Point Pleasant Borough Baseball Snaps Three Game Losing Skid and Defeats Barnegat 5-2

Point Borough baseball snapped its three-game losing streak, after they rallied to score four runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning for a 5 to 2 victory over Barnegat at the Point Borough varsity field on Monday morning. 

After Barnegat scored two unearned runs in the top half of the sixth inning off Point Borough ace John Dunbar, Point Borough’s bats erupted in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

Point Borough’s four-run sixth inning was sparked by back-to-back hits by the eight and ninth batters in the lineup respectively.

Mike Matthews led off the inning with a double and was followed up with a single to right field by ninth place hitter Rob Pawlak.

The Panthers, who struggled to leave nine runners on base through the first five innings, were finally able to come through with timely hits.

First basemen Dane Gahr delivered a two-run single into left field that gave Point Borough a 3-2 advantage.

Gahr’s single was followed up by a Deven DelPriore RBI single, which extended the Panthers lead to 4-2.

Point Borough went on to score their fourth run of the inning on a Barnegat fielding miscue.  

“I can’t ask for a better way to start an inning,” said Point Borough head coach David Drew. “It was a great job by those guys, I have a lot of confidence in all the kids in the lineup. It was a matter of stringing those timely hits together and today we were lucky enough to do that.”

The 3-5 Panthers received another sensational outing from Dunbar. The junior hurler who has become a strikeout machine for Point Borough went the distance, allowed only 3 hits and struck out 14 Barnegat batters.

For a pitcher who has been a victim of poor run support and some bad luck, Dunbar was very appreciative of the offensive outburst of his teammates to help him finally earn his first victory of the season.

“When I walked off the mound after the sixth, I kept thinking to myself about the other starts that got away,” said Dunbar. “But I knew that my team was going to find a way today. We’ve been swinging the bats well in practice and I knew we would get this one.”

Dunbar, who in each of his last three starts pitched well enough to win, was relieved to finally win his first varsity game.

“It felt really good to get this one, it’s such a relief,” said Dunbar. “Today was one of those games where everything was working for me.”

Dunbar received today’s game ball from Drew who, like his starting pitcher, was relieved that his team was able to win the hurler his first game.

“I’m so happy for him,” said Drew. “The poor kid has been pitching lights out in every game he’s pitched, he deserved to win today and we got it for him.”

Point Borough will try to make it two in a row on Wednesday when they take on Lakewood.

“I hope that we’re able to get this rolling,” said Drew. “We know we’re a good team, just have to keep taking it one game at a time and we like our chances.”