Punch Out: With 15 Strikeouts, Union Catholic Advances in American Legion State Tournament

Behind the bat and pitching arm of right-hander Rey Lopez , the Union Catholic Senior American Legion baseball team defeated Caldwell 9-2, in a loser's bracket game to remain alive in the double-elimination District 1 Tournament. Lopez struck-out 12 batters and hit a two-run home run in the game, which took place Sunday morning at Overpeck Park in Leonia. 

Lopez retired the first 13 batters he faced before allowing a sharp single in the fifth inning. He struck out 12 while giving up three hits and no walks in six-and-one-third innings. He was relieved by shortstop Mike Ridge, who struck out three more Caldwell batters.

"He really mixed up his pitchers," Caldwell first baseman Tyler Condit said of Lopez. "He had a fastball. He had a changeup and also had a curveball. It was tough to get a read on him."

Caldwell right-hander Mike Jeffrey, who took the loss, allowed 10 hits, while striking out four and hitting a batter. Caldwell also struggled at the plate, striking out a total of 15 times as each batter was called out on strikes at least once. Seven of the strikeouts were looking.

"We had to be more aggressive," Caldwell coach Tom Lamont said.

Union Catholic combined for 13 hits overall. It also had least one base runner in each of the eight innings it came up to bat. 

The team pulled ahead of Caldwell in the third inning, when Nick Bonadies hit a two-run double, and a missed-catch by a Caldwell outfielder later allowed a third runner to score.

"I thought [the outfielder] should have caught that ball," Lamont said. "He shied away from the fence and the ball dropped in. You have to make that catch." The play was scored as an error.

Caldwell had a chance to get back in the game in the seventh. Eric Barsanti led-off with a single, advanced on a passed ball and scored on an infield overthrow on a groundball. Connor Smith doubled and catcher Matt Vitiello walked to load the bases. But Mike Aliotta popped out to the shortstop and Chris Kinsella grounded into a force play to end the inning.

Barsanti later hit an RBI double in the sixth to drive-in Mike LaTorraca, who had reached on an overthrow. But it ultimately was not enough, and Caldwell was eliminated from the tournament with the loss Sunday.

"We weren't really seeing the ball at the beginning of the game, but at the end we started to see it and started putting it into play," Barsanti said. "I was hoping to go farther in the tournament. As a team, we could have swung the bats better."

Union Catholic defeated its next opponent, Nutley, 14-11 Monday night. It will play Nutley again tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Overpeck Park.