High School Baseball: Ace Robinson's Homer Lifts Burlington Township Past Holy Cross Tuesday, April 30, 2002 By Art Redd SJSports Staff Writer You couldn't have scripted the ending of this game any better for Burlington Township. The fans from both Holy Cross and Burlington Township were treated to a pitching duel through six and a half innings. But with a scoreless tie going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Ace Robinson drilled the first pitch through the raindrops and over the fence for the game winning home run. The Falcons mobbed the slugger as he touched home plate to record the only run of this game. Andrew Csik started this game for the Falcons and kept the infielders busy as they recorded a total of 14 groundouts. Csik kept the ball low in the strike zone that kept Ernie Grant, John Smith, Gene Darling and Todd Dallman busy in the infield. Holy Cross also were solid on defense as they made excellent plays in the field including Nick Mendell's screaming line drive that the Lancer's third baseman Matt Burdalski snagged out to the air. The Falcons had a chance of scoring in the 4th inning when Dallman led the inning off with a single to right. Darling lined a 0-1 pitch to the left-center fence for a double, putting runners at second and third with no outs. That's when the Lancers' starting pitcher Brett Keenan settled down to record the next three outs on two grounders and a strikeout. Now with the raindrops falling from the sky, some of the fans began running for cover hoping this game would end soon. Burlington Township (11-3) were preparing for extra innings as Ace Robinson began warming up in the bullpen in the sixth inning. But it would not be his arm the Falcons would rely on, it was his swing. After striking out in his previous two at bats, Robinson stepped up to the plate and offered at the first pitch and watched it fly over the left-center fence for a walk-off home run. Photos by Art Redd

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