Hillsborough Wood Bat League Gears Up for Competition
By: Kyle Pucciarello
6/30/08
In baseball, sometimes changing leagues can be just as daunting as pitching against an All-Star.
Just ask Barry Zito.
After three straight successful seasons, including a league championship in 2006, in the Garden State Wood Bat League, the Hillsborough squad decided to jump to the Pyramid Baseball League.
“The basic reason to change leagues was economics,” said manager Bob Pucciarello. “The teams in the GSBL were all over NJ and it made sense to cut down on our travel and stay closer to home.”
The league squares Hillsborough up against impressive teams from Hunterdon, Bridgewater, Clinton and Montgomery.
At the league’s halfway point, Hillsborough, coached by Pucciarello and “Uncle” Tony Kosek, is a discouraging 1-7.
“I would not say I am disappointed with our play so far,” coach Pucciarello said. “The guys hustle on every play and we have stayed competitive in every game but one.”
The team’s lone victory came against Montgomery in the first week of the season.
Losing 2-1 in the 6th inning, first baseman Kyle Pucciarello came through with a clutch RBI double to even up the score.
Bryan D’Anunciacao came in to relieve starter Ernie Lukacs in the 6th, pitching well but allowing two unearned runs on Hillsborough miscues, giving Montgomery a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the 7th and final inning, Hillsborough rallied to tie the game at four a piece. After walks and an error loaded the bases, with two outs and Hillsborough down by one, catcher Keith Laufhutte roped a single up the middle, scoring two to seal the victory for Hillsborough.
Few would have guessed that this would be Hillsborough’s only victory up to this point of the season.
The change in leagues also brought with it an upgrade in competition.
“We knew it would be a step up as most of the teams are carrying a full compliment of college players,” said Bob Pucciarello. “It only became a concern before the season started when we learned that three of our starters from last year would be out for the season with injuries.”
Two of these players, Andy Pogorzelski and Nick McKee, had the highest on-base percentages on the team in 2007.
Centerfielder Rob Restaino, one of the best all-around players in the league, was sidelined with a devastating arm injury.
“Rob hit over .600 last year and Andy was always on base ahead of him. The two of them alone accounted for a lot of our rallies,” said Siegel. “It’s definitely had its effect.”
But getting on base hasn’t been the problem for Hillsborough. In fact, it has been one of their strengths.
Andy Perhac and D’Anunciacao lead the team with on-base percentages of .423 and .421, respectively. Andrew Infante and Jason Scala also find themselves on base close to 40 percent of the time.
However, the team is leaving an average of nine men on base in each of their games, squandering many opportunities for runs in the process.
As a team, Hillsborough is batting just .196 and has scored just 15 runs in their eight games. Their on-base percentage, however, is a respectable .301.
On the other side of the ball, Hillsborough has had issues with fielding. Hillsborough has already committed more errors this year than their entire 2007 season, averaging close to four a game.
With the second half of the season yet to be played Hillsborough can look towards one of its strengths: pitching.
Lukacs has been as good as ever, pitching to a 1.54 ERA and walking just four batters in 23 innings. Chris Sasso has gotten his control back and is en route to picking up where he left off last year.
D’Anuncicao has pitched very effectively in relief, boasting a 2.80 ERA. Laufhutte, who splits Sunday double headers between pitching and catching, has also been effective, striking out 8 in just 13 innings.
With half of their season still to play, Hillsborough knows what it has to improve upon in order to be more competitive and win the rest of their games.
“If we can field up to our ability, and hit better in the clutch spots, I would consider a .500 record in the second half of the season to be an achievable goal,” coach Pucciarello said.
Siegel warns not to Hillsborough out just yet.
“I think we're gonna surprise some of these teams in the second half,” he said. “We have a strong group of guys who have won on every level they played, and they'll win at this one too.”