The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 43

Tho Qi inrln H)arrrrA id uyj JUNE 7. 1d31 B-11 Hackensack 'TV vw "beatenQ 4-0 By Ron Fox Stat Writer WEST WINDSOR Paul Figueroa's emotions were understandable and his attitude laudible yesterday when he came off the bench cold as a pinch hitter for Hackensack in a State championship baseball game and the opposing pitcher working on a no-hitter that was five innings old. "Sure, I was nervous," the junior outfielder conceded, "but I just wanted to make contact. I was 1 J. 1 I i 4 i 'i vv vt Group 4 baseball The Comets seemed to have something going then as Tim Bajraktari's bunt was bobbled by first baseman Dario Perla and Visconti bunted both runners into scoring position.

But Lynch, who was continually ahead of the hitters, struck out Larry Reeves and got Rich Roman to hit back to the mound to end the threat Lynch (9-0) struck out 10, walked only three, and yielded just two hits. Of his 107 pitches, only 32 were out of the strike zone. The Comets countered with senior Joe VicenzotL who had Edison baffled for a while with a well-mixed variety of pitches and speeds. But his wild pickoff throw set up an Edison run in the third inning, and he gave up two more runs in the fourth when he was touched for two of the six hits he yielded. Singles by Ron Ugarte and Ken Racioppi, a walk, and a squeeze bunt by Hank Santos built the 3-0 lead.

Matt Shaffery, the final batter to face Vicen-zoti, tripled in the final run, the ball being misjudged in the heavy winds in left field The dogged determination of the Hackensack team showed in the sixth when Figueroa broke the spell with his single and Mike Curry doubled to left on an 0-2 pitch. That left two runners in scoring position with no one out One out later, Demkowicz flied to relatively deep center, but Seddon didn't send Figueroa home. "Not when you're down 4-0," the coach explained. "We didn't need one run that badly. We needed base runners." That was all he got as the inning ended without a score.

They didn't do much business on the basepaths, but the Comets showed Bashes of why they reached the State final: their adept bunting; a running catch into the outfield by shortstop Dewey Burleson, a throw by Demkowicz from right field to Burleson for a double play, the pitching of Vicenzoti and the relief of Bob Sanzari, who struck out three in 1 innings, and a scoop at first base by Roman. "We wanted to get into the County Tournament, and when we didn't make it," said Figueroa, "we decided we'd show people how good we were in the State tournament" That mission was carried out superbly, to the amazement of anyone who prematurely counted out Hackensack. gonna sit on his fastball, and then he threw me a curveball." Figueroa pulled the second pitch to left field for a single to break up unbeaten Joe Lynch's no-hitter and provide one of Hackensack's few high moments in a 4 0 Group 4 championship loss to Edison in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament None of the Comets used the cliche, "We were happy just to get to the championship game," but the phrase would have been fitting. Few expected Hackensack, a team with only one full-time regular back from a year ago, to get very far this season. Even coach Dave Seddon had been cautious.

"I figured I'd be happy if we played .500 ball," he said at the end of an 18-13 season that improved toward the end when the Comets smote a list of more revered powers from the Group 4 tournament. "I was up and down between varsity and JV last year and we had a 23-3 JV record," said cleanup hitter Gene Demkowicz, the Comets' batting champion with a .422 average. "I was confident we had the talent this year." Demkowicz was a thorn in Lynch's side early in the game when he kept fouling off pitches before walking on the 10th pitch made by the Edison righthander. Sophomore catcher Jim Visconti worked a walk in the fifth on nine pitches. "That's what our team is like," Demkowicz emphasized.

"We don't give up. We battle." Staff photo by Al Pagliono Arnold Santiago of Edison slides safely into second under the tag of Hackensack's Tim Bajraktari. Becton loses on one-hitter I to Lizzy Sellinger at first Becton threatened again in the final inning on Fitpatrick's leadoff hit, a solid shot up the middle. After a popup, Dar-io's grounder to Graham at short was booted and both runners were safe. But Sidotti fanned Sharon Fitzpatrick on a bad pitch, and Barra hit into a force play to end the game.

"That run in the first inning cost us," Maver said, "and offensively we didn't have it today. But we feel good about the season. We went this far on only three seniors, and it's the first time a Becton team has ever gotten this far in a State tournament" way, but then threw to second in an attempt to get Berkuta when she tried to get back to that base, and Glennon scored. Sidotti, a sophomore, baffled the Becton hitters through most the game with her low, inside pitch. She finished the game with eight strikeouts and four walks, and allowed just one hit to pitcher Colleen Fitzpatrick (21-3), in the seventh inning.

The Wildcats (22-3) had their first opportunity to score in the sixth when Barra reach on an error and Ranzinger walked on four pitches. Sidotti, however, got the next three batters to hit pop flies By Jill Barnes Correspondent WEST WINDSOR Long rides, little offensive punch, and mental mistakes ended Becton softball season on a sour note. The Wildcats got only one hit against Immaculata as the Somerville team won, 2-0. yesterday in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 1 final. "I don't know what happened to our hitting today." Becton coach Dot Maver said.

