third on a groundout by Joe Casale. Hendershot followed with his infield bouncer and was safe when Rzucidlo beat the throw to the plate for the game's first run. Hendershot reached second and third on passed balls and scored when Juno grounded out for the second out of the inning.
Newton got its run in the top of the fifth on a two-base error and an RBI single.
Rzucidlo and Chris Fleischman got the only hits for Wharton.
Wharton is back in action on Sunday, June 13, with a 3 p.m. game against Sussex at Bill Lewis Field. Wharton is on the road against Milton at Legion Field in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, June 15, in a 6 p.m. game and then returns home on Wednesday, June 16, for a 6 p.m. game against Sparta at Bill Lewis Field.
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Moran 3-hitter, Gonzalez 4 RBI beat Sugar Loaf, 8-3
WHARTON - Joe Moran threw a three-hitter and Starling Gonzalez drove in four runs when the unbeaten Wharton American Legion Post 91 senior baseball team defeated Sugar Loaf, 8-3, in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game played on Brian Fleury Field at The Delbarton School in Morristown on Monday, June 7.
Moran struck gave up three runs (one unearned), struck out seven and walked five in his seven-inning complete-game effort.
Sugar Loaf got two runs (one unearned) in the first inning without getting a hit on a walk, fielder's choice, passed ball, sacrifice fly and an error - the only error of the game by both teams. Sugar Loaf got two of is three hits - a double and an RBI single - when it scored its last run of the game in the fourth inning.
Wharton (5-0-1) tied the game with a two-spot in the top of the second when Doug Juno doubled, Mickey Weiks walked and, after Bryan Healy went in as a courtesy runner for Juno, both runners moved up a base on a double steal. Brandon Ruiz followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in Healy and Weiks scored when Gonzalez grounded out for his first RBI of the game.
A five-run third-inning flurry put Wharton ahead for good. Joe Casale doubled, Chris Kallistros walked and Casale scored on a single by Juno. Ruiz followed with a walk to load the bases and Gonzalez cleared them with a double and scored when Chris McCormack followed with a single.
Wharton got its final run in the fifth inning when Gonzalez walked, stole second and scored on a single by Jonathan Coleman.
Casale and Juno each had two hits to lead Wharton's 10-hit attack. Casale was 2-for-2 with two doubles, two walks and two runs scored and Juno was 2-for-2 with a double, RBI and two runs scored.
Gonzalez finished the game 1-for-3 with a double, four RBIs, a walk and two runs scored; McCormack was 2-for-3 with an RBI; Coleman was 1-for-4 with an RBI; John McDonald was 1-for-1; Willie Rzucidlo was 1-for-4; Ruiz was 0-for-1 with an RBI, two walks and two runs scored; and Healy scored two runs.
Wharton's next two games will be at home at Bill Lewis Field - a Wednesday, June 9, game against Franklin at 6 p.m. and another 6 p.m. game on Thursday, June 10, against Newton.
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Coleman's 4-hit shutout hands Denville first loss
WHARTON - Jonathan Coleman pitched a complete-game, four-hitter when Wharton beat Denville, 2-0, in an early-season Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League battle of unbeatens played at Bill Lewis Field here on Sunday, June 6.
Wharton improved to 4-0-1 with the win while the loss was Denville's first in four games.
Coleman (2-0) struck out 11 and walked only one and was able to shut down the only two scoring threats he faced to preserve his shutout.
In the fourth inning, two of Denville's four singles and Wharton's only error of the game loaded the bases with one out, but Coleman got the next batter on force at the plate and struck out the next batter to end the inning.
In the seventh, Denville had runners on first and second with one out, but Coleman got out of that jam with a fly to left field before striking out the next batter to end the threat and the game.
Wharton scored once in the second inning when Joe Moran walked, took second on a groundout by Mickey Weiks and scored on a single by Brandon Ruiz.
