By Scott Stump - Senior Editor
Click here for complete MCT bracket
TINTON FALLS - Numerous times during Monday's wild, 14-9 win over Manalapan in the Monmouth County Tournament final at Monmouth Regional, St. Rose's baseball team found itself in situations it had never experienced before.
When the smoke finally cleared, the top-seeded Purple Roses (25-2) again found themselves in a spot they had never been before - MCT champions. However, to get to their first MCT title in school history, they first had to navigate some uncharted waters in a game that featured some major momentum swings.
Grabbing a seven-run lead in a big tournament game? Not the usual m.o. for a low-scoring team.
Blowing that 7-0 lead with their ace on the mound? Yeah, that was a new one.
Roaring back with six runs in the seventh inning to win a slugfest in a high-profile game? Been there, not done that.
Playing angry to fuel a comeback? Purple Roses coach Jim Agnello had been waiting for that one.
Knocking the other team's ace around in the late innings and pouring the runs on in a big way? Another first.
"To get out 7-0, that is not what we do, and then to give up nine runs is not what we do,'' Agnello said. "To be able to control ourselves in that situation and persevere is tremendous. Catholic school kids, we're too nice sometimes. It was nice to see them get angry and fight, scratch and claw to get it done.''
When a 7-0 lead with senior ace Connor Smith on the mound evaporated into a 9-8 deficit after five innings against the slugging Braves (16-11), the loud opposing dugout and the charging offense of Manalapan could've put St. Rose down for the count.
"(The Braves) are loud and they're barking, and I think when they started hitting and we heard that, it kind of intimidated us for a few innings,'' Agnello said. "It was good to see (my players) get mad for once.''
"It's really out of character,'' said senior Vin Vinci, who hit the game-tying RBI single in the seventh. "We really don't do this, but I guess we were just in the moment.''
The final charge began with senior designated hitter Casey Cannon battling Manalapan ace Ryan Harvey (6-3), who had come on in relief in the sixth inning, for 10 pitches after falling into an 0-2 hole and working a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh.
"I was standing next to Matt Rodgers and Johnny McGrath and we said that if (Cannon) gets on, we're going to win the game,'' said junior shortstop Chris Bresnahan.
"I really just wanted to get on base any way I could and pick the team up,'' said Cannon, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. "I had to get something started.''
Cannon kept fouling off pitches and forcing Harvey, who was trying to battle through a persistent lower-back injury, to throw more pitches on a hot day. Harvey had been limited to two innings in his last two appearances because of his back woes, but had come on with no outs and a man on first in the sixth inning and eventually struck out two straight batters to get out of the inning with no runs allowed.
"The leadoff guy (Cannon) did a great job,'' said Manalapan coach Brian Boyce. "He battled and battled, and that leadoff walk comes back to bite you every time. Up 9-8 with Harvey on the mound, we're looking pretty good, but he just didn't have it and that's unfortunate.''
"(Cannon) is a very good hitter with two strikes,'' Agnello said. "He bears down, and that was the at-bat of the game. It changed the complexion of the game.''
Courtesy runner Scott Cebulski was inserted for Cannon, and he went to second base on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Derek Peterson. Vinci, the No. 8 hitter, then smacked a single that scored Cebulski to tie the game and swing all of the momentum back to St. Rose's side.
"(Harvey) is a great pitcher,'' Vinci said. "He's thrown two no-hitters this year, so I was looking for an early strike because I didn't want to get behind in the count because he probably would take care of me. I got a pitch I could handle, and I got the hit.''
Waiting on deck with his heart hammering out of his chest was outfielder Matt Rodgers, who was 0-for-3 up to that point.
"I was pretty nervous,'' Rodgers said. "I was doing the math when Casey walked, and I figured I was going to get up. Once Vin got the run in and tied the game, I was breathing a little easier, but Harvey's a good pitcher.''
Rodgers had the St. Rose faithful breathing easier when he cranked a 2-1 fastball into right center field for a huge RBI triple that gave St. Rose a 10-9 lead with one out.
"I wanted to get a big rally going because against a team like this, one or two is not enough,'' Rodgers said.
Lurking on deck was Bresnahan, who ended up receiving the award for the tournament's highest batting average. He promptly blooped an RBI single to right field for his third hit of the game and an 11-9 advantage.
