A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Thursday, June 1, 2017 Page 13 Area stores that carry The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES Westfield Tobacco & News 7-11 of Westfield 7-11 of Mountainside Westfield Mini Mart Kwick Mart Food Store Mountain Deli 108 Elm St. (Leader) 1200 South Ave., W. (Leader/Times) 921 Mountain Ave. (Leader) 301 South Ave., W. (Leader) 190 South Ave. (Times) 2385 Mountain Ave. (Times) 7-11 of Garwood Shoprite Supermarket King's Supermarket Baron's Drug Store Scotch Hills Pharmacy Wallis Stationery Krauszer's 309 North Ave. (Leader) 563 North Ave. (Leader) 300 South Ave. (Leader) 243 E. Broad St. (Leader) 1819 East 2nd St. (Times) 441 Park Ave. (Leader/Times) 727 Central Ave. (Leader) Millburn Blanks Raiders, 5-0, In Sectional Quarterfinals By ALEX LOWE appeared he would get away un- areas of grass for balls to drop in. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times scathed. Millburn’s Jared Nemet had They are a really good team. They Connor Lally fired a two-hit gem in other ideas. Nemet lashed a deep fly don’t give you any opportunities with leading Millburn to a 5-0 shutout of ball over leftfielder Patrick Downey’s bad plays in the field either. You have Scotch Plains-Fanwood in a North head that scored two runs. Because of to make the plays against them and Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 quarterfinal the lack of fences at Millburn it is hard earn your runs.” round playoff game played in Millburn to say how far Namet’s rocket trav- Millburn padded the lead to 5-0 in on May 26. Lally, a senior, struck out eled but it almost certainly would the bottom of the fifth. Lally drove a three batters and gave up just one have been a home run in most parks. run home on a fielder’s choice and walk and two hits in befuddling the “I wanted a good pitch from him,” Ben Pampush got a run across when Raider batters throughout the course said Namet of the powerful triple. “I he was hit by a pitch with the bases of the game. So commanding was wasn’t going to swing at anything that loaded. Lally’s performance that Scotch was breaking out of the strike zone. I Really though, it was all about Plains-Fanwood (17-10) could not got a fastball and I knew when I hit it Lally’s performance on the mound advance a runner past second base the that I’d gotten all of it.” and the Raiders’ inability to touch entire game. Namet would be a thorn in the him throughout the game. Scotch “I did not have my best stuff in my Raider sides all game. Namet doubled Plains-Fanwood could only muster previous outing,” said Lally. “I gave home the Millers’ third run of the two hits on the game and hit into a pair Alex Lowe for The Westfield Leader and The Times up a lot of walks in that one but today game in the fourth inning. Again of 6-4-3 double plays. They went ONE FINAL LAP...The Westfield Blue Devil seniors take a final lap after the North Jersey, Group 4 semifinal game with I had my fastball working and I was Wilkinson was victimized by another down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to the top-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers on May 25. getting it over for strikes early in two-out walk that set the stage for end the game and their season. counts. That made it easier to work Namet’s RBI. “I get a lot of help from the de- McLANE SCORES TWICE, ASLANIAN SCORES 1 GOAL the hitter with breaking balls and off “We had some bad luck out there fense,” said Lally. “Our middle in- speed stuff deeper in counts.” today,” said Scotch Plains-Fanwood field is the best double play tandem in The Millburn Millers, the top seed Head Coach Joe Higgins. “But their the state if you ask me. They were in the bracket, got all the runs they pitcher (Lally) was really aggressive. there again today.” BrH2O Tops Blue Devils, 9-3, would need in the bottom of the sec- He was able to throw more than one For the Raiders, Colin McAlindin ond when they reached Raider starter pitch for strikes and we just couldn’t came up with the Raiders’ only two Dan Wilkinson for two runs. do much with him. We hit the ball a hits of the game. On the mound Wilkinson issued a pair of walks in lot. He didn’t strike out too many Wilkinson was not on top of his game the inning but after getting two outs, it batters. We just couldn’t find any open but he was not bad