MS Baseball Advances On Esposito's Walk-Off Grand Slam

Photos's by Tom Smith https://www.tspsportsimages.com/

WALL – One game certainly cannot make up for Middletown South’s lost season due to the Covid-19 pandemic but Thursday’s dramatic eighth inning Anthony Esposito walk-off grand slam can go a long way in easing the pain, especially for the seniors on the team like Esposito.

“Down by one run with the bases loaded and no outs I knew I really didn’t need to do much besides get the ball in the outfield and score one run,” said Esposito, who will play ball next season at Fairleigh Dickinson University “I had been struggling at the plate a little but the kid left the pitch up to me and I took it and drove it.”

Esposito’s big blow gave MS Baseball (Middletown South) a 7-4 extra-inning win over Matawan in the Last Dance World Series Pool Play Championship Round. They now advance into next weeks do-or-die South Jersey Round of 16.

The Last Dance World Series is the brainchild of St. Joseph of Metuchen head baseball coach Mike Murray. It’s a 222-team baseball tournament created to give this year’s high school seniors one last chance to take the field with their teammates. The tournament is not sanctioned by the NJSIAA, instead is run by the United States Specialty Sports Association. Thirty-two teams have now advanced out of the 56 groups in pool play which is broken into north and south brackets, 16 teams in each bracket.

“It really stunk that our senior season was taken away from us,” said Esposito. “We’ve all been playing together since we were eight year’s old and this was the season we all were looking forward to. But it was really nice that they put together this tournament for us. I’m just happy I was able to help our team advance and keep playing.”

Aside from MSBaseball; Middletown North, Jackson Jags (Jackson Memorial), Blue and Grey (Howell) and Panthers Baseball (Pt Boro) are the remaining Shore teams that have advanced to the South Round of 16.

With MS Baseball down 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth and a quick exit from the tournament staring them in the face, University of Albany commit Chris O’Connor bounced an RBI single past the shortstop to make it 2-1 and then in the bottom of the seventh freshman pinch-hitter Ben Schild drilled a sacrifice fly with one out scoring Chris Lotito with the tying run.

According to Lotito, there was never a doubt that they could come back and win the game.

“The whole game the seniors were upbeat knowing we would eventually put up some runs,” Lotito said. “We had put up 11 and 12 in our two previous wins so we knew we could do it, we just needed to get something going. Some of the younger guys were a little down at some points but it was up to us seniors to keep their heads in the game. And sure enough the seniors stepped up and did our job. We just kept fighting and never lost that confidence that we could come back.”

Lotito was a bulldog on the mound tossing six strong innings of three-hit ball allowing one earned run while striking out 15 and walking five on a tireless 120 pitches.

“I felt fine so I just kept going,” said Lotito. “Coach wanted to take me out and I begged him not to. I could’ve gone further I just wanted to keep throwing. Along with my fastball, my curve ball was working good and my changeup was working pretty good as well and later in the game I still had some good life on my fastball.”

“Chris is the ultimate competitor, he’s one of the toughest kids I know,” said Middletown South head coach Dean Esposito, Anthony’s father. “He’s one of the kids I’ve coached since he was eight years old. Sometimes you have to protect him from himself. I’m sitting there saying to myself ‘I got to take him out he’s at 108 pitches’ but he wanted to finish off the next batter; and he did. He would’ve gone out for the seventh if I let him – he’s a fighter, the kid is a true fighter.”

Matawan, however, put up two runs in the top of the eighth to take a two-run lead, 4-2. Matawan’s Ryan Anderson scored on a sacrifice fly on a close play at the plate and Tim Eagan then scored on a wild pitch.

MS Baseball had the top of the lineup due up in the bottom of the eighth and they immediately went to work.

Leadoff batter Danny Minze was hit by a pitch before Jack Sheridan singled through the left side of the infield. Both baserunners moved up on a wild pitch before Minze scored on another wild pitch to O’Connor with Sheridan moving to third with none out.

O’Connor worked a walk putting runners on first and third bringing up junior Joe Stanzione who was also hit by a pitch to load the bases for Esposito. The left-handed Esposito then took a 1-1 offering from Matawan reliever Christian Rivera deep over the right-field fence setting off a wild celebration at home plate.

“I could tell on Anthony’s prior at bat that he was disappointed that he didn’t get a hit there and put the game away,” said Dean Esposito. “So I know he was upset with that at bat and then he missed a pitch on the outside corner that frustrated him in this at bat but the next pitch was there and he got all of it.”

Lotito had faith that his long-time teammate could get the job done.

“Honestly, he’d been struggling a little bit hitting so I knew he was due for something but I didn’t know he was going to go yard,” said Lotito. “I knew he was definitely going to come up big for us and sure enough I heard the noise from the on deck circle and knew it was gone as soon as I heard it. It went over the fence and we all went crazy. I told him it was his time and he just shook his head and said ‘yes sir.’ We’ve been playing together since fifth grade on travel teams.”

Hard-luck pitcher Eli Gries-Smith tossed seven strong innings for Matawan in the losing cause taking a no-decision allowing one earned run on six hits and three walks throwing 103 pitches.

For MS Baseball, Esposito went 2-for-3 with a home run, walk, run scored and four RBI while O’Connor had two hits in three at bats, a double, walk, run and an RBI. Mike Cowell had two hits and Lotito went 1-for-2 with a walk and run scored.

MS Baseball had been lighting up the scoreboard in its two previous tournament wins. In their opening round 12-0 win over Jersey Shore Monsters (Shore Regional) Matt Pontari crushed a home run then in their 11-1 second-round win Cowell notched a grand slam.

Middletown South had high expectations entering the season ranked No. 5 in preseason Top 10 polls. Last season they went 17-7 and 12-2 in the A North and finished ranked No. 9 in the Shore Conference. However, after disappointing in post season tournament play a year ago these current seniors felt they had a lot to prove and this was their year. They were set to return seven senior starters, who have played together since grade school, and a deep and talent rich pitching staff.

“It was pretty disappointing (having the season cancelled), all of us seniors have played together since fifth or sixth grade,” said Lotito. “We were really looking forward to having our last season together and having to cancel was really disappointing. We knew we had some unfinished business to take care of and this was going to be our year.”

“It was heart wrenching for these seniors,” said Dean Esposito. “The whole thing was just terrible for them. Most of these seniors will never play again. To miss out on playing your senior season with the guys you’ve been playing with your whole life was tough to say the least.”

Now they have a chance to something incredibly special that might not make up for their lost season but might be a close second and would be something they would never forget.

In a twist of fated nobody saw coming, MS Baseball will face crosstown rival Middletown North, who pounded CBA 10-2 to advance, in the first round of the single elimination South Round of 16. CBA was the top seed in pool 2A while North was the fourth seed in pool 2B.

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