"We had the momentum, Rodgers was on (base), and I knew I was going to drive him in,'' Bresnahan said. "We just kept packing on runs.''
Second baseman John McGrath then drew one of seven walks that Manalapan pitchers issued in the game, and freshman Nick Kreiger came on in relief of Harvey. He induced third baseman Owen Stewart to ground into a fielder's choice, but hit sophomore Kyle Kennett with a pitch to load the bases, and then threw a wild pitch that allowed Bresnahan to come streaking home from third base with his third run scored of the game.
Outfielder Chris Hueth then drew another walk, bringing Cannon, a Delaware recruit, back to the plate for the second time in the inning. He ripped a two-run single to push the lead to 14-9, ending any suspense in a game that was ripe with it.
Junior lefty Brian Beer (3-0) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to finallly close out a three hour-and-10-minute marathon that began when St. Rose blew out to a 7-0 lead after 2 1/2 innings against Braves starter Mark Holmes. The Purple Roses scored three runs in the first on a throwing error and an RBI groundout by Cannon after Bresnahan led off the game with a single. They tacked on two more in the second inning on an RBI double by McGrath and an RBI single by Stewart, and then pushed across two in the third on a two-run single by Vinci.
With Smith (9-1) on the mound, it looked like smooth sailing, but, like Harvey, he was having trouble with his back while also having difficulty getting his breaking ball over for strikes. He was also facing an offense that had demolished most of the opposing pitchers it saw this season, and it was able to basically sit on his fastball.
"I think it's the senior leadership, that's why we didn't push the panic button,'' Boyce said. "We know we can hit, and getting to Connor Smith was good because he hasn't really been hit that much all year.''
Consecutive RBI doubles by outfielder Kevin Mulvanerton and catcher Nick Turano in the third inning jumpstarted Manalapan's comeback, which gained more steam in the fourth inning on a two-run single by second baseman Lucas Scollo and another run that scored on a double-play with the bases loaded to cut the lead to 7-5.
St. Rose responded with a run in the top of the fifth on a leadoff triple by Hueth and an RBI groundout by Peterson, but by that point, Manalapan had Smith out of the game and was facing Vinci. The Braves were able to mount a four-run surge in the fifth inning to roar back and take a 9-8 lead.
Senior first baseman Matt Cook kept the momentum going with his Shore Conference-leading 10th home run, a first-pitch smash high over the fence in left field with one out to cut the lead to 8-6. Three batters later, third baseman Bryan Tamalone hit a rocket that sailed past the center fielder for a two-run triple that tied the game. Scollo then punched a bloop single to left field for his third RBI of the game and an eye-opening, one-run lead.
"I told them that we can't get discouraged,'' Agnello said. "It's a one-run ballgame at that point, and we've been in those spots before this season.''
Cannon's seventh-inning walk finally helped turn the tide for good in St. Rose's favor, allowing the Purple Roses to add another tangible sign of their success, an MCT title, to their Class B Central title. On Tuesday, they take on Bishop Eustace at Mercer County Park with Cannon on the hill in a bid to add the NJSIAA Non-Public South B title to their resume.
"We finally showed teams that we're for real,'' Bresnahan said. "We gritted this one out, and it's a big win. We know we're a great team. We just had to prove it to other people.''
"As (assistant coach Jerry) Frulio says, you never remember wins, you remember championships,'' Rodgers said.
There is still one out there to get, and it will take a swift turnaround after a wearying effort on Monday. Rodgers, for one, is ready for more after a thrilling win.
"You want to keep the energy going,'' Rodgers said. "Don't even sleep tonight. Just keep it going.''
E-mail: stump@digitalsports.com
Box score
St. Rose 14, Manalapan 8St. Rose (25-2) 3 2 2 0 1 0 6 - 14 12 1
Manalapan (16-11) 0 0 2 3 4 0 0 - 9 11 3
Doubles: (S) McGrath; (M) Mulvanerton, Turano, Peterson, Flanagan. Triples: (S) Rodgers, C. Hueth; (M) Tamalone. Home runs: (M) Cook. WP: Beer (3-0); LP: Harvey (6-3).