Wall Breaks Out The Bats In 9-4 Win Over Middletown North

Above photo: Wall winning pitcher Dylan Napolitano

MIDDLETOWN – The book on Wall entering the season was that they were loaded with pitching but lacked enough offensive fire-power to push them into the elite status among Shore Conference teams.

The naysayers looked at last season’s .254 team batting average as a point of contention, but in the same breath they failed to reference the fact that last year’s team was dominated by rising sophomores who were still maturing and finding their way at the varsity level.

Well if Friday’s 9-4 win over Middletown North is any indication of what this year’s offense is capable of delivering then the rest of the Shore Conference better beware.

“I think the difference in our sophomores from a year ago showed today,” said Wall head coach Todd Schmitt. “All these guys started for us last year as sophomores and we hit the ball last year but we didn’t drive the ball like we did today. I think their physical growth and that they play all year round really showed today with them putting the ball in the gaps and over guys heads.”

The Knights banged out 14 hits including six doubles and a home run and many of their outs were scorchers hit right at someone or the damage could’ve been a lot worse – and that’s after scoring eight runs in their season opener.

Wall’s offensive explosion backed up a solid outing by junior starting pitcher Dylan Napolitano, who went 5 1/3 innings allowing three runs (two earned), four hits and three walks while striking out seven in picking up his first win of the season. Napolitano is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign which saw him post a 5-2 record with a stellar 1.95 ERA.

“We scored nine runs off a very good pitching staff,” said Napolitano of his run support. “I think our hitting was a little underestimated last year. We were a bunch of sophomores last year and we’re all bigger and stronger juniors now with varsity experience and that’s the difference.”

Middletown North took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when Napolitano beaned leadoff batter Jake Dillon, who moved to second on a ground ball and scored on a RBI single by Jason Timmons.

The Knights got one back in the top half of the third after junior first baseman Tanner Powers led off the inning with a single up the middle and came around to score when junior right fielder Doug Wetzel’s sinking liner got past right fielder Michael Adamson for a RBI double.

Wall added two more runs in the top of the fourth. Sophomore centerfielder Ted Sharkey led off the inning with wind-aided double that sailed over Timmons head in right field and scored on junior catcher David Howarth’s RBI double down the left field line.

Junior Grant Shulman followed with a line-drive single into center that moved pinch runner Nick Castoral to third. After a ground out by Andrew Lenneper, Powers grounded a RBI single through the 4-3 hole for the second run of the inning and a 3-1 lead.

“After I gave up that first run we battled back and it was huge for me as starting pitcher getting that 3-1 lead,” Napolitano said. “My fastball and curve ball were working today but I stayed away from my changeup because my one-two was really working for me today. If we can continue to hit and pitch like we have been this team is going far.”

Wall broke the game wide open in the next inning erupting for six runs on five hits. Junior second baseman and leadoff hitter John Volpe started things off with a blistering shot over the head of Brendan Doherty in centerfield for a double and scored on junior shortstop Dylan Richey’s line drive RBI single to center.

With one out Howarth walked putting runners at the corners and Shulman added an RBI with single past the second baseman for a 5-2 lead. Then with two out and runners at first and third Powers drilled a double over the center fielders head for another two runs before DH Anthony Velezquez capped off the inning with a two-run home run over the right field fence giving the Knights a 9-1 lead heading to the bottom of the sixth.

In the meantime, Napolitano was cruising along on the mound having allowed just two hits since the second inning. But he tired in the bottom of the fifth when he walked the first two batters he faced before an error led to one run and a single another run, knocking him out of the game.

"I kind of lost a little feel for the ball but Jason Horowitz came out there and picked me up," said Napolitano.

“Every time Ryan takes the mound you know you’re going to get the best out of him,” said Schmitt of his starter. “He’s such a competitor whether it’s in practice or whatever he just competes. He got out there today and it was tough. Because of the weather this spring he didn’t get his pitch count worked up to where it probably should’ve been during the spring season and I let him go just a little bit longer than I probably should have, but he did a great job today commanding his pitches.”

Horowitz, a senior right hander, came in to put out the fire in the sixth, but allowed one run in the bottom of the seventh before closing out the game.

Wall’s 3-0 start marks the best season opening record since the 2014 team won its first eight games of the season and went on to post a 21-6 record ultimately losing to Hamilton West in the CJG III semifinals.

Powers finished going 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored while Shulman was 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and run scored. For his effort, Powers was awarded the champ of the game belt which Schmitt hands out worthy players following games.

Rutgers commit Garrett French was the losing pitcher giving up nine runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings of work.

“He’s a DI player and we knew coming in we’d have our hands full,” Schmitt said of facing French. “He stuffed it on us last year but we got on him and we just hit the pitches that were in our strike zone and didn’t chase. We played extremely well for being a team full of juniors but with a lot of experience.

“We’ve been doing the hunting for the first week of the season but we may have a target on our backs now,” said Schmitt. “Any time you can win a game it’s a plus especially in the B North, but I told the guys this game means nothing if we don’t play well tomorrow (Saturday). Hopefully we’ll stay healthy and we’ll be there at the end of the season in May into June – that’s when you want to be playing.”

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