Highland Pound out the Hits

Both Clearview and Highland were successful making the playoff last year and it would be safe to say that they wanted to get back there again this season. Yes it’s early, but it looks as if they both will finish the season with a record good enough to qualify. Both of these teams have the pitching and the defense to move far up the Tri-County Conference Royal Division. Clearview had won its first two games but would not win that next game as the Tartans’ bats came alive during the third and fourth innings. Starting pitcher Ryan Buchter watched three of his teammates Paul Painter, Dan Grandrino and Pat Faulls knock in three runs each to earn him the win and a 13-3 victory.

With wins over Williamstown and Overbrook, the Pioneers from Clearview were showing signs that their young team had learned from their success in making it to the quarterfinals of the South Jersey Group 3 playoffs. Highland was the team allowing Clearview to advance to the next round of those playoffs. The Pioneers had their way with Highland winning each game they played last year and that did include their 3-1 loss during the playoffs.

This game was scoreless for the first two innings but the flood gates opened during the third inning when Highland scored four times to jump ahead 4-0. Clearview would respond with three runs during their top half of the fourth which was highlight by Vince Giunta and Andy Lockman solo homeruns to close the gap to 4-3. But an eight run explosion during the bottom of that inning put this game away and eventually ended this game early with the ten run rule. Painter, Grandrino and Faulls each had three runs batted in and three hits to help Highland even their record to 1-1.