Freehold Explodes For 10 Runs Securing Its First Trip To MCT Final In 27 years

Photos above courtesy of Paula Lopez: Winning pitcher Dan Chiusano delivering and Phil Marcantonio rounding the bases after first-inning home run

LINCROFT – Junior Phil Marcantonio’s two-run home run highlighted a three-run first inning and senior ace Dan Chiusano shut down the Christian Brothers Academy bats Sunday in Freehold's 10-1 win over Christian Brothers Academy.

The win punches the fifth-seeded Colonials first ticket to a Monmouth County Tournament final – then called the Monmouth College Invitational Tournament – since 1990 when most of its current crop of player’s mothers and fathers were probably still in high school.

Since the 2014 season, CBA had won 14 straight MCT games including the last three championship games when they were led by current University of North Carolina freshman phenomenon Luca Dalatri and North Carolina teammate Brendan Martorano.

“I think the motivation today came from the fact we were competing for a Monmouth County Tournament berth in the championship." Chiusano said. “I think that’s what gave us an extra push, but we’ve always have had that little rivalry with CBA in the past two years so I went into the game knowing I needed to really compete and do the best I could.”

After scoring one run in its two losses to top-seeded CBA (12-6) earlier this season, Freehold (13-5) wasted no time getting on the board Sunday. With two outs in the top of the first, junior second baseman Mark Costanzo ripped a single to right field before cleanup hitter Nick Aliello drilled a double into the right-centerfield gap bringing home Costanzo for a quick 1-0 lead.

Marcantonio then sent a high drive over the left field fence just out of the reach of a leaping Spencer Bauer’s outstretched glove-hand for a 3-0 lead.

“My approach stays the same no matter what,” Marcantonio said. “I’m trying to take the same swing I worked on all winter. I’m just trying to get myself to hit through the baseball, get the barrel to it and let the bat do the work.”

The Colonials tacked on another two runs in the top of the second on another two-out rally started by No. 9 hitter Isaiah Howard’s double into the left-centerfield gap. That was followed by a hit batsman before senior Tom Holdorf drilled a double into the right-field corner scoring both Howard and senior shortstop Chris Cassandra pushing the lead to 5-0.

“It definitely took a lot of weight off my shoulders,” said Chiusano about the five runs his offense gave him. “Being able to go out there and not having to be perfect really helped and it was exciting.”

Holdorf’s double sent CBA sophomore starter Joe Escandon, who had pitched a complete-game four-hit shutout in the Colts 3-0 MCT quarterfinal win over Howell, to the bench in favor of junior Matt Barnes, who would be the second of five CBA pitchers on the day.

“It’s very exciting to see this offense, because coming into this season, we didn’t know what we were going to have,” said Holdorf. “We were patching a lot of holes, but everyone has been coming through, filling holes and doing their job. That’s all that matters at the end of the day.”

In the meantime, Chiusano, after sailing through the two innings, got himself into a little bit of a jam in the bottom of the third. After junior Jack Harnisch reached first on a seeing-eye grounder through the 5-6 hole, Chiusano retired the next two batters before walking Colt slugger Nick Hohenstein putting runners on first and second with two outs.

Chiusano should’ve been out of the inning after striking the next batter, junior Andrea Dalatri, but the pitch got past Marcantonio behind the plate with Dalatri making it to first to load the bases. Chiusano then struckout Bauer for his third K of the inning to end the threat and keep the Freehold lead at five.

After retiring the side in order in the fourth while striking out the last two batters Chiusano gave up a leadoff single up the middle to start the fifth before inducing a perfect 6-4-3 double play ball and pop fly to end the inning.

“I really located my fastball good today and my slider picked me up when I needed it most,” Chiusano said of his repertoire . “But I’d say my location was one of the best things for me today.”

The Colonials added solo runs in the fifth and sixth on a bases loaded RBI single by senior left fielder Mike Belka in the fifth and a line drive RBI double off the left-centerfield wall by Marcantonio to swelling the lead to 7-0.

Chiusano gave up his only run of the game after Hohenstein led off the bottom of the sixth with a double into the right-field corner, was moved to third on a tapper to the mound and scored on a ground out to short. After giving up a sun-aided single into short right, Chiusano picked up his eighth strikeout of the game ending his day’s work on the mound after throwing 92 pitches.

He allowed one run, four hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in six innings pitched improving to 4-1 on the year.

Two CBA pitchers walked the bases full with one out in the top of the seventh before a wild pitch, RBI single by Holdorf and a sacrifice fly by Costanzo inflated the lead to 10-1 entering the bottom of the seventh.

Senior Pat White came in and retired the side in order to close out the game for Chiusano.

Freehold will now meet No. 3 seed Red Bank Catholic, who beat Ocean 5-1 Saturday to advance, Tuesday at 7 p.m. at First Energy Park, Lakewood, in the championship game. The Caseys will be making their fifth MCT final appearance since 2011 and sixth overall including its only championship in 2013.

“It’s awesome for the school,” said Chiusano about making it to the final. “Being able to prove that we can be a big contender will really boost the confidence of other programs in the school. I’m really looking forward to Tuesday; it should be exciting.”

The Colonials banged out 11 hits and were led by: Marcantonio 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, Holdorf 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, Aiello 1-for-2, 2B, 3 BB, 3 R, RBI, Granato 2-for-4, 2B, Howard 1-for-3, 2B, 2 R, Belka 1-for-2, 2 BB, 2 R, RBI.

Freehold is also just one win away from clinching no worse than a share of the Class B North title with that game against Howell scheduled for Tuesday at 3:45, the same day as the MCT championship game. The Colonials last won a divisional title in 2006, when they shared the Class B North title with Wall.

The logistics are still being worked out with Freehold hoping to avoid having to play both games Tuesday.

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