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July 22, 2004 --
Stellar pitching, hitting helps Senior League team
BY SHAWN LAYTON
Staff Writer
MILLTOWN — The Milltown Post 25 Senior American Legion team finished the regular season with three straight wins over the weekend to improve its record to 18-2-1.
Most significantly, the wins put Milltown in the championship game against an 18-1 Edison team. The title game was played July 20 in Edison. Milltown won but details were not available at presstime.
Milltown clinched a spot in the title game with a 13-2 mercy-rule win over South River in the second game of a doubleheader. In the first game, Milltown defeated South Plainfield 4-1. On Friday, the team began the three-win weekend with a 5-1 over South Brunswick.
"We were really thankful South Plainfield showed up to play at nine in the morning," Milltown head coach Glenn Fredericks said. "Their coach knew we needed to get the games in to have a shot at the championship game and he came through. He’s a quality guy with the kids’ best interests at heart."
Eric Hines picked up his fourth win against South Plainfield.
"Eric led the GMC in innings this year and hit the wall earlier this summer," Fredericks said. "Now he is good as gold again and should make an impact in the district tournament. In the districts, the games are nine innings and are more of a marathon than the sprints we’ve been playing during the regular season. His experience and endurance could be a big bonus for us in the playoffs."
In the win over South River, Milltown catcher Chris Affinito smacked his fourth home run of the summer to end the game in the fifth. He finished with a team high four RBIs.
"The guys in this league have really been pitching him tough," Fredericks said. "As a result, he ends up walking a lot because he’s a disciplined hitter and he doesn’t swing at bad pitches."
Affinito will return for his senior season at East Brunswick High School and was the most heavily recruited junior in the state this year.
Pitcher Matt Merrigan got off to a shaky start in Saturday’s game, but settled down to toss a complete three-hitter game. He gave up a solo homer in the first and followed it with a walk before Fredericks made an early visit to the mound.
"I went out there to have some words and Matt said he would take care of it," Fredericks said. "He made a simple adjustment to his mechanics and he was lights out for the rest of the game."
While Merrigan quieted the South River bats, his teammates’ bats came alive as they tallied six runs in the fourth inning. Billy Krapf, Scotty Dyckman, Greg Slavicek, Andy Anderson and Brian Dzuro all finished with multiple hits.
Dzuro’s two-run single ignited the offense in the fourth, which batted around in the inning. Krapf finished with three RBIs and Anderson drove in one as well.
Fredericks said he and the team are excited about the rematch with Edison and hope to capture the title and advance to the Middlesex County bracket of the district tournament. The top two teams in the state’s five brackets will advance to the state tournament.
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July 1, 2004 --
Milltown Legion team is flexing its muscle
BY SHAWN LAYTON
Staff Writer
MILLTOWN — The Milltown Post 25 Senior American Legion team improved to 11-1-1 on Tuesday with a win over Clara Barton to remain in contention for a league title.
Nick Myers came into the game with one out in the top of third and shut the door on a Clara Barton rally, paving the way for the Milltown comeback. Myers relived starter Matt Merrigan and struck out 10 batters the rest of the way, allowing no runs, no walks and one single.
Greg Slavicek, a Brookdale Community College player and graduate of Spotswood High, tied the game in the fourth with an RBI single, and the game-winning run came home an inning later on a Chris Affinito ground-out.
"The kids on this team are amazing," Milltown Post 25 head coach Glenn Fredericks said. "They come to the park every day, ready to play, and they bring an unbelievable approach to each at bat."
The squad from Milltown has been mowing down opponents, having already scored a season sweep over Old Bridge and beaten many of the league’s top teams.
Fredericks team recently defeated a previously unbeaten South Brunswick team, 14-6. Eric Hines of Spotswood took the hill for Milltown to duel with South Brunswick’s ace Brian Sock. Sock, one of the area’s top hurlers, was touched for 11 earned runs in five innings.
"The way we’ve been hitting the ball, I knew we’d be all right with the sticks," Fredericks said. "Eric did a great job going 5 1/3 innings to pick up his first win of the season."
Hines ran into some trouble in the sixth, but Milltown’s Meyers came in to close the door. Hines allowed just three hits from the mound, and the game remained wide open until the sixth inning when Milltown blew it open.
"The game belonged to Greg Slavicek," Fredericks said. "He went 3-for-4 with the game-winning, two-run homer in the sixth."
Slavicek finished the game 3-for-4 with six RBIs. Designated hitter Brian Dzuro went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, and right fielder Scotty Dyckman was 3-for-4.
Iselin was Milltown’s next victim in a 14-0, five-inning rout. Left-hander Matt Merrigan improved his record to 2-0.
"Matt is a crafty lefty," Fredericks said. "He hit his spots and consistently stayed ahead of the hitters."
Andy Anderson extended his hitting streak to a team-leading seven games this week and went 3-for-4 in the win over Iselin. Dyckman added another multi-hit game, as well as Dzuro.
"Every starter got a hit and scored a run in the Iselin game," Fredericks said. "Everybody was putting good swings on the ball, and we are getting closer to where we should be."