In the sixth, Wharton made it 2-0 when Joe Casale doubled, Scott Ptaszynski was hit by a pitch and, after Moran sacrificed the runners up a base and Weiks followed with a walk to load the bases, Willie Rzucidlo singled to bring in Casale with the final run of the game.
Wharton got only five hits off two Denville pitchers with Rzucidlo going 2-for-3 with an RBI; Ruiz finishing 1-for-2 with an RBI; Casale going 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored; Chris Fleischman finishing 1-for-3; and Moran scoring a run, walking once and putting down a sacrifice bunt in one official at-bat.
Wharton is on the road Monday, June 7, for a 6 p.m. game against Sugar Loaf at Brian Fleury Field on the Delbarton School campus in Morristown. Wharton is back home at Bill Lewis Field on Wednesday, June 9, for a 6 p.m. game against Franklin and again on Thursday, June 10, for a 6 p.m. game against Newton.
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Gonzalez, Lummie combine to 4-hit Meneham, 4-1
WHARTON - Starling Gonzalez and David Lummie combined on a four-hitter when unbeaten Wharton defeated Mendham, 4-1, in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Senior Baseball League game played at Mendham High School on Friday, June 4.
Gonzalez (1-0) got the win, working the first four innings and allowing no runs on two hits while striking out four and walking two. Lummie got his first save of the season with three innings of one-run, two-hit ball with one strikeout and no walks.
Wharton (3-0-1) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Joe Casale doubled and Brandon Ruiz knocked him in with a single. Ruiz took second on Doug Juno's infield groundout and scored Wharton's second run of the inning when Chris Fleischma followed with a single.
Wharton scored its final two runs in the third inning when Scott Ptaszynski singled, stole second, went to third when Chris Kallistros reached on an error and scored when Joe Moran was safe on a fielder's choice. Moran got into scoring position by stealing second and Casale delivered him with a single.
Mendham scored its run in the bottom of the fifth when Lummie allowed his two hits - a single and an RBI double.
Casale and Ptaszynski each had two hits to lead Wharton's nine-hit attack. Casale finished 2-for-3 with his RBI double and a run scored and Ptaszynski was 2-for-4 with a run and two stolen bases.
Ruiz finished 1-for-3 with an RBI; Fleischman was 1-for-4 with an RBI; Justin Hartman was 1-for-3; Willie Rzucidlo was 1-for-1; Chris Kallistros was 1-for-4; and Moran finishe 0-for-2 but had an RBI, scored a run and stole a base.
Wharton will be home to unbeaten (3-0) Denville at Bill Lewis Field on Sunday, June 6. Game time is 4 p.m.
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Wharton late rallies, Kallistros' relief lead to 9-3 victory
WHARTON - Chris Kallistros pitched two innings of hitless relief - the same two innings his teammates scored seven runs - when the Wharton American Legion Post 91 senior baseball team defeated Parsippany, 9-3, in a Morris-Sussex American Legion Junior Baseball League game shortened to six innings by darkness at Robert Street Field here on Wednesday (June 2) evening.
Kallistros (1-0) relieved starter John McDonald in the fifth inning with Wharton trailing 3-2 and retired all six hitters he faced to pick up the win, Wharton's second against a tie in three games. Parsippany lost its first game in four outings.
Wharton, held to two runs and three hits through the first four innings, scored twice in the bottom of the fifth and then erupted for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning before darkness halted the game.
In the fifth, walks to Mickey Weiks and Justin Hartman and a single by Chris Fleischman loaded the bases and Kallistros followed with a two-run single that put Wharton ahead for good, 4-3.
In the next inning, a walk to Doug Juno, a single by Brandon Ruiz and an intentional walk to Jon Coleman loaded the bases for Wharton. Fleischman drove in a run with a single; Ruiz scored on a wild pitch; Hartman's single drove in Coleman; Joe Moran singles in Fleischman; and Starling Gonzalez followed with Wharton's fifth single of the inning to drive in the fifth run and give Wharton it's six-run margin of victory.
