SP-F Baseball's Offense Works to Overcome Rut

Sometimes good teams hit a bump in the road. 

That could be the case for the Scotch Plains-Fanwood baseball squad at the moment.

After a 4-1 start included the lone loss coming in the bottom of the seventh, the Raiders begin the third full week of the season with a 7-4 record after dropping three of their last six.

It appeared that Scotch Plains was on its way to its second win in consecutive days Sunday against Essex County foe Bloomfield in the Roselle Park Dads Club Invitational at Roselle Park High School.

However, all it took was one bad inning for Scotch Plains to fall 6-4.

Bloomfield went 13 straight innings without scoring a run, going back to the final inning of a home game Thursday and including seven innings during a shutout loss on the road Friday.

The Bengals were then blanked the first five innings of Sunday's game against Roselle Park before they erased a 3-0 deficit with six runs in the bottom of the sixth and then hung on in the seventh to improve to 3-7.

After Friday's tough 4-3 loss at Union County Conference-Watchung Division arch rival Westfield, the Raiders did bounce back to win at Union City 4-1 Saturday in Hudson County.

Then against Bloomfield, Scotch Plains scored a run in the first and two more in the second for a quick 3-0 lead. Although they did not add to that advantage, the Raiders were still ahead 3-0 before Bloomfield scored all of its runs in the sixth.

Just like Friday against Westfield, Scotch Plains came back to score in the top of the seventh and managed to load the bases. This time the Raiders were limited to one run, with a fly ball to right field being the final out.

"We just can't get our kids to hit with consistency right now," Scotch Plains head coach Tom Baylock said.

Billed by many as having the most potent offense in Union County this season, lately Scotch Plains has struggled to produce the kind of offense it expects to generate on a game-in, game-out basis.

After winning at conference opponent Elizabeth 17-5 back on April 8 to go 4-1, the Raiders have been held to 26 runs in their next six games, which is an average of just 4.33. One of those games, last Sunday's 5-1 win over Dayton at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, went nine innings.

Scotch Plains scored 68 runs in its first five contests.

When asked if his team was in a funk offensively, Baylock said, "We are."

"We've got a lot of guys that are just struggling right now," the coach said.

Two of Scotch Plains' top hitters were held in check Sunday, with leadoff batter Joe D'Annunzio going 0-for-4, with two strikeouts, and No. 3 batter John Maxwell going 0-for-4, although he did reach on a fielder's choice and scored his team's first run.

"We should be hitting the ball and are capable of hitting the ball a lot better than this," Baylock said. "We're scoring three runs, four runs every day now. We just can't seem to get any rhythm. When we get two outs, then we get a couple of hits. We can't seem to string together three or four hits in a row and just get some runs."

Scotch Plains produced three runs on five hits after the first two innings against Bloomfield, but could not add a run on the scoreboard again until the seventh, with that production being too little, too late.

Bloomfield sophomore left hander Zeb Smith (2-1) pitched 6 and 2/3 innings for his second win of the season in three decisions. His first victory came in a 13-3 home triumph over perennial Essex County power Seton Hall Prep of West Orange on April 12.

He wasn't dominant – allowing 11 hits – but he did what he had to do to hold the Scotch Plains offense in check.

Scotch Plains senior second baseman Gary Binkiewicz was 3-for-4, with his first hit – an opposite field double to the left-center gap – driving in Maxwell.

Junior designated hitter Marcus Rivera was 3-for-4, with three singles and one RBI. D'Annunzio drove in his team's second run on a ground out to short.

"I thought he hung in there and did a good job," Baylock said. "After we went up on him, he did a real good job of keeping it close and we couldn't get anything going. They did a good job, didn't let anything bother them, waited for us to make a mistake and that's what we did."

Scotch Plains senior right hander Jordan Bayroff cruised through the first five innings, allowing only four baserunners and tossing just 57 pitches. Bloomfield was held to a walk in the first, a runner reaching on an infield error in the second, a single in the third and an infield single in the fourth, with the runner erased on a fine 5-4-3 double play.

Then Bloomfield's leadoff batter in the sixth - No. 9 batter Anthony Giaimo - reached base on an error and that got the Bengals going. Giaimo was awarded second after a wild throw, with courtesy runner Chris Goodwyn taking his place on the basepaths.

