Highlights from the Bergen County Tourney, Sat. 5/14

May 15, 2016

T.J. Hunt

Director of Scouting, New Jersey

Emerson’s baseball field was filled with excitement for a full day of baseball in the Bergen County Tournament. The first game of the day featured 20th seeded Paramus Catholic and 4th seeded Mahwah. The Paladins pulled off the upset in a 3-2 thriller. PC starter Jeremy Torres kept the Thunderbirds’ bats at bay for most of the game - but was replaced by Matt Goehrig after Mahwah’s James Ciliento and Jackson Hope led off the sixth with back to back doubles to cut the PC lead to 3-2. Goehrig came in and slammed the door, retiring the next six of seven batters. Paramus Catholic will face 12th seeded River Dell, a team that beat 5th seeded Ridgewood 2-1 in 10 innings.

The second game of the day featured 2nd seeded Don Bosco and 18th seeded Pascack Valley. PV jumped out to a 1-0 lead after three straight singles, but were the only base runners Bosco starter and Rhode Island commit 2016 RHP Vitaly Jangols would surrender. Jangols went six innings, struck out 5 and did not walk a batter - was sitting 85-86 with his fastball, very deceptive in the way he changes arm angles. Jangols was replaced in the seventh by senior Taimu Ito. Ito’s first pitch of the game was taken over the centerfield fence by PV’s Frank Cascio to cut the lead to 6-2 after Bosco exploded for five in the sixth. The next batter, Jack DeVanna, doubled to right center, and the Indians finally were gaining a little momentum. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Ito only surrendered a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3, before recording 3 outs and ending the game. Bosco’s Justin Cavegn had the big hit in the sixth - a two run single that burst the game open for the Ironmen. PV starter Jordan Issackedes kept the Ironmen honest for most of the game, but seemed to run out of gas toward the end as the PV defense let him down a couple times, extending innings for the Ironmen.

The final game in Emerson featured seventh seeded Ramapo and 10th seeded Ramsey. The Rams jumped out to an early 2-0 lead highlighted by a two run single by DH Adam Reisfield. SS Mike Cirilli had a two-run double in a three run fourth inning for the Rams. Ramapo’s only run coming on a Matt Valente double play ground out in the sixth. Ramsey starter LHP Thomas Feehan (Hartford) was fabulous the whole game, a microcosm of what has been going on all year for the senior. Feehan went the distance, struck out 4 and scattering six hits. Was sitting at 84 for most of the game, with a filthy 78-80 MPH slider. Ramsey will face 2nd seeded Don Bosco in the next round.

Check out the rest of the bracket for the tournament below, courtesy of NJ.com: