Steinert catcher Drayven Kowalski drives a single in the 4th inning. Kowalski would go 3 for 3 against Hopewell. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com
Apr. 21: The first thing one notices about Drayven Kowalski is the long hair flowing out from beneath his catching and batting helmets.
Kowalski would like people to start noticing his bat as well, and he may have taken the right step toward that on Friday.
The junior catcher went 3-for-3 with two RBI to help Steinert’s baseball team to a 12-2, six-inning mercy rule win over visiting Hopewell Valley. In beating the Bulldogs twice in three days, Steinert (11-1, 5-1 Patriot) has taken a one-game lead in the Colonial Valley Conference Patriot Division race over HoVal (6-4, 4-2) with two division games left.
After scoring seven runs in the top of the seventh to overtake Hopewell on Wednesday, the Spartans scored seven more in the top of the first today and maintained control throughout the game.
Ryan Meszaros improved to 2-0, allowing two hits and five walks while striking out three in five innings. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
Ryan Meszaros improved to 2-0, allowing two hits and five walks while striking out three in five innings. Madison Balke threw a scoreless sixth while starting a 1-6-3 double play, Steinert’s third of the day.
The Spartans smothered the Bulldogs before they knew what happened, as the first seven batters reached base and scored runs. Jake Beyer had a two-run triple in the inning, while CJ Pittaro, Kowalski, Chris Cote and Joey Sacco had RBI singles.
Before it was over, Steinert had collected 13 hits in winning its sixth straight since its stunning loss to Lawrence. Mostrangeli had two hits, a run and RBI, Sacco had two hits, two RBI and a run, Pittaro had two RBI and scored twice, ninth hitter Chris Cote was 2-for-2 with a run and RBI and Brady Plunkett ended the game with an RBI single.
Madison Balke worked 1 inning in the sixth in Steinert’s win against Hopewell. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
But the big offensive star had to be Kowalski, who is in his first year starting behind the plate. Drayven entered batting .111 (2-for-18) and had two bad swings in his first at-bat before enjoying his first three-hit varsity game.
“I hope so,” Kowalski said when asked if he was becoming a hitter. “I was in a big slump, it was good to get out there and get some hits. Yesterday I stayed after practice with Big G (Rich Giallella). He was helping me stay back. I was kind of leaning forward with crappy swings. Today I stayed behind the ball and drove it.”
Steinert coach Brian “The Chef” Giallella said his main concern with Kowalski is defensively, but he also expects him to hit.
Drayven Kowalski chats with his pitcher Ryan Meszaros. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
“He had three today, that’s pretty darn good,” Giallella said. “First off, of course with him, is our pitchers, but he has to hit. He has to put the ball in play. At first it was a lot of strikeouts and a lot of non-quality at-bats, I think he’d be the first to say that.”
Kowalski, who did not play with most of the Spartans in little league or Babe Ruth, is enjoying his first year as a regular after playing behind Kenny Zahn as a sophomore.
“It feels really good getting out there every day, trying to keep our pitching staff in line,” Kowalski said. “Kenny taught me some things, especially with high school because I was never in town ball, I was always travel. He just taught me about keeping the discipline and everything, so it was pretty good.”
The fact Kowalski got some hits is a plus for the Spartans, who had not been getting a lot from the bottom of their lineup. But with he and Cote going a combined 5-for-5, Giallella hopes it’s a harbinger of things to come.
“With our second half of the lineup, if we put the ball in play and are able to handle the bat by bunting and moving the guys over, it makes it easy for the top four or five guys,” Giallella said. “We have Cote in the ninth spot and he’s able to flip the lineup over. We asked him to do that and he’s taken it and run with it.”
Cote, who had just four hits entering the game, takes pride in setting things up for the mashers who lead off.
“You see that the top of our lineup can hit the ball, so I know what I can do,” he said. “I try to roll that lineup over and do the best I can down there. I like batting ninth, you get to watch and see what’s going on and you can have a good approach when you go up there.”
The senior, who doesn’t look like he’s put on one pound since his Nottingham Little League days, is in his first year of starting at third base.
“At first I was a little nervous,” he said. “But I’m playing with my best friends, baseball’s a good game so I’m having a lot of fun.”
Joey Sacco turns a double play. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
Not to be overlooked was the defensive play of Sacco, who was in the middle of all three double plays. He turned a 6-6-3 twin-killing in the first, started a 4-6-3 DP in the fourth and was the middle man when Balke started the final one. Sacco also made an unbelievable backhand play in the hole and gunned down Andy Blake from the outfield grass to end the fifth.
Luckie pitches Nottingham past Ewing
Freshman Pat Luckie fired a two-hitter with one walk and two strikeouts to pitch Nottingham to a 9-1 win over Ewing, giving the Northstars (8-3) their fourth straight win.
Nick Houghton had two hits and two RBI, David Scott (RBI), Josh Sikorski (RBI) and Phil Rojek each had a hit and run scored, Christian Fuentes had a hit and RBI, and Bryce Fremgen had two RBI and a run scored.