Leadoff batter Mike Carter then connected on an opposite field single to left to plate Goodwyn and finally put Bloomfield on the board at 3-1.

After Pat Bollotta walked on a 3-1 count, Jared Guglielmino smoked a triple to center and Joe Santora blasted a grounds rule double to left.

Suddenly Bloomfield was ahead for the first time at 4-3.

"The first batter should have been an out and then they started to get up in the dugout and the momentum started shifting," Baylock said. "He left a couple of pitches up. One pitch he hung was a curve, which was the go-ahead run." 

Another run scored on a sacrifice fly and then the sixth run came home on an RBI-single to center by Smith.

Bayroff (2-1) suffered his first loss in three decisions, allowing five runs – with four of them earned – on five hits, while striking out five and walking two.

He had an off-speed pitch that worked quite well the first five innings, with his curveball responsible for many of his strikeouts.

"We made some mistakes and threw the ball around and gave them some runs, also, doing the same thing we did against Westfield in the seventh inning," Baylock said.

NOTES: Scotch Plains' schedule this week starts with a non-conference game at Somerset County foe Franklin Monday at 4 p.m.

The Raiders are then scheduled to host Roselle Tuesday at 4 p.m. and then face conference rival Union at home Thursday at 4 p.m.

Scotch Plains is scheduled to play at Johnson next Saturday at noon.

Last year on the Saturday of the weekend, Scotch Plains defeated Bridgewater-Raritan 5-1 in the first Dads Club Invitational.

BR lost to Morristown 6-4 in Sunday's first of four Dads Club Invitational games to wrap the weekend.

Baylock, a 1992 Roselle Park graduate, appreciates the efforts put forth by the Dads Club in order to generate revenue.

"I grew up here and we're here to help the Dads Club any way that we can," he said. "They did a lot for me when I was growing up. It's a fun place, a fun game, there's good teams always playing in it, so I hope it's something they continue to do." 

AT-BAT OF THE GAME: With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Bloomfield was finally getting to Scotch Plains starter Jordan Bayroff, who only allowed four baserunners in five shutout, two-hit innings prior. With Jared Guglielmino on third after he tripled in Mike Carter and Pat Bollotta to tie the game, stepping up to the plate was Bloomfield senior co-captain and cleanup batter Joe Santora. The righty-swinging hitter was previously 1-for-2 against Bayroff, grounding out to third in the first and earning an infield single in the fourth. This time, on the first pitch he saw, Santora crushed a shot to left field that went for a grounds rule double. His second hit and the contest's game-winning hit drove in Guglielmino and gave Bloomfield its first lead and the lead for good at 4-3.

DEFENSIVE PLAY OF THE GAME: Scotch Plains starter Jordan Bayroff had a low pitch count because of his effectiveness on the mound and also because of his defense behind him. Although Raider senior third baseman Brian Dempsey probably wished he had a couple of throws back that he made to first, he did come up with a fielding gem to end the fourth. With a runner on first and one out, Bloomfield No. 5 batter Lou Orangeo hit a short, one-bounce shot to the right of Dempsey at third that he snared with his glove without having to really move at all. After his quick reflexes paid off, Dempsey threw a strike to second base for the force there, with Scotch Plains going on to make the 5-4-3 double play. That fine effort helped the Raiders keep their 3-0 lead going into the top of the fifth.

ROSELLE PARK DADS CLUB INVITATIONAL GAME

SCOTCH PLAINS (7-4)                  1   2   0     0   0   0     1 – 4  11  3

BLOOMFIELD (3-7)                       0   0   0     0   0   6     x – 6     6   2

Left on base: Scotch Plains – 10. Bloomfield – 4.

SCOTCH PLAINS STARTING PITCHER:

Jordan Bayroff, senior right hander, (2-1)

5 innings plus 5 batters: 68 pitches (43 strikes, 25 balls), 5 runs (4 earned), 5 hits (3 singles, 1 triple, 1 double), 5 strikeouts (3 swinging, 2 looking), 2 walks (both on 3-1 counts)

He retired the side in order in the fifth on nine pitches. He faced only three batters in the third, fourth and fifth innings. He allowed only four baserunners in the first five innings. Five ground ball outs. Two fly ball outs. Scotch Plains executed a 5-4-3 double play to end the fourth.

Catcher Lou Mazzella threw out a runner trying to steal second in the third.

