Friday, April 18, 2008

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Joe Abbadessa about to connect on his three-run homer that was a part of River Dell's nine-run second inning in a 23-3 win at Tenafly.

TENAFLY -- It was less than 40 degrees and less than ideal conditions to begin a season. A little more than two weeks ago, the River Dell baseball team was met with a disappointing loss against Westwood right out of the gate and was served a cold lesson on a raw day. Any thought that the Golden Hawks were going to steamroll through the BCSL-American Division went out the window on the season's first day, although they have slowly started to creep back into the picture in the six games since.

River Dell was the league favorite when the season started and has played like it in a six-game winning streak that was extended emphatically on Thursday afternoon. The Hawks sent 13 hitters to the plate in a nine-run second inning and, after being a run short of the mercy rule through five innings, River Dell sent 18 hitters up in the seventh inning and scored 12 more times to complete a 23-3 win at Tenafly.

Ethan Rosenblum had a double and a run-scored for Tenafly.

“I think maybe we got out wake up call early against Westwood. I think it made the kids understand what they need to do everyday when they come out to play,” said Brandon Flanagan, who is in his ninth season as River Dell’s head coach. “Over the weekend we kind of rededicated ourselves in practice and that was after a 4-0 week that got us back on track. We have a good group; they are dedicated to winning and depth wise this might be the deepest team I’ve had across the board. Everybody can hit.”

And everybody did hit against Tenafly as River Dell pounded out 22 hits, including a three-run home run by Joe Abbadessa in the second inning and a grand slam by AJ Meccia in the seventh, drew seven walks off of four different pitchers and had 10 different hitters record at least one base hit. The No. 2 spot in the order, shared by Jake Mauriello (2-for-2, 2 2B, RBI, R, SB) and Chris Bova (3-for-3, RBI, 2 R), was a perfect 5-for-5. Hitting in the No. 5 spot, Ryan O’Neill was 3-for-3 with 4 runs scored, an RBI, a double and two walks. On and on it went.

“We respect Tenafly like we do all the other good teams in the league like Dumont, like Westwood, like Rutherford, but we really are a good team. We started off slow in that first game [against Westwood], but today showed the kind of things we can do,” said O’Neill. “This year our school has a football state sectional championship, a wrestling state sectional championship and who wouldn’t want to complete the trifecta? I know in football at least, because I didn’t take part in wrestling, we took it one game at a time. Every game is a championship and we try to go out and win a championship every day and that is what we are trying to do here.”

RD senior Blake Crouch struck out 13 in six innings of work and improved to 3-0 on the season.

Not only is River Dell’s lineup as deep as any in North Jersey this side of Don Bosco Prep, its pitching rotation is also well-stocked with O’Neill and Blake Crouch anchoring a rotation that has been able to keep fresh with efficient work and a friendly schedule that has yet to be truly taxing.

Crouch, the senior right-hander, mixed in a curveball that he was able to spot in the strike zone and a changeup with his fastball that was at least low to mid 80s and maybe faster than that on a warm day. Crouch dominated most of the way in his six innings of work on Thursday to improve to 3-0 on the season.

He struck out the side in the second and third innings, fanned two hitters in each of the first, fourth and sixth innings and finished with 13 strikeouts and just one walk. Two of the three runs scored against him were unearned, the other came home on a wild pitch and Crouch also had 2 doubles, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored in four plate appearances.

Zach Kraushar scored two of Tenafly's three runs.

“I just needed to throw strikes, get ahead in the count and work in my off-speed stuff,” said Crouch, who is considering the University of Rhode Island and Long Island University as baseball destinations for next year. “It makes a pitcher’s job a lot easier with the way we have been hitting. We are hitting the ball and in the games that I have pitched we have scored five runs, nine runs and now 23 runs. We’ve had more than 13 hits in every game.”

River Dell total of 22 against Tenafly included Abbadessa’s bomb to left field during the nine-run second inning. It was the first time on any level of baseball that he has played that Abbadessa hit a ball over the fence.

“It was a 2-0 count and I was looking for something to drive. It was the first home run of my life,” said Abbadessa, a junior who hits out of the No. 8 hole. “Our whole line up can hit and even the guys on the bench can hit when they get a chance. Coach always says that everyone is on deck and we are all ready to hit and help out our pitchers when it is our turn.

Ryan O'Neill had 3 hits, 2 walks and scored 4 times for RD.

Lincoln LaGrotteria, River Dell’s leadoff hitter, scored a run and knocked in another; Meccia (3-for-6, 4 RBI, 2R) added 2 singles and 2 runs scored to his seventh inning grand slam; Gordon Lessersohn had 2 hits and 2 runs scored after coming on as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning; catcher Kevin Sonnet had 2 hits and his courtesy runner, Devin Hudson, scored four times and Rob Duran had a hit and a run scored.

“This is a great group and I know them all well. I coach 10 or 11 of the 17 in football and I’ve had them in the system for years,” said Flanagan, whose team will take on Englewood on Friday afternoon before what should be an interesting out of league battle against Passaic Valley on Saturday. “They are laid back, but they know what it takes. I have guys that played less this year than they did last year and they are the first ones off the bench cheering guys on, courtesy running and if we can stay focused and in that mindset, we’ll be fine.”

Andrew Abahoonie had two of Tenafly’s five hits and its lone RBI. Brian Sherman had a single in four at bats, Ethan Rosenblum had the Tigers’ lone extra base hit, a one-out double in the fourth inning, Zach Kraushar had a hit and scored two of the three runs for Tenafly, which fell to 8-3 on the season.

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