The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 8

fie jpftlabeljrltra Jhtptrer south jersey sports 4 Wednesday, June 11, 1986 n.p By DON McKEE Shawnee wins, 6d5, to reach Group 4 final closed the door on the Bombers. "We've come back on teams the whole year," said Sayreville's Eric Chin. "We figured we had a chance. We came close, but we needed a break somewhere." SHAWNEE 6, SAYREVILLE Shawnee ab bi Sayreville ab hbi Curcio 3b 3 0 0 1 Garbowski cf 3 0 10' Meyer ss 4 2 2 0 Fisher ss 4 110 Myers lb 3 10 0 O'Connor 4 00 1 Urbanski 3 111 Frob lo 1b. 3 110 Ricci 3 12 1 Sullivan rf 3 10 0' Olson dh 3 0 10 Cook 1 0 0 0 Radichel cf 0 0 0 0 Chin 2b 3 10 1 Carng If 4 0 10 Macrski dh 4 112 Pike rf 3 10 0 Carlesimo If 0 0 0 0 Shinske 2b 3 0 2 1 Gluch'ski 3b 3 12 1' Coyle rf, cf 1 0 0 0 Fioretti 2 0 10' Total 28 6 9 4 Total 31 5 8 4, Shawnee 311 100 0 6.

Sayreville 300 110 0 5 Game-winning RBI Curcio. 2B Fisher. LOB Shawnee 9, Sayreville 8. SB Iv.eyer, Shinske, Maciorowski 2. Curcio, Meyer 2, By Kevin Tatum Inquirer Staff Writer HAMILTON TOWNSHIP As the season draws to a close and the games get bigger, the Shawnee High baseball team continues to find ways to win.

The Renegades (20-3), No. 2 in The Inquirer's South Jersey Top 10, scored a 6-5 win over Sayreville yesterday in a Group 4 state semifinal at Hamilton East. With the victory, Shawnee advanced into Saturday's 10:30 a.m. state final against Elizabeth (244-2) at Princeton University. Last year, Cherokee Shawnee's sister school defeated Elizabeth, 54, in the state final.

Only last Friday, the Renegades claimed their first South Jersey title with an 87 extra-inning win over Toms River South. "We made it to the South Jersey final last year, and we lost only three players from the team," Shawnee coach Brian Gibney said. "Those things give us composure. But we still have one more game to go." Sayreville (17-7) did not start its best pitcher, lefthander Chuck Fro-bosilo, who was rested after pitching the Bombers to the Central Jersey championship on Friday. Instead of the 9-1 Frobosilo, Shawnee went against righthander Matt Sullivan (3-5), who entered the game having lost his last four decisions.

Sullivan lasted only 2 innings, giving up five runs and five hits. "I had something to prove, but today I didn't do it," Sullivan said. "It was a big job, but I didn't get it done." Shawnee, which had nine hits off four Sayreville pitchers, got to Sullivan for three runs in the first inning two of them unearned. "We tried everyone just to keep within striking distance, and we did," Sayreville coach Steve Gozora said. "I figured we could hit them, and we did.

We just didn't hit the ball in the right places." Shawnee loaded the bases with none out in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Mike Curcio was caught trying to score on a passed ball, but Chris Urbanski singled home John Meyer (2 for 4, 2 runs scored). Winning pitcher Chuck Ricci (10-1) then reached on an error by Sayreville shortstop Ed Fisher, and two more runs were scored when Bombers left-fielder Tony Carlesimo also made an error on the play, with Ricci winding up at third. Sayreville, however, got three unearned runs off a shaky Ricci in the bottom of the inning. With Fisher on second and two out, Ricci walked a batter before two consecutive infield errors by the Renegades and a two-run single by designated hitter Ed Maciorowski tied the score, 3-3.

However, Ricci, who lasted only four innings when the Renegades knocked off Toms River South last week, was gritty in throwing a complete game yesterday. Ricci stranded eight Sayreville runners and set the Bombers down in order only in the second and sev enth innings. "My pitches weren't popping, but it seemed like I was concentrating better when they had runners on," Ricci said. "I would bear down better and keep the ball low. In the last inning, I felt strong.

