Why make plans?
I had my day all set … on the road by 8:45. Coffee & a Bagel. A Couple EZ-Pass tolls and arrive at Toms River North about 10:30. Pick out a nice spot to watch the Clifton v. TRE match-up. How long could that game last? 1 hour 10 minutes? 1:20? Walk over, catch Randolph in the 3rd and tape the game. Hop in the car and catch the second half of Mendham Girls Lax, then watch Mt. Lakes pull the upset of the year in Boys Lax.
It simply started out ugly. I forgot to set my alarm. Woke up at 9. Arrived at TRN at 11:40. No big deal, the softball game was 0-0, bottom 4. Perfect! I decide to camp out with Sean Reilly and the Pride Crew. It’s always fun seeing Stern and there’s some people you just need to watch a game with … the Pride contingency are those people you need spend one game with. It is that funny.
But we’re still on pace … I am now hearing tons of cheering from across the great plains that TRN calls their athletic complex. I know I need to get over there. But it’s no 0-0, top 8 and my love of softball has taken over that desire to down that one last chicken wing!
Move ahead to the 10th … 0-0, International Tie-Breaker. This is the 1st time in NJ State history that we have had a ITB in the state finals, You can watch the 10th inning when I upload the video shortly.
The game ends about 2:25 minutes after 1st pitch and I run over to Randolph. Bottom 7, Score 15-7. I notice that Randolph is at bat … and it’s the bottom of the 7th. Not good! I think to myself … “maybe I am just in time to catch one of the greatest comebacks in NJSIAA history!” Kral leads off the 7th and hits a frozen rope to right. I notice the right fielder taking a very aggressive angle and sprawls all-out … and makes a sensational catch -- Belly out, feet in the air, fully extended!! You know it’s not your day when that happens, but what a great season for the Rams!
It’s now 2:45 and if I jet up to Rutgers, I was due to miss almost all of the Mendham game. So why not watch Porcello? I grab a seat at the 6 tables that the NJSIAA has set up for the press and watch one inning. What impressed me the most? The hitting of SHP! Are you kidding, Talk about a stacked line up! Then the reason why everyone bought a ticket … Porcello gears up for the 1st inning. A classic hush and quiet awe overtook the crowd as the future Detroit Tiger took the sign for his first pitch. Pop. Oh yeah, he brings it. You know that, everyone knows that. He then walks the 1st batter on four pitches. Did I mention he already had a 4-0 lead before even throwing a pitch? A wild pitch and single and St. Joe’s cut it to 4-1. Needless to say, like the class act and born ball player that Porcello is, he settled in and cruised to a 10-1 victory.
Back to watch softball. Watched the rest of the 4-1 Wall victory. The crowd was tiny compared to Clifton-TRE. Any the atmosphere was a joke compared to the all-out shabang that the NJSIAA puts out for baseball. What ever happened to Title IX?
That just tell me that’s it time to send the Softball-TOC letter to the state again. I will be very happy to send the same letter I sent Boyd Sands years ago; the one that fell on deaf ears. The one that explains that softball and baseball are not the same sport and keeping softball on a baseball schedule is purely a waste of time that can be used to crown a TOC champion. I’ll post that letter in a few days.
Baseball Star Ledger: Washington 15 (20-11), Randolph 7 (24-8)
Girls Lax Star Ledger: Moorestown 16 (23-3), Mendham 6 (21-2)
Boys Lax Star Ledger: Mountain Lakes 13 (20-2), Delbarton 11 (21-1)
For those of you who are looking for past articles and game coverage, all of the material on this site has been moved to a Blog as I revamp the entire look during the summer. I will let you know where you can find everything once it has “gone live.”
It simply started out ugly. I forgot to set my alarm. Woke up at 9. Arrived at TRN at 11:40. No big deal, the softball game was 0-0, bottom 4. Perfect! I decide to camp out with Sean Reilly and the Pride Crew. It’s always fun seeing Stern and there’s some people you just need to watch a game with … the Pride contingency are those people you need spend one game with. It is that funny.
But we’re still on pace … I am now hearing tons of cheering from across the great plains that TRN calls their athletic complex. I know I need to get over there. But it’s no 0-0, top 8 and my love of softball has taken over that desire to down that one last chicken wing!
Move ahead to the 10th … 0-0, International Tie-Breaker. This is the 1st time in NJ State history that we have had a ITB in the state finals, You can watch the 10th inning when I upload the video shortly.
The game ends about 2:25 minutes after 1st pitch and I run over to Randolph. Bottom 7, Score 15-7. I notice that Randolph is at bat … and it’s the bottom of the 7th. Not good! I think to myself … “maybe I am just in time to catch one of the greatest comebacks in NJSIAA history!” Kral leads off the 7th and hits a frozen rope to right. I notice the right fielder taking a very aggressive angle and sprawls all-out … and makes a sensational catch -- Belly out, feet in the air, fully extended!! You know it’s not your day when that happens, but what a great season for the Rams!
It’s now 2:45 and if I jet up to Rutgers, I was due to miss almost all of the Mendham game. So why not watch Porcello? I grab a seat at the 6 tables that the NJSIAA has set up for the press and watch one inning. What impressed me the most? The hitting of SHP! Are you kidding, Talk about a stacked line up! Then the reason why everyone bought a ticket … Porcello gears up for the 1st inning. A classic hush and quiet awe overtook the crowd as the future Detroit Tiger took the sign for his first pitch. Pop. Oh yeah, he brings it. You know that, everyone knows that. He then walks the 1st batter on four pitches. Did I mention he already had a 4-0 lead before even throwing a pitch? A wild pitch and single and St. Joe’s cut it to 4-1. Needless to say, like the class act and born ball player that Porcello is, he settled in and cruised to a 10-1 victory.
Back to watch softball. Watched the rest of the 4-1 Wall victory. The crowd was tiny compared to Clifton-TRE. Any the atmosphere was a joke compared to the all-out shabang that the NJSIAA puts out for baseball. What ever happened to Title IX?
That just tell me that’s it time to send the Softball-TOC letter to the state again. I will be very happy to send the same letter I sent Boyd Sands years ago; the one that fell on deaf ears. The one that explains that softball and baseball are not the same sport and keeping softball on a baseball schedule is purely a waste of time that can be used to crown a TOC champion. I’ll post that letter in a few days.
Baseball Star Ledger: Washington 15 (20-11), Randolph 7 (24-8)
Girls Lax Star Ledger: Moorestown 16 (23-3), Mendham 6 (21-2)
Boys Lax Star Ledger: Mountain Lakes 13 (20-2), Delbarton 11 (21-1)
For those of you who are looking for past articles and game coverage, all of the material on this site has been moved to a Blog as I revamp the entire look during the summer. I will let you know where you can find everything once it has “gone live.”
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