With a handful of games remaining before the start of the postseason, the Milltown squad is in good position to play well into the end of the summer campaign.
The team features dominant starting pitching, solid defense, and a lethal lineup — all the ingredients of a contender.
"The team is playing well right now and they are fun to watch," Fredericks said. "I’ve got a legitimate pro prospect in catcher Chris Affinito, and he’s returning for his senior year next season."
Thus far, Milltown has been among the most consistent teams in the Middlesex County League, much to the satisfaction of its coach.
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July 10, 2003 --
Milltown Post 25 team ready for run at state title
Talented team features several top local players of last few seasons
By doug mckenzie
Staff Writer
Last year’s Milltown Post 25 American Legion baseball team finished one game shy of the state final.
This time around, head coach Joe Niglio’s squad is looking to not only get to the final, but to win it as well.
"I think this team should do well," the coach said. "It certainly has the talent to excel."
Thus far, Niglio’s squad has not disappointed, getting off to a solid 8-2 start entering last night’s game with Old Bridge. Milltown topped New Brunswick, 17-4, on Tuesday in six innings.
This year’s squad returns a number of players from last year, as well as a fresh crop of talented newcomers, all of whom will be looking to break into a lineup that resembles a local all-star team.
The squad, which features players from East Brunswick, South River and Spotswood, features several of the top scholastic players of the last two years.
"We’ve got some guys who really excelled at the high school level, and some that are continuing that at the next level," Niglio said.
Among the returners are Mike Feaster, a South River High School alum, who just completed his first year at The College of New Jersey, Ewing. Feaster had an outstanding freshman campaign, batting .355 (22-for-62) with 14 RBIs and a .402 slugging percentage.
He is joined by another collegiate star, Chad Hockenjos, a 2002 graduate of East Brunswick High School, now playing at York College of Pennsylvania. In limited action at York this year, Hockenjos batted .222 on 4-for-18 hitting.
The third collegiate player is Pete Forte, a Spotswood High School grad who went on to play at Brookdale Community College in Middletown.
Other returners include Danny Lanzano, who was the top pitcher in Middlesex County this past spring as a member of the EBHS team. Lanzano finished the year 7-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 84 strikeouts. The Wagner (Staten Island, N.Y.) College-bound Lanzano will likely be the Milltown squad’s top gun come the postseason.
He is joined by former Bear teammates Andy Anderson and Chris Affinito, and newcomer Matt Metsch. Affinito hit an even .400 this past spring for the Bears, with eight home runs and 22 RBIs, while Metsch hit .324.
Spotswood’s Colin Feneis is also back for Milltown and is joined by former Charger teammates Chris Shanahan and Greg Slavicek. Feneis is coming off a brilliant spring in which he hit .458 with five home runs and 30 RBIs, while also 8-2 on the mound, with 41 strikeouts in nearly 50 innings and a 2.17 ERA.
Slavicek was also a standout this past spring, batting .500 with two home runs and 13 RBIs for the Chargers, while also going 4-0 on the mound, striking out 73 in 49 innings and posting a 1.71 ERA.
Among the newcomers to this year’s squad are East Brunswick’s Matt Niglio, Metsch, Matt Merrigan and Dan Storms, and Spotswood’s Rick Pace and Eric Hines.
In addition, Niglio said he is likely to call up East Brunswick native Bill Krapf and Spotswood’s Bobby Drako at some point this summer from the Junior Legion squad.
Niglio is confident that despite having an abundance of talent, he will be able to coordinate his team to make sure everyone gets enough playing time to be effective.
"I’ve coached most of these kids through Little League, so I’m familiar with what they’re capable of," he said. "And some of the other guys I coached in fall ball."
The strength of this year’s squad is the pitching staff, where any number of players are capable of shutting down the opposition.
"I’ve got 13 pitchers out of 16 players," Niglio said. "That’s a nice luxury to have, particularly when you come down to the playoffs. Once you get to that point, you play nine-inning games three or four times a week, so you need that depth."
Though Niglio is sure to mix his lineup throughout the season, he does have a set lineup in mind as the season reaches the midway point.
Forte will lead off in center field, with Feaster in the two spot while playing left field.
Hockenjos bats third at first base, with Affinito in the clean-up spot while handling the catching duties. Slavicek follows in right field, with either Metsch or Feneis up next at shortstop. Third baseman Shanahan bats eighth, with Anderson in the ninth spot and playing second base.
Thus far, Milltown has had a number of rainouts, and has yet to play consistent in all phases. But Niglio is happy with what he has seen, for the most part.
"We’ve really been hitting the ball well," he said. "Everything is starting to click for us."
In Tuesday’s win over New Brunswick, Lanzano and Feneis led the offensive attack with home runs, while Metsch threw five solid innings before giving way to Feaster, who closed the game out.
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July 4, 2002 --
Milltown squad looks to return to state tourney
American Legion team loaded with pitching
and hitting
By Richard Jerome
Staff Writer
With a 10-2 record thus far, Coach Brian Forte hopes for big things from his Milltown American Legion baseball team, which made it to the state sectionals last year before losing in the final that would have sent them to the states.