Pitch count: 1-17. 2-14. 3-12. 4-5. 5-9. 6-11. Total: 68.

SCOTCH PLAINS RELIEF PITCHER:

Mike Ridge, senior right hander

1 inning: 28 pitches (18 strikes, 10 balls), 1 run (earned), 1 hit (single), 1 strikeout (looking), 1 walk (on a full count), 1 hit batter

Pitch count: 6-28. Total: 28.

BLOOMFIELD STARTING PITCHER:

Zeb Smith, sophomore left hander, (2-1)

6 and 2/3 innings: 117 pitches (75 strikes, 42 balls), 3 runs (all earned), 11 hits (7 singles, one of them an infield single, and 4 doubles), 2 strikeouts (2 swinging, 2 looking), 4 walks (one on a full count)

He picked off a runner in the fifth, which was the only inning he faced three batters. Six ground ball outs. Five fly ball outs.

Pitch count: 1-20. 2-16. 3-20. 4-15. 5-11. 6-11. 7-24. Total: 117.

BLOOMFIELD RELIEF PITCHER:

Chris Goodwyn, senior left hander

1/3 inning: 7 pitches (3 strikes, 4 balls), 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 strikeouts, 0 walks.

Goodwyn threw two balls to the first batter he faced, with that batter walking on four pitches, with the walk charged to Smith. Goodwyn then retired the next batter on a fly ball to right to end the game.

Pitch count: 7-7. Total: 7.

SCOTCH PLAINS LINEUP vs. Bloomfield:

7-Joe D'Annunzio, senior left fielder: 0-for-4

42-Marcus Rivera, junior designated hitter: 3-for-4, opposite field single to right in first, opposite field RBI-single off second baseman's glove in second, opposite field bloop single to right in fourth

22-Jordan Bayroff, senior starting pitcher: did not bat

33-John Maxwell, senior first baseman (bats lefty): 0-for-4, 1 run reached on 4-6 fielder's choice in first and scored

44-Mike Ridge, senior shortstop: 2-for-3, 1 run infield single off pitcher's glove in first, walked in fifth, singled to center in seventh and scored

40-Gary Binkiewicz, senior second baseman (bats lefty): 3-for-4 opposite field RBI-double to left-center gap in first, singled to right in fifth, singled to right in seventh

11-Ricky Shevlin, senior center fielder: 1-for-4, opposite field double to right-center gap in third, reached on 5-4 fielder's choice in seventh

34-Louis Mazzella, senior catcher: 1-for-3, led off second with double to left and scored, walked in third, reached on infield error in seventh

3-Jeff Sirdashney, senior courtesy runner: 1 run, ran for Mazzella in second and third innings

5-Brian Dempsey, senior third baseman: 0-for-2, 1 run, walked on four pitches and scored in second, walked on four pitches in seventh

25-Connor Thompson junior right fielder: 1-for-3, sacrifice bunt 2-3 in second, doubled to left in sixth 

BLOOMFIELD LINEUP vs. Scotch Plains:

5-Mike Carter, freshman right fielder (bats lefty): 2-for-4, 1 run, singled to center in third, opposite field RBI-single to left in seventh and scored

4-Pat Bollotta, senior center fielder: 0-for-1, 1 run, walked and stole second in first, walked and scored in sixth

3-Jared Guglielmino, sophomore second baseman (bats lefty): 1-for-3, 1 run, 2-run line drive triple past center fielder in sixth and scored

13-Joe Santora, senior first baseman: 2-for-3, 1 run infield single to second base in fourth, RBI-grounds rule double to left in sixth and scored

11-Lou Orangeo, senior third baseman: 0-for-3

21-John Espada, senior shortstop: 0-for-2, walked in sixth

7-Cavan Penberthy, junior left fielder: 0-for-3, 1 run, reached on infield error in second, reached on 5-4 fielder's choice in sixth and scored

6-Zeb Smith, sophomore starting pitcher: 1-for-3, RBI-single to center in sixth

22-Anthony Giaimo, sophomore catcher: 0-for-2, reached on infield error and scored in sixth, hit by pitch in sixth

1-Chris Goodwyn, senior courtesy runner-relief pitcher: 1 run, ran for Giaimo in sixth

9-Andrew Coco, courtesy runner: Ran for Giaimo after Giaimo's second time up when he was hit by a pitch.