Usually in the seventh inning, I have a lot left." Shawnee went up, 4-3, on Curcio's sacrifice fly in the second inning, and a bases-loaded walk and a RBI single by Ricci (2 for 3) in the next two innings opened the Renegades' lead to 6-3 by the middle of the fourth inning. Sayreville came back with single runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to close to 6-5. "We weren't concerned, because we have a good defense and felt we had enough runs to win," said Tim Myers, the Renegades slick-fielding first baseman. After allowing a lead-off single in the sixth inning, Ricci with the help of a baserunner's being called out after being hit by a batted ball to end the inning Shawnee nsiiw, wniBBimu. or uurcio.

uison. IP BB SO 3 8. BB SO 5 2 1 0 Ricci 10-1 Sayreville Sullivan 3-5 Cook Fioretti 7 IP 2 Vi 1 0 0 0 3 iS 7 VV I -S I TTi ASV it i-'-A-Ai-w-w -aj v. JiWVA A fM sv VW Special to The Inquirer MIKE PLUNKETT Gloucester Catholic's George Thorp beats the ball to home plate as Bishop Eustace catcher Tom Small tries to cover his base Gloucester Catholic knocks out Bishop Eustace Two strikes, and he's on Darrin Kotch says he likes to hit with two strikes. A guy who is batting over .500 in a season now 25 games long probably likes to hit all the time.

But the spectacular Florence senior says that being behind in the count makes him extra attentive. "I like hitting with two strikes against me," Kotch said yesterday. "That way I know I've got to put the bat on the ball, and that's all I try to do with two strikes. I usually try to hit to the opposite field, too." Kotch did all of those things yesterday, in addition to pitching brilliantly in relief, as he showed again why he is among the area's most valuable players this spring. After pitcher Mike Donahue put the nail in place, Kotch delivered the hammer, as Florence shut out New Brunswick, 2-0, in nine innings to advance to its second straight state Group 1 championship game.

Donahue pitched five shutout innings and Kotch threw four more scoreless innings in relief. New Brunswick's Paul Vigo was even tougher through the first eight. But when Vigo weakened, however slightly, it was Kotch who put away the win for the Flashes. Leadoff walk Vigo walked leadoff hitter Steve Hovart in the ninth. It was the burly righthander's first walk since the first inning, and he had struck out 10 in the interim.

But with Hovart on first, Kotch had a chance to win his own game, "I went up there to try to hit the first pitch, Kotch said. But when I got two strikes on me, I felt very confident. I like hitting with two strikes." Kotch had doubled to left in the sixth inning. Now he drove an even more wicked line drive over the shortstop's head. The ball was slicing sharply toward the left-field line and, after New Brunswick leftfielder Willie Weaver broke in a step toward the ball, he had no chance to make the play.

Kotch easily beat Weaver's throw to third and the Flashes finally led, 1-0. When Brian Stinglen lifted a long fly ball to center field, Kotch was able to tag up and score the second run of the inning. "I told Brian we needed a fly ball," said Florence coach Joe Frappolli, "and he said, 'It's With Kotch throwing darts in relief of Donahue, that two-run margin was secure. The Zebras (15-8) went in order in the bottom of the ninth and Kotch raised his record to 10-1 and earned a school record for victories in one season. State championship The win sends Florence (24-1), ranked No.

1 in South Jersey by The Inquirer, against Roselle Park on Saturday for the state Group 1 championship. Roselle Park (17-7-1) yesterday defeated New Milford, 6-2, in the North Jersey semifinal. Saturday's game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Princeton University's Strubing Field. Kotch, naturally, will get the start and the chance to win his second straight state championship game.

In fact, Frappolli originally had his ace lefthander penciled in to start yesterday's game, too, but decided to go with Donahue when he got to school. "He told me he was superstitious," Donahue said later. "He said he didn't want to break up the regular rotation." "Yeah," Frappolli said, laughing. "I was gonna go with Kotch, then I realized it would be the first time in the two years this team has been together that I'd have altered the pitching rotation. "So I told Mike at school yesterday morning that he was getting the call." Frappolli then offered a commercial for his number-two nitrher whn happens to have a pristine 8-0 record.

Two fine pitchers "Don't just write about Darrin," he told a group of writers. "We have two very fine pitchers." Donahue went five innings and gave New Brunswick only four hits while striking out two. But Kotch came in from left field to start the sixth inning, with the game still deadlocked, 0-0. "Coach Frappolli had said I would start," Kotch said. "Then he told me yesterday morning he'd go with Mike, and I'd come in if we needed a relief pitcher." Donahue had pitched very well, but Frappolli said he wanted the left-handed Kotch to face the top of New Brunswick's fast lineup.

"We were concerned about their speed," Frappolli said, "and a left-handed pitcher can freeze the runner. If we could have scored a run early, Mike would have stayed in. He didn't want to come out of the game, but by the sixth inning I figured one run would win iV" Darrin Kotch supplied it Box score in scoreboard. Frobosilo 2 Umpires Dan Regan, Dave Fifino. Len Brown, Jim Rochford.

