Millers Move Into First Place Tie

The Millburn varsity baseball team rode the dependable right arm of senior Ian Riddell and a timely power display by junior David Talpalar to a 4-3 victory over Seton Hall Prep on Monday at Verducci Field in West Orange.

The victory on April 29, which was Millburn's 12th in its last 13 games, moves the Millers into a first-place tie with Seton Hall Prep in the American Division of the Super Essex Conference. Millburn is now 15-3 overall and 10-1 in SEC play while Seton Hall Prep (17-1, 10-1 SEC) suffered its first loss of the season.

Riddell, a right-handed pitcher, improved to 4-0 on the season and 14-1 for his career by scattering nine hits while striking out five and walking one batter. The complete game effort was his fourth straight over the past 16 days. Talpalar, who bats fifth in the powerful Millburn lineup, lofted a two-run home run over Verducci Field's famed 100-foot-high left field wall that gave Millburn a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning. Milo Freeman had three hits for Millburn and scored twice and Evy Ruibal had two hits and an RBI.

For the season, Freeman, a junior shortstop, is batting .418 with four home runs and is among the state leaders in RBI. He has driven in 27 runs in the team's first 18 games which is No. 2 in New Jersey. Freeman's RBI numbers have been helped greatly by the work of the top two hitters in Millburn's lineup, junior second baseman Aidan Favia and junior rightfielder Nick Meo. Favia is batting .362 with 22 runs scored while Meo is batting .451 with 27 runs scored and 15 RBI. Ruibal, the cleanup hitter is batting .423 with 20 RBI and Talpalar is hitting at a .385 clip with 15 RBI.

The pitching leaders have been Ruibal (3-1, 1.22 ERA), Riddell (4-0, 2.60 ERA) and Talpalar (3-1, 3.23 ERA). 

The team still has conference games remaining with West Essex (Wednesday), Montclair (Friday) and Nutley (Sunday) and begins play in the Greater Newark Tournament on Saturday, May 4. Millburn is seeded No. 2 and is awaiting its first-round opponent. The first-round game will be played at Millburn at 2 pm Saturday.