Things were looking up at the end of the regular season for the West Windsor-Plainsboro American Legion baseball team. The squad finished fourth in the Mercer County American Legion League with a 16-8 record, and, at end of the season, played seven games in five days due to rainouts — and won every one.
“It was a fun week of baseball,” manager Don Hutchinson said. “We have a talented team. When you’re playing every day like that, hitters get comfortable because they’re seeing live pitching every day. We had been pitching well and playing good defense, but as a team, we were not collectively hitting. It got contagious during that week. The offense really came alive.”
Hutchinson listed victories over Hamilton, Allentown, and Broad Street Park as season high points. WW-P edged out Allentown, which finished second in the league, and games like that became commonplace for the team. Half of its wins came by three runs or fewer.
That trend didn’t follow the team into the district tournament. WW-P lost, 3-2, to state powerhouse Brooklawn in the opening round and was eliminated in a 6-3 loss to Montgomery.
“We finished well,” Hutchinson said. “We almost got a really good victory over Brooklawn. I think the game against Montgomery was one we felt we should have won. [WW-P led 3-0 at the end of three innings.] We have pretty good memories of all of the years they played.”
Players like Chris Campbell, Ryan Dontas, Matt McCann, Kevin Schattin, Mark Sitek, Pat Boyle, and Paul Balestrieri have spent several years together, from little league to Babe Ruth to high school ball. “I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit,” Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson said the majority of this year’s squad will age out by the time next season starts. “The nucleus of this team will not be together next year,” he says. “They wanted one more season together. I’ve enjoyed their work ethic and camaraderie. Win or lose, this was a fun group of kids.”
#b#Laurels on the Links#/b#. It’s been a busy summer for Ryan Siegler, a 2012 High School North graduate. He earned a golf scholarship to Division I Towson University in Maryland, and he has certainly made the most of it. Siegler competed in 10 out of 12 total tournaments during his freshman year and qualified to play in the United States Golf Association Championship, the Amateur Public Links Championship, the Metropolitan Golf Association Championship, and the NJ Amateur Public Links Championship.
He recently won the NJSGA Amateur Public Links tournament by four strokes with a 140 36-hole total. He hit a hole-in-one in the first round.
He also recently competed in the USGA Amateur Public Links Championship in Virginia as one of the top two New Jersey golfers. He advanced after finishing second in a qualifier in Colts Neck. His competitors came from China, South Korea, Mexico, Venezuela, and Canada, as well as from across the United States. He missed the cut to match play by one stroke.
#b#Sports Shorts.#/b# High School South’s Sean Kelly, along with partner Kyle James of Princeton, earned a silver medal in the men’s Open Weight division at the 2013 Rowing Club National Championship.
High School South’s Saagar Chitale, Niall Clancey, and Ian Cunningham competed in the NJ State Triathalon Relay Event as the Pirates team. They came in third place with a time of 1:02:54. Chitale swam, Clancey biked, and Cunningham ran.
The West Windsor-Plainsboro 16-18-year-old Babe Ruth team captured the Southern New Jersey State Tournament title with a 16-6 win over Washington Township. The squad advances to the Mid-Atlantic Regional, held in Pine Forge, Pa. starting August 1. WW-P will play its first game against the Delaware champ.
The WW-P 15-year-old Babe Ruth team lost its opening game of the SNJBR tournament but defeated Millville, 4-3, in its second game. Patrick Tso drove in the tying run, while C.J. Markisz batted in Tso to win the game.
The WW-P 13-year-old team won its second game of the SNJBR tournament, 10-4, over Nottingham. Cole Millinger drove in three runs on three hits, and Blake Brown pitched four innings of relief.