"Not to take away from their pitcher's fine performance, but we just couldn't get started in the early innings, and then it was too late. Maybe the drive was too much for some of our players." Three seniors on the Becton squad traveled two extra hours to make yesterday's game. Originally, they were to be flown by private plane from a senior outing at Staff photo by At Paglione Saddle Brook's Frank Mayo tags out a diving Matt Minch of Pennsville trying to score. 'rook bows, 5-0 Group 1 softball mm By Dave D'Alessandro Correspondent WEST WINDSOR The deck was stacked against them. After all, how do you prepare to play a team that is undefeated through 24 games, and has a run differential of 208 to 15, a team batting average of .403, and a pitcher with a 0.36 earned-run average and eight shutouts? "I really don't know," admitted Saddle Brook baseball coach Jeff Weiss, whose Falcons played nobly in losing a 5-0 decision yesterday to powerhouse Pennsville in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 2 championship game at Mercer County Park.

"We've played so much baseball in the last few weeks, so you have no time to think about the next opponent You just do the best you can. They were definitely the best we've Rocking Horse Ranch in Highlands, N.Y., but bad weather forced the flight to be cancelled: A teacher drove them to the high school, where they caught the chartered team bus to Mercer County Park. Spartan pitcher Janet Sidotti (17-3) took advantage of situation, getting the first three hitters in order, including seniors Lee-Ann Ranzinger and Sandy Rys on strikes. Immaculata's run in the bottom of the first proved to be the only one it needed, and it came as the result of physical and mental mistakes by Becton. Cathy Graham opened the inning with a infield single to short but Ranzinger overthrew first and Graham went to second.

After Graham stole third, Sidotti hit ST Group 2 baseball Bennett's performance overshadowed a strong effort by Saddle Brook right-hander Frank Testa, who had only one pitching appearance previously this season. Testa, who missed most of the season with both hepatitis and mononucleosis, had sparked a nine-game Falcon winning streak since his return with his play at several positions. reason enough for Weiss to give the senior the important assignment. He proved worthy, yielding only five hits and one earned run until the sixth inning. After stranding two runners in the first, Testa issued a walk and single to Nos.

8 and 9 batters Dave George and Shaun Sutton, respectively. Third baseman Mike Lloyd, who hit .482 for the season, followed with a single which produced the winning run. Testa also ran into trouble in the next inning. Walks to Bergh and Bennett and a single by Keith Muhs loaded the bases with one out The pitcher retired Bergh at home when Dave Cross hit a chopper back to the mound, but George smashed a two-hopper to third with two outs that Jim Wisse lined up, but then allowed the ball to go under his glove into Ieft field. It was the only Falcon error of the game, but it cost two runs.

"That error at third killed us," said Weiss. "That was the game right there." It was for one reason: Bennett got stronger as the game progressed. Right fielder Tom Baiunco became the second runner to reach second base in the fifth inning after reaching on an error and moving up on first baseman Joe Baker's hit the first for Saddle Brook. But he was left stranded, just like center fielder Fred Petrone, who walked and stole second in the third inning. Bennett struck out four of the last five batters he faced, and his teammates scored two more runs in the seventh on Lloyd's RBI-double in the left-center field gap and Matt Minch's run-scoring single to insure Pennsville's perfect season.

"Once you're in the States, you don't care about record," said Rieger. "It's harder everybody wants to knock you off Saddle Brook compared with others we faced. They played good defense I couldn't figure out their pitcher. The kids said his ball moved, and he was deceptive. He did a nice job." I 'f I' 'J i Ts x.

Box scores on Page B-12. a pop fly and reached base when first baseman Sharon Fitzpatrick and second baseman Nancy Barra let the ball drop between them. Betty Clifford followed with another infield hit deep in the hole to score Graham, giving Immaculata (23-5) a 1-0 edge. The Spartans scored their other run in the fourth on another Becton miscue. After two outs, Joann Glennon was awarded first when catcher Pat Turc-zynski was called for interference.

Fitzpatrick then walked Lori Berkuta, and Lori Ficocelli followed with a shot down the first-base line that bounced off the bag Berkuta kept running to third as the ball caromed into the outfield, not realizing Glennon was holding at third. Right fielder Lori Nangle ran the ball in part played this year, even though they didn't hit as well as we heard they could." But the 25-0 Eagles didn't have to, with ace right-hander and surprise starter Ron 'Boo Bennett on the mound. Bennett, a junior pitching with only one day's rest he one-hit Ridge Thursday in the State semifinal contest was superb. Mixing an excellent fastball with an offspeed breaking pitch, he held the Falcons hitless through 4 innings before completing his two-hit, 11-strikeout masterpiece, his 13th victory of the season. "Bennett was super," said Weiss, "and the best we've faced It didn't surprise me that he started.

When you have a guy who's 12-0, he probably pitches every other day anyway. They must have wanted it very badly." "I wasn't as nervous as in the Ridge game," said the 17-year-old Bennett, implying that the semifinal game was the one Pennsville looked toward for some time. "Lou Eagle catcher Bergh called most of the pitches. I went mostly with just a fastball and curve." "When Boo is on, he's so tough to hit," said Pennsville coach Ed Rieger. "He usually can just neutralize the bats of the other team.

He's a super athlete." Staff photo by Al Paglione Becton's Lee-Anne Ranzinger takes the worst of this collision as Immaculata's Lori Berkuta tries to get to second base..