Steinert baseball rolls as freshman Pittaro homers with three RBI in varsity debut

CJ Pittaro freshman steinert baseball
Steinert Freshman CJ Pittaro drills a home run in his first varsity baseball game against Hightstown. Photo by Michael A. Sabo

By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com

Apr. 1: As if being the cleanup hitter in his freshman year for one of Mercer County’s elite baseball programs isn’t tough enough, CJ Pittaro also gets to look in the outfield and see his father’s named and retired number hanging on the fence.

Pressure?

“Not really,” Pittaro said. “I just go out and try to contribute to the team any way I can. I just want to give us the best chance to win, do whatever I can to help us out.”

Pittaro did just that in his varsity debut, going 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in the Spartans’ season-opening, 17-1 win over Hightstown Saturday.

The game was moved from Hightstown to Steinert due to the weather, although the Spartans were still the visitors and batted first. Steinert took advantage of that by scoring four in the top of the first and three in the top of the second to take early control.

With the score 7-1 in the top of the third, Pittaro was the lone hitter in the lineup’s top five without a hit. That changed quickly as he delivered an RBI single. In the fourth, he crushed a two-run homer over the rightfield fence.

“Yeah, a little bit,” Pittaro said when asked if he was nervous. “My first at-bat, I was a little out front on the first pitch. I was a little jumpy, a little shaky but I settled down as the game went on and we played very well today.”

After a fly out and a ground out to first, Pittaro experienced his first varsity hit and RBI all at once.

“That was awesome,” he said. “It felt good to get it out of the way, now I don’t have to worry about it. With the home run, I got a good fastball, was lucky to put a good swing on it and pulled it down the line.”

Pittaro, whose grandfather Sonny was long-time Rider University coach and whose father Chris played on Steinert’s first state championship team in 1978 before going on to a Major League career, is wise beyond his years when it comes to baseball.

“He’s got a pretty good pedigree,” Steinert coach Brian “The Chef” Giallella said. “He’s a baseball player.”

Pittaro was the starting second baseman for Hamilton Post 31 coming out of eighth grade last summer.

“If you can hit, you can hit,” Post 31 coach Rich Giallella said, noting that age doesn’t matter.

CJ felt the legion experience kept him from being overwhelmed by varsity baseball in 9th grade.

“Definitely,” he said. “I was a little nervous to start the summer last year. Now it just feels like I’m going out there again. It’s a great group of guys, they’re all welcoming. It’s fun, no pressure anymore. I’m settled in, I’m having fun.”

All the Spartans had fun in this one as Steinert collected 18 hits, including four home runs and five doubles.

“I thought we had an awesome approach at the plate,” Giallella said. “That’s something we’ve been preaching in the preseason, to have aggressive swings, to know counts, to know situations. We played great defense and we threw strikes. That’s a good combination.”

Joey Sacco, batting out of the two hole, was 3-for-3 with three RBI, five runs scored and a home run.

“I just try to get on base,” said Sacco, who has moved from second to short this season. “Singles, walks, whatever you can do to get on.”

The junior, now in his third year of starting on varsity, said his fifth-inning home run wouldn’t make him think he’s a slugger.

“No way,” he said. “I’m in the two hole, I try to get on base. I’ve got guys like Ryan (Mostrangeli), (Jake) Beyer, C.J. behind me. Let them get the RBIs so I can score all the runs.”

Mostrangeli and Beyer did just that. Mostrangeli had a monster day, going 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double, five RBI and five runs scored. Beyer was 3-for-3 with a double, four RBI and two runs.

“One through nine we are all hitting the ball,” Mostrangeli said. “It just made me feel better up there. I saw pitches I could hit and I drove it.”

Mostrangeli’s first homer came on the first pitch he saw of the season.

“That felt outstanding,” he said. “My leadoff batter and number two both got on base, that made me more anxious up at the plate.”

Drayven Kowalski chipped in with a double and run scored, Alex Coleman had a pinch-double and run scored, Jake Muller had an RBI single and Chris Cote had a single and two RBI.

David Stec got the win, throwing four innings of four-hit ball. Ryan Meszaros pitched the fifth as the game ended on the mercy rule.
Giallella noted that his team has a different complexion than last year, with an entirely new infield and nearly and entirely new pitching staff. He likes what he has to work with.

“We have a lot of baseball players on this team that know how to play the game and are into the game,” the Chef said. “It’s different than we’ve had here before. They’re young, they’re hungry, they’re wide-eyed, they’re ready to listen and learn and that’s great. It makes them great to coach.”


EXTRA INNINGS:

Sacco has chosen Kanye West as his walk-up music this year. Asked why he didn’t pick a song from his dad Mark’s recently released “It’s Just Me” CD, Joey said with a laugh “I’m gonna wait until he charts up a little.” For those who want a sample of the album, visit https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/marksacco2. . .

On Apr. 24, Steinert meets Hamilton in a night game at DeMeo Field. The Veterans Park facility, which has been completely overhauled, is going to re-dedicate the field, keeping it the same name as DeMeo’s wife flies in for the ceremony. More information will be released when it is received.

About The Author


Rich Fisher has been around the Hamilton Township sports scene for so long that he actually got Rich Giallella’s autograph when Giallella was still a player! Proud product of Hamilton YMCA and Lou Gehrig baseball leagues and former teammate of Jim Maher on a very average Barton & Cooney rec basketball team, Fish graduated from Nottingham Junior High and Steinert High school and has covered township sports since 1980. His goal in life is to convince Maria Prato that Jersey tomatoes are at least 100 times better than California tomatoes.