Wharton scored two runs in the first inning on when Coleman doubled, took third on when Fleischman sacrificed and was safe on an error, and scored on a wild pitch. Fleischman scored when Moran reached on a three-base error.
Parsippany took a 1-0 lead in the first without a hit as an error, walk, stolen base and RBI groundout accounted for the run. After Wharton went ahead 2-1 in its first at-bat, Parsippany tied the score on two singles and a balk in the top of the second and went ahead 3-2 in the top of the third on a single and a double - its last hits and runs of the game.
McDonald allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out five and walking two in his four innings of work.
Fleischman finished 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored to pace Wharton's 10-hit attack. Coleman was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored; Hartman was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored; Kallistros was 1-for-4 with two RBIs; Moran was 1-for-4 with an RBI; Ruiz finished 1-for-3 with a run; and Weiks and Junior each walked and scored a run to complete Wharton's offense.
Wharton is on the road for its next game, a 6 p.m. contest against Mendham at the Mendham High School field.
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Wharton, Mount Morris battle 8 innings to 1-1 tie
WHARTON - Joe Moran scattered seven hits over seven innings and John McDonald pitched a hitless eighth when Wharton and Mount Morris battled to a 1-1 tie in a Morris-Sussex Senior American Legion Baseball League game called by darkness at Rock Spring Park in Long Valley on Tuesday, June 1.
Mount Morris (1-0-1) scored its run in the first inning on a triple followed by a single and Wharton got its only run in the top of the sixth when Chris Fleischman was hit by a pitch, Scott Ptaszynski followed with a walk and, after both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Fleischman scored on another wild pitch.
Wharton (1-0-1) was held to six hits - all singles - as McDonald finished 2-for-3, Ptaszynski was 2-for-4, Brandoln Ruiz was 1-for-2 with a walk; and Chris McCormack finished 1-for-2.
Moran struck out six and walked four in his seven innings of work. McDonald didn't allow a hit and struck out one but got himself in trouble with three walks in his inning.
Wharton catcher Justin Hartman had quite a defensive game as he picked off one baserunner at first, caught two other trying to steal and made caught a pop-up sacrifice bunt attempt and turned it into a doubleplay by catching the Mount Morris runner off second base.
Wharton plays it next game at home against Parsippany on Wednesday, June 2, at Robert Morris Park at 6 p.m. Wharton is on the road on Friday, June 4, playing Mendham at Mendham High School in another 6 p.m. game.
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Coleman, Rzucidlo, Casale pace opening-day win
WHARTON - Jon Coleman scattered six hits and Willie Rzucidlo and Joe Casale drove in runs when the Wharton Post 91 Senior American Legion baseball team defeated Roxbury, 4-2, in the Morris-Sussex Senior American Legion Baseball League 2010 opener for both teams at Robert Street Field in Wharton on Saturday, May 29.
Coleman (1-0) struck out eight and walked two while allowing two runs (both earned) in the seven-inning, complete-game performance.
Roxbury took a brief 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the second but Wharton came right back with two of its own in its half of the second when Justin Hartman doubled, Scott Ptaszynsk singled and both eventually scored on wild pitchers.
Roxbury tied the score a 2-2 with a run in the top of the fifth but Wharton took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning when Joe Moran walked, Rzucidlo singled and Coleman drew a walk to load the bases. Moran the scored what proved to be the winning run when Casale followed with an infield goundout.
Wharton added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Brandon Ruiz reached on a two-out single; Moran drew a walked; and Rzuidilo followed with a double to drive in Ruiz.
Notes: Wharton's next game is scheduled for Tuesday, June 1, against Mount Morris at Rock Spring Park in Long Valley at 6 p.m. ... the team returns home to Robert Street Field in Wharton on Wednesday, June 2, for a 6 p.m. game against Parsippany ... on Friday, June 4, Wharton plays Mendham at the Mendham High School field at 6 p.m. ...