Time 2:45. 3 teams lose bids for finals Pennsville, Deptford and Holy Spirit all came up short yesterday, losing semifinal games in their bids for berths in this weekend's NJSIAA state baseball finals at Princeton University. Pennsville, the South Jersey Group 2 champion, scored seven runs off highly regarded Mike Mahady of Manasquan. But Mahady held off the Eagles' late rally and pitched his team's 8-7 victory at Trenton State College. Manasquan (24-4) scored four runs in the top of the first inning off Pennsville's Lance Newsome (9-4) and built an 8-3 lead midway through the sixth inning with eight hits.

Newsome retired the first two batters in the opening inning but walked three in a row before an error let in one run. Manasquan's Jim Morgan singled in two runs and Doug Bohrer knocked in the fourth run with a double. A suicide-squeeze bunt by Bohrer scored Morgan with what proved to be the game-winning run in the sixth inning, which started with two walks and a sacrifice bunt. "When you go down by four to a real good team with a strong pitcher, it's difficult," said Pennsville coach Ed Rieger, "but we came Mahady (11-1), who was picked by the Chicago Cubs in last week's free-. agent draft, scattered six hits in a complete-game effort but faced trouble in the sixth when Pennsville (23-7), ranked No.

6 in South Jersey by The Inquirer, rallied for five runs. Doyne Friebel hit a three-run triple and Steve Humanick added an RBI single in the big inning for the Eagles, who also were helped by- Ed Rieger Jr. (2 for 4, two runs scored) and Pat Krough (2 for 3). Group 3. Deptford (17-8) also ran' into a hot pitcher in the state semifi- nals, managing just three hits against Freehold Township's Dan Donovan in an 8-0 shutout loss at Cherokee.

Donovan (11-2) fanned 10 hitters to boost his season total to 97 in 81 innings, and only John Cooper managed a base hit out of the infield against the junior righthander. "That pitcher was the best I've seen all year," said Deptford coach Bob Burrough. "He was fast, and he had a nice curve ball. He kept us off stride the whole game. Freehold's a super ball club.

They play good de-: fense, and they can hit. I think they have a good chance to win the state final on Saturday." Freehold (224), the Central Jersey winner, collected nine hits, including two each by Adam Lazarus, who lined a two-run single in the first inning, and Mike Dermer, who had an RBI single and a triple. Ken Banks (9-3) took the loss for the Spartans, who enjoyed their best baseball tournament performance in the school's 27-year history. Lp? hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, clinching Red Bank Catholic's 74 victory over Holy Spirit (12-7-1) in the South Jersey championship game at Central Regional. Spirit starter Tom Kessler gave up all seven runs before reliever E.

J. King held Red Bank (17-9-1) scoreless in the last two innings. The Caseys first three runs crossed the plate in the second inning when a bases-loaded, two-out fly ball to right field was dropped. "That's the first error John Cella has made this year," said Spirit's first-year coach, Chris Bell. "He's been so steady all season.

We used four umpires because it was such a big game, but we got a couple of tough breaks from them, and we didn't hit the ball too much." Jupinka, a .400 hitter who also pitched a complete game to improve his record to 9-3, hit a home run from his leadoff spot to give the Caseys a 7-2 advantage. Spirit, which has won two sectional titles in the last five years, closed the gap with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, including Jim Pontari's RBI single after a triple by Brian Smith. By Sam Carchidi Inquirer Staff Wriler When the NJSIAA baseball tournament rolls around each season, no school responds to pressure situations quite like Gloucester Catholic. You could look it up. The third-seeded Rams behind a courageous performance by senior catcher Kyle McKinney, Joe Falcone's four RBIs and the gritty pitching of sophomore John Kupsey yesterday scored an 8-2 victory over dazed Bishop Eustace Prep in the South Jersey Parochial final at Haddon Township High.

With 300 fans watching, Gloucester Catholic: Captured its fourth straight sectional championship. Advanced into Saturday's 1 p.m. Parochial state final against North Jersey champion Phillipsburg Catholic (14-8) at Princeton University. The Rams (23-7), No. 7 in The Inquir er boutn Jersey ratings, will be aiming for their third straight state title and seventh overall.

Knocked No. 3 Eustace out (24-5) of the tournament for the fourth straight season. It marked the second consecutive year that Eustace was top-seeded and defeated by the Rams in the sectional final. Unlike last season, however, Gloucester Catholic did not need any late-game rallies. This time, a three-run second inning highlighted by a two-run Olympic National race during each of the last two seasons, "but then when it comes down to the (Parochial championship game, something goes wrong." (Bob Wengert, the Eustace head coach, departed seconds after the game ended.