"We’re off to a much faster start this year," he said. "Our mission is to go beyond where we finished last season. We have a nice blend of pitching, defense and offense, which has helped us win some very close games."
Two of those were a 1-0 win over Old Bridge, in Milltown’s most recent clash, and a 2-1 edging of Clara Barton just before that.
The pitching aces are Joe Catenacci, a Spotswood High School graduate now at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, who advanced to the Junior College World Series, and East Brunswick senior-to-be Danny Lanzano.
Both hurlers have 3-0 records. Spotswood senior Greg Salvicek is the closer, and East Brunswick junior Andy Anderson is 1-0.
"He’s a real good prospect and he’s stepping up," said Forte.
Behind the plate, Chargers grad Kevin Brown is the catcher, a second team, all-state and first team, all-county pick attending Middlesex County College, Edison.Brown hit .486 for the Chargers this year with three homers and 25 RBIs. He hopes to provide similar offense for the Milltown squad this summer.
The first sacker, EBHS grad Chad Hockenjos, now at York College in Pennsylvania, leads the team in hitting at .450.
"We have a lot of kids rotating through the rest of the infield," said Forte, who is assisted by Tony Catenacci and Jeff Elias. "Our depth is one of our strengths."
As far as other prominent players, Peter Forte, the manager’s son, is in center field, a leadoff hitter and Spotswood alumnus now attending Brookdale. South River’s Mike Feaster is in left field and also plays second on occasion. Feaster was also an all-area pick this season after establishing himself as one of the Greater Middlesex Conference’s top offensive players the last few seasons.
Now vying for the Middlesex Senior Legion crown, Milltown played Carteret on Tuesday and met Old Bridge on Wednesday.
If the Milltown team continues to get the pitching and timely hitting it has thus far, Forte’s team will likely to be playing well into the state tournament once again.
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August 16, 2001 --
Milltown Legion Team Has Best Summer Season Yet
Team Makes State
Sectional Tournament
For The First Time
By Richard Jerome
Staff Writer
It was a memorable summer for the Milltown American Legion team, as Coach Bryan Forte’s Joyce Kilmer Post 25 club swept the Middlesex County tournament and made the state sectionals for the first time.
Composed of Milltown residents and players from Spotswood, East Brunswick, East Brunswick Vo-Tech and South River High Schools, the Kilmer squad went 17-9 in the regular season in the Middlesex American Legion loop and 5-2 in playoff competition, including a sweep of Edison’s Father and Son team to win the county and make the states.
Forte was impressed with his team’s overall play throughout the summer, and credited the players’ ability to play well together despite coming from different schools.
"I think our real strength was our complete balance," said Forte. "We have a number of kids from the Spotswood High School team, which was very strong this year."
Forte hails versatile Doug Rader of Milltown and Spotswood High as the team’s unofficial senior leader, noting that he played hard and set a quiet example for the others.
"He wasn’t able to pitch for the first part of the year but helped us tremendously at the end," said the first-year coach. "He also played left field, third base and first base for us."
Anchoring the mound staff was SHS’ Joe Catenacci, who faced Kilmer’s toughest opponents, abetted by fellow Charger Bruce McPherson, a shortstop-third baseman whom Forte calls "a quietly efficient, blue-collar type of player who comes to play."
Offensively, Peter Forte, also of SHS was a sparkplug, while Charger Kevin Brown was outstanding behind the plate.
"He did an excellent job with the pitching staff and on defense," Coach Forte said of Brown. "He missed 10 games in the middle of the season with a sore arm, though, and we really didn’t have a backup catcher."
That meant that South River’s Mike Feaster was pressed into service.
Also a key bat in the order, Feaster also played second base, shortstop, third base and in the outfield.
Helping out at third base when McPherson pitched was Spotswood’s Colin Feneis, while East Brunswick’s Chad Hockenjos played every inning of every game at first base. His EBHS mate Sean Cole played a solid right field.
"His brother, Kevin Cole, also helped us in the playoffs," added Forte, who was assisted by Bill Rader and Tony Catenacci. "Overall, this team succeeded because we had talent mixed with desire."
Playing well into the playoffs will help many of these players next year, as they return to their respective high school teams, or move on to look to play at the next level.
For those who are returning to high school, they will likely be facing many of their Post 25 teammates once the spring season rolls around, before hooking up again next summer.
And with this year’s success still fresh on their minds, the players and fans of the Joyce Kilmer Post 25 club are probably looking forward to another summer of Legion ball.
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MILLTOWN IN DISTRICT
July 20, 2005 --
Staff Report
The Milltown Junior American Legion baseball rallied in extra innings, thenhad to hold off North Brunswickcjarge in th ebottom half of the ninth yesterday to qualify for the district tournament next weekend with a 5-4 min.
The victory gave Milltown a 2-0 win in the best-of-three playoff series.
With the score tied 2-2, Greg Kammerer reached third base with one out in the top of the ninth inning. North Brunswick(11-8) intentinally waled the next two batters to load the bases. The stratgy backfired when Brian May singled up the middle to score Kammerer. John Berner later scored on an error. to give Milltown(14-4) a 5-2 lead.
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