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2009 SEASON IN REVIEW
Wharton finishes at 19-5
after going 2-2 in District 2
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WHARTON - The Wharton American Legion Post 91 senior baseball team, fresh on the heels of its third straight Morris/Sussex playoff championship, went four games into the District 2 tournament before being eliminated in the double-elimination competition.
Wharton ends the season with a fine 19-5 overall record.
"The great thing about this team is the kids came to play each and every game," said assistant coach Dave Coleman after the team's final game, a 2-1 loss to South Brunswick at North Brunswick in the loser's semifinal. "You could never count them out of any game ... they never gave up."
A case in point was the team's last game, a game in which Wharon had runners in scoring position in four of the last five innings.
"We can't say we didn't have our chances," said assistant coach John Mirabella. "The kids kept battling ... we just couldn't pull the trigger at the right time."
In the end, three South Brunswick pitchers held Wharton to four hits and one unearned run in the game.
Wharton took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when James Castellano reached on a one-out error, was forced at second by Luke Mirabella and, after Mirabella moved up on two wild pitches, yet another wild pitch allowed Mirabella to score.
South Brunswick scored both of its runs in the second inning and the pitchers and defenses took over and the game was scoreless the rest of the way.
Wharton had its chances, though.
Justin Doniloski singled and Scott Ptaszynski walked to put two Wharton runners on base in the fifth; Mirabella doubled and Joe O'Connor was hit by a pitch in the sixth; Chris Hendershot led off the eighth with a pinchhit double and O'Connor followed with a single to center that was hit so hard Hendershot had no chance to score from second; and Doniloski was hit by a pitch in the ninth and stole second only to get stranded there as the game ended.
Joe Casale pitched well in defeat, allowing both runs on two hits while striking out three and walking six. Jonathan Coleman finished up and allowed one hit while striking out two and walking two in his two innings of work.
Earlier in the tournament, Wharton opened play by suffering a 14-2 loss at the hands of Waldwick of Bergen County at Linden Memorial Park on Saturday, July 18.
Wharton won its next two games, beating Union Catholic, 9-7, on Sunday, July 19; and clubbing Union, 13-3, on Monday, July 20, with both games played at New Brunswick.
In the tournament opener, Waldwick broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the top of the fourth and then added five in the fifth and three in the seventh for the mercy-rule victory.
Doniloski was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored and Mirabella was 1-for-3 with an RBI to highlight Wharton's seven-hit attack.
Wharton trailed Union Catholic 7-1 before scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth and adding five runs in the seventh to take a lead it never lost.
Casale had the big hit in the sixth - a two-run double - while Mirabella and O'Connor each singled in a run and Ptaszynsk scored on a wild pitch.
Mirabella got the win in relief of Coleman, pitching the final 4.1 innings and allowing one run on but one hit while striking out eight and giving up but one walk.
Wharton pounded out nine hits in its mercy-rule victory over Union.
O'Connor's two-run single was the big hit in a three-run first inning and Doniloski was hit by a pitch in the second and Mirabella followed with a home run for a 5-0 lead.
Mirabella went deep again in the fifth when his two-out grand slam was the big hit of a seven-run inning. Ptaszynski singled in the first run of the inning; Coleman drew a bases-loaded walk for the second, and O'Connor scored on an error before Mirabella cleared the bases with his second homer of the game.
Mirabella finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs and six RBIs.
Nelson Jimenez worked the first four innings for the win, striking out seven. Castellano finished up.
Wharton 3-peats as playoff champs
WHARTON - Stingy pitching and some opportunistic early-inning scoring led Wharton to its third straight Morris-Sussex Senior American-Legion Baseball League post-season playoff championship, a title that was nailed down with a 6-2 victory over previously-unbeaten Randolph at Freedom Park in Randolph Township on Tuesday, July 14.
The Wharton pitching staff of starters James Castellano, Joe Casale, Dawris Gonzalez and Ken Mirabella and reliever Jonathan Coleman allowed but six runs (four earned), 18 hits and only two walks in the four playoff games.