"He gets emotional and he took off," Galliera said. Wengert could not be reached last night for comment.) "Maybe," Galliera said, trying to grin and bear the loss, "we'll get 100 more students and go up to Parochial A and won't have to face them." The Gloucester Catholic mystique. It lives. GLOUC. CATH.

8. BISHOP EUSTACE 2 B. Eustace ab bi Gl. Catholic ab hbi Malloy 2b 4 0 0 0 Rivell ss 3 00 0 Falcone 2b 0 0 0 0 McKinney 10 10 Kupsey 110 1 Wolfe pr 1 0 0 0 Kaufman cf 0 00 0 Seccia lb 2 0 2 0 Thorp pr 3 0 11 Haines If 3 0 0 0 Powers rf 4 0 10 Doyle 3b 0 0 0 0 DiTullio dh 1 200 Marrone If Riley cf Bovino cf Budd ss Favieri rf Sealander pr Williams 1b Rydzewski rf Small Yus'chk cf, Valenzano 3b Rose dh 2 024 3 022 4 000 0 000 4 000 2 2 10 0 100 3 2 10 2 0 11 0 000 3 00 1 0 100 4 110 Allen pr Total 26 2 6 2 Total 24 8 7 8 Biahon Eustace 001 001 0 2 Gloucester Catholic 131 030 8 Game-winning RBI McKinney. 2B Seccia, Rose.

LOB Bishop Eustace 13. Gloucester Catholic 8. SB Seccia, Falcone, Yushchak, Budd. McKinney, Rivell, Williams, Malloy. DP Gloucester Catholic, Bishop Eustace.

SF Gloucester Catholic IP ER BB SO Kupsey 4-1 7 6 2 2 9 12 Riahnn F.ntai-a IP ER BB SO Favieri L. 11-3 3V4 5 5 5 7 4 Yushchak 2i 2 3 2 2 1-Umpires Greg Wade, Boyd Sands. Time 2:32. SECOND TEAM John Milward, Pitman Tom Bennett, St. James John Graham, Gloucester 1B Chris Carmolingo, Glassboro 2B Bill Lindoerfer, Pitman 38 Jim Martin, Schaiick SS Jim Falisi, Clayton OF Harry Bartley, Gloucester OF George Dobleman.

Gloucester OF Chris Pittelli. Schaiick Boys' tennis all-stars ALL-FRIENDS SCHOOLS LEAGUE FIRST TEAM SINGLES Chris Banovitz, Friends' Central Stephen Nagy, Friends Select Dan Klein. Friends' Central Dave Caoarrelli. Moorestown Friends FIRST TEAM DOUBLES Jordan Bernstein-Paul Grossmas, Fr. Central Burch Wilkes-Tom Kuchel, Westtown Malcolm Fleschner-Steve Eberhard, George HONORABLE MENTION Ken Levi, Germantown Friends: Kyle Richter, Friends' Central; Shawn Lipton, Westtown: Eric Sorlien, Westtown: Paul Freedman, Friends Select: Mansor Movaghar, Moorestown Friends; Rob Pineda, Moorestown Friends.

single by Falcone (2 for 2, two walks) and a run-scoring single by McKinney (2 for 3, two RBIs) helped send the Rams to Princeton. Falcone added a two-run single in the fifth. In the beginning of the week, McKinney, who gave the Rams the lead for good with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the first inning, wasn't even expected to play. He suffered a 20-stitch cut above his left eyelid after he was hit by a Jim Kennedy fastball in last Wednesday's 11-2 sectional semifinal win over St. Joseph's.

"I thought," McKinney said, "I was going to lose my eye." He spent three hours in Kessler Memorial Hospital in Hammonton. After being released, he sat out Saturday's 54 loss to Eustace in the Diamond Classic semifinals. On Monday afternoon, Gloucester Catholic coach Al Radano appeared to be leaning toward using Tom Di-Tullio in yesterday's title game. On Monday evening, however, McKinney had the 12 exterior stitches removed he still has an ugly scar and eight interior stitches and he was pronounced fit by his doctor. "I was playing no matter what even if I still had all the stitches in," said McKinney after raising his average from .482 to .489.

He said he would probably attend either Kentucky Wesleyan (which has offered him a partial scholarship) or Camden County College. "I had the gear on yesterday and it didn't bother me, Donahue p-lf Estalone pr FiUpatrick rf Ingham Reedcf Bradley Dh 4 0 10 Wsshing dh 0 0 0 0 Willard pr 4 0 10 Blount 3 00 0 Griffin lb 2 0 0 0 Keys rf 1 0 0 0 Weaver If 3 0 10 0 000 2 000 2 000 3 020 2 000 Tntal 31 2 7 2 Total 28 0 7 0 Florence 000 000 002 2 N. Brunswick 000 000 000 0 Game-winning RBI: Kotch. 2B: Kotch. 3B: Kotch.

LOB: NB 4. SB: A. Brown: Belnamis. Dengler: Donahue. DP: NB 1.

SF: Stinglen. Sec: Blount: Weaver. Florence IP ER BB SO Donahue 5 4 0 0 0 2 Kotch (W: 10-2) 4 3 0 0 0 2 N.Brunswick IP ER BB SO Vigo (U 7-4) 9 7 2 2 2 11 Umpires: Ron Kaufmann and Mike Migliore. Time: 2:01. Baseball schedule Saturday NJSIAA TOURNAMENT State Group 1 final Florenca.vs Roselle Park at Princeton University's String Field, 3:30 State Group 2 final Manasquan vs Jefferson at Princeton Universi so I knew I could play." With Gloucester Catholic holding a 4-0 lead, Eustace threatened in the third.

With one out, Steve Budd, losing pitcher Marc Favieri and Keith Williams (2 for 2, two walks) drew consecutive walks against Kupsey, a hard-throwing righthander. Sophomore rightfielder Steve Ryd-zewski then sliced the deficit to 4-1 with a run-scoring single to right. The bases remained loaded. But Kupsey who walked nine, but struck out 12 and allowed only six hits got out of the jam when he speared Tom Small's liner, then threw to first for an inning-ending double play. Kupsey also escaped a bases-loaded mess in the first inning on a two-out liner by Rydzewski to second baseman Falcone.

All told, Eustace stranded 13 runners. Eustace's pitchers walked nine batters five of whom scored. Of the nine batters Kupsey walked, only one scored. In other words, Kupsey was at his best in critical situations. Entering yesterday's game, Kupsey had pitched only 20 innings this season, but Radano went with the sophomore because "he's on a nice roll now.

And I didn't want to throw Paul Allamby because he pitched against them three times this year." "We seem to play them well during the season," said Eustace assistant coach Joe Galliera, whose team has edged out Gloucester Catholic in the ty's Clarke Field, 10:30 Stat Group 3 final Freehold Township vs Indian Hills at Princeton University's Clarke Field, 3:30 State Group 4 final Shawnee vs Elizabeth at Princeton University's Strubing Field. 10:30 State Parochial A final Red Bank Catholic vs Don Bosco Prep at Princeton University's Strubing Field, 1 State Parochial final Gloucester Catholic vs Phillipsburg Catholic at Princeton University's Clarke Field. 1 Baseball all-stars ALL-TRI-COUNTY CLASSIC FIRST TEAM Dennis Burlingsme. Kingsway Loyca Rice, Schalic Frank Mancini, Glassboro Gus Giovinazzi, St. James 18 Joe Shepley.

Gloucester 2B Paul Edwards. Glassboro 3B Frank Temean, Kingsway SS Tookie Johnson, Schatick OF Mark vVilgus. St. James OF Ray Kirschner, Gloucester OF Mark Graves. Glassboro DH Mike Flaherty.

Pitman SOUTH JERSEY SCOREBOARD Baseball results NJSIAA TOURNAMENT State Group 1 semifinals Florence 2. New Brunswick 0, 9 inns. Roselle Park 6. New Milford 2 State Group 2 semifinals Manasquan 8, Pennsville 7 Jefferson 3, River Dell 2 State Group 3 semifinals Freehold Township 8, Deptford 0 Indian Hills 6, Cranford 3 State Group 4 semifinal Shawnee 6, Sayreville 5 Elizabeth 1 1, Bavonne 1 South Jersey Parochial A final Red Bank Catholic 7. Holy Spirit 4 South Jersey Parochial final Gloucester Catholic 8.

Bishop Eustace 2 North Jersey Parochial A final Don Bosco Prep 9. St. Joseph's-Montvale 1 North Jersey Parochial final Phillipsburg Catholic 4, St. Anthony's 1 FLORENCE 2, NEW BRUNSWICK 0 Florence ab bi N. Bruns.

ab hbi Konnko 3b 4 0 0 0 A. Brown cf 4 0 2 0 Dengler3i 3 0 0 0 S. Brown ss 4 000 Hovart 2b 3 110 Belnamis 2b 4 0 10 Kotch If-p Stinalen lb 4 13 1 Vigo 4 0 10 3 0 11 Claudio 3b 0 0 0 0 AieinWfc MVsAl4M.