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Sports

Neptune Pummels Point Pleasant Beach Baseball 10-2

Six-run second inning and a stellar performance from Austin Thomas snap Gulls' win streak

Neptune High School rocked Point Pleasant Beach baseball, 10-2, at the G. Harold Antrim Varsity field on Friday afternoon.

Neptune starting pitcher Austin Thomas was masterful against the Garnett Gulls. The righty hurler went the distance allowing two runs and six hits, while striking out 12 batters.

“It’s good to have our ace back at full health,” said Neptune head coach Bob Huzzy. “He’s coming off a back injury and we had to sit him (Thomas) out for a week. But it’s fair to say that the time off really helped him out.”

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The Gulls spotted Thomas a five-run lead after the Scarlett Fliers scored six runs and sent 12 men to the plate in the top of the second inning against Point Beach hurlers Matt Percheski and Anthony Capodanno.

Neptune led off the frame behind back-to-back singles by Lou Rachelle and A.J. Eldridge. Both runners advanced on a balk, and came around to score on a two-run single by Zack Ficter.

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After retiring the next two batters, Percheski allowed a towering shot to Neptune’s Bobby Stawsky that was originally ruled a two-run homer, but was  reversed to a run-scoring double after a brief conference by umpires.

“I had a great view of the play and I saw the ball go over the fence, no doubt in my mind,” said Huzzy. “I hate to see a home run taken away from a kid that never hit a home run before, thankfully he came around to score, but you hate to see that.”

Following the controversial double, Neptune’s Jason Richard belted another double down the left field line which brought home Stawsky and stretched the Scarlett Fliers lead to 4.

From that point, Percheski lost control of the strike zone, walking two and hitting a batter, which forced home two more runners.

Capodanno was summoned to put out the fire, but promptly hit Eldridge in his second at bat of the inning, which forced home yet another run and capped the six-run inning for Neptune.

The Point Beach reliever settled down to throw a scoreless fourth, but issued three walks in the top of the fifth that led to three more runs.

The one bright spot for Point Beach was the play of outfielder Alan Nieto, who  went 3-4 with two doubles, a triple and an RBI.

“He was certainly the big highlight of the day for us,” said Point Beach head coach Ty Hawkins. “Alan has been hitting real well for us all year and he had real good at bats against their guy all game long.”

With the defeat, Point Beach’s win streak ends at 2. The Gulls will look to get back on track on Tuesday afternoon at Raritan High School.

“The next few games, we hope we can get ourselves in the best possible position, to be ready for the (NJSIAA) state tournament,” Hawkins said. “The guys have competed all year and that’s all you can ask for.”  

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