either, allowing In Boys Lacrosse Semifinals five earned runs off of five hits, while By ALEX LOWE cal. There is always a lot of slashing striking out four and walking four unassisted goal from Mark Bieda at Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times and hitting. We felt like we could 4:06 to make it 3-0. Bieda swept in other batters. Scotch Plain-Fanwood’s Behind three goals from Sean move the ball against them though victories this season usually contained from behind the net to slip one by McKinney, top-seeded Bridgewater- and we did.” Blue Devil goalkeeper Jack just enough timely hitting to support a Raritan eliminated Westfield, 9-3, in The Panthers scored early for a 1-0 good dose of strong pitching from McCauley. Bridgewater held to the 3- a North Jersey, Group 4 boys lacrosse lead when Nick Attanasio took a feed 0 advantage heading into the break. Wilkinson or Timothy Geissel. With semifinal match played on May 25 in from Aiden Christensen and depos- neither element in play against The third quarter began much as Bridgewater. It was the fourth straight ited it in the back of the net with 7:44 the first half had been played with the Millburn, the Raiders did not stand year in which these two familiar foes left in the first quarter. It would be the much of a chance. two squads locked in a defensive stale- met in the semifinal or final round only goal of the opening quarter as mate. That all changed in the final two “I am really proud of the way these match. The victory was the Panthers’ both team defenses dominated. kids bounced back after the exit from minutes as Bridgewater-Raritan’s third straight in the series. Slowly but surely, the host Panthers Ethan Locker popped free on the right the Union County Tournament,” said “It is a great rivalry that we have began to gain control of the contest in Higgins. “This is a senior laden group side and delivered a high overhand with Westfield,” said McKinney, a the second quarter. A goal by Jalen shot that found its way into the back that never stopped working, never senior. “It is always going to be physi- Holmes at 10:46 was followed by an stopped trying and to their credit, CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 they really surged in the second half of the season. It has been a fun group of players to coach.” Millburn (22-5) would host Watchung Hills in a semifinal game Alex Lowe for The Westfield Leader and The Times on May 30. OUT OF A JAM...The Raiders come back into bat after pitcher Danny Wilkinson Sc Pl-Fanwood 000 000 0 0 got out of a jam in the game against top-seeded Millburn. Millburn 020 120 x 5 FRIEL, WAGNER RAP HRS; SCANLON TOSSES SHUTOUT CONGRATULATIONS Blue Devils Rout Piscataway WESTFIELD EAST In NJ Sectional Baseball, 10-0 TOP PRODUCERS APRIL 2017 By ALEX LOWE Mahmood. After sparkplug Lerie beat performance to say the least but not Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times out a slow bouncer to third for an brief enough to leave him available Westfield had everything working infield single, Wagner came to the for duty in the Blue Devils’ next round in its 10-0 win over Piscataway in the plate. Wagner then got around on a against the Bayonne Bees. first round of the North Jersey, Sec- pitch and deposited over the right “Once he reached 50 pitches it was tion 2, Group IV baseball playoffs field fence for a two-run homer that a done deal,” said Brewster. “He held on May 24 in Westfield. The gave Westfield an 8-0 lead. showed the best curveball he’s had all Blue Devils rapped out 13 hits against “He threw me a fastball on the first year today. In the county finals, that Top Agent Top Team the Chiefs, including home runs by pitch of the at-bat,” said Wagner. pitch was not there for him.” James Friel and Chris Wagner. Mean- “Then he hung a curveball out over The only real suspense came in Frank D. Isoldi The Kim while, starting pitcher Connor Scanlon the plate on the next pitch and I just whether or not the Blue Devils would Broker Sales Associate Haley Team was in complete command, striking got around on it and pulled it.” get to the 10-run lead they needed to out three batters and allowing just After Mahmood retired Kobi Wolf end the game early. They got that in three hits in six innings of shutout ball on a fly ball, it was Friel’s turn to show the bottom of the sixth inning when to earn the win.