Baseball – SSN Players of the Week, April 28 to May 4
**Player of the Week selections are made by Shore Sports Network staff writer Matt Manley based on stats and information reported to Shore Sports Network during the week.
Shore Sports Network Player of the Week
Carmen Sclafani, Jr., Brick
Sclafani developed a reputation as a big-game hitter as a sophomore with Toms River North