In the first three games, Wharton got out on top quickly by scoring single runs in the first inning.
It was more of the same only an inning later in the championship game as Wharton scored five times in the second inning and Mirabella threw six scoreless innings to hand regular-season champion Randolph its first loss in 20 games this season.
Randolph won the league title with a 16-0 record before winning its first three games of the playoffs to reach the title game. Runnerup Wharton finished 13-3 in the regular season.
The post-season 16-team single-elimination playoff bracket was then finalized when the 16th- and 17th-place teams held a play-in game.
Wharton, a team made up of players from Morris Hills and Dover High Schools, opened tournament play with a 4-1 victory over Mendham despite being held to only two hits. Wharton then beat Pequannock, 2-0, and then earned its place in the title game with a 5-3 semifinal victory over Musconetcong before beating Randolph to defend the county playoff title it has won the past two seasons.
How the games played out::
Wharton 6, Randolph 0 - In the championship game, Mirabella, Castellano and Coleman hit back-to-back-to-back doubles in the second inning to give Wharton a 2-0 lead over the regular-season champs.
After Justin Hartman bunted Coleman to third, Scott Ptaszynski followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in Coleman with the third run of the inning. Gonzalez and Justin Doniloski followed with walks and both scored when Randolph made two errors when Gonzalez and Doniloski pulled off a successful double-steal.
Wharton scored its final run in the in the third inning, when Joe O'Connor tripled and scored on Mirabella's groundout. Wharton, held to five hits, got its final hit in the fifth inning when Casale singled.
Mirabella got the win with six scoreless innings of two-hit ball, striking out six and walking only one. Coleman pitched the seventh to finish.
Manager Neal Healy had praise for his pitchers after the title game, pointing out his staff's control as being a big plus in winning the four playoff games.
"We were able to keep opponents off the bases and off the scoreboard for the most part," Healy said. "Our pitchers did a nice job of challenging the hitters.
"The entire team played at a high intensity throughout the tournament. Any time you beat a team from Randolph on their home field you've done something huge.
"It was a very good tournament for us."
Wharton 5, Musconetcong 3 - In the tournament semifinal, Gonzalez pitched six innings of three-hit ball, allowing all three Musconetcong runs (one earned) while striking out five and walking none. Coleman pitched a hitless seventh with one strikeout for the save.
Wharton scored in the first inning when leadoff hitter Gonzalez reached on and error, stole second and third, and scored on an RBI single by Casale.
In the fourth, Casale singled, stole second and scored on a single by Castellano. Castellano took second on the throw and scored when Hartman followed with a single.
In the fifth inning, Gonzalez singled and scored on a triple by Doniloski and Hartman scored Wharton's final run in the sixth when he singled and scored on a double by Ptaszynski.
Wharton 2, Pequannock 0 - Casale and Mirabella combined on a six-hit shutout and Mirabella and Hartman drove in both runs in Wharton's quarterfinal-round win over Pequannock.
Castellano singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Mirabella in the first inning and Chris Hendershot singled and scored on Hartman's triple in the second inning for the only two runs of the game.
Casale worked the first five innings, giving up five hits while striking out two and walking none, and Mirabella pitched the sixth and seven for the save, giving up but one hit while striking out four and walking none.
Wharton 4, Mendham 1 - Castellano threw a complete game four-hitter with 12 strikeouts and no walks as Wharton opened tournament play by beating Mendham.
Wharton scored its first three runs without benefit of a hit as Coleman drew a leadoff walk in the first inning, stole second and third and scored on an RBI groundout by Casale. O'Connor followed with another walk, stole second and third, and scored on a wild pitch to give Wharton a 2-0 lead after its first at-bat.
Coleman led off the third with another walk, stole second and third again, and scored on a groundout by Castellano.
Wharton scored its final run in the fifth when Casale reached on an error, stole second and scored on a single by Mickey Weiks.
