High School Baseball:
Riverside Outscores Glassboro To Advance

Friday, May 21, 1999

By Art Redd
SJSports Staff Writer

In a game where two teams were matching each other run for run, someone had to break the trend. The Riverside Rams hosted the Glassboro Bulldogs in a South Jersey Group 1 second round playoff game at Hooker Field. The Rams had a first round bye while Glassboro defeated Pt. Pleasant Boro to advance to this second round meeting. Riverside would finally break a five all deadlock in the bottom of the sixth inning to advance to the next round against Pitman.

As the second round of the Group 1 playoffs began, Riverside's starting pitcher Jose Melendez got into some early trouble in the top of the second inning. The Bulldogs got back to back RBI singles from Jason Sowers and Sean Michael Cleary to cap a 4 run inning. Riverside responded quickly in their half of the inning when Dave Slough's bunt single loaded the bases. Jon Compton started the scoring when he drew a walk to plate the first of four runs. Riverside sent ten batters to the plate to tie the game at four all.

Coach Jim Demarco made sure his Bulldogs made due on every scoring opportunity. Jerry Stranix reached on base and advanced to second on errors. Brian Hellyer knocked in Stranix on an RBI suicide bunt single to put the Bulldogs up by one. Coach Demarco tried to keep the inning alive when Hellyer attempted to steal third but was gunned down.

Riverside responded in the bottom of the fifth when Greg Gilbert led off with a single. Mike Bloomquist got on base when he was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Nic DiCarlo drilled a two run triple to put the Rams up 7-5. Slough accounted for the final run of the game when his sacrifice fly scored DiCarlo and advance Riverside to the next round against Pitman on Tuesday.

Photos by Art Redd