Bella Belts Two Home Runs in Shawnee's Win

By Jerome Michaels
SJSports Special Correspondent

When you take a look up and down the lineup on Shawnee's baseball team, you will find out that every player has contributed in the Renegades record growing now to 23-3. Of course Sean Doolittle's name can be found in an article or print almost every time the Renegades complete a baseball game, but Doolittle knows that its nine players that make a team and each player has contributed to their success. Andy Bella had the hot bat today belting two home runs to ignited Shawnee to a 7-3 win against Toms River South. With the win, the Renegades advance to the semifinals in the South Jersey Group 4 bracket.

The Group 4 bracket had fifteen teams qualifying for the post season this year. By far, it is the largest group out of the South Jersey brackets with on the top seeded Toms River East earning a bye in the first round. For Toms River South and Shawnee, they had an easy time advancing from their first round games earning them the right to compete against each other. Shawnee shut out the fourteenth seeded Absegami and so did Toms River South shutting down the eleventh seeded Winslow Township.

Doolittle gave up two timely hits in the first inning and watched Toms River East jump out to a 2-0 lead. Shawnee's offense was very patient during their first at bat as they scored their first run on a bases loaded walk. But that's all they could get, that is until Bella stepped up at the plate in the bottom half of the second inning. His two run homerun pushed Shawnee ahead giving his starting pitcher a one run lead. Bella added his second homerun of the game in the fourth that proved to be the game winner. Sean Doolittle struck out fourteen batters to pick up the win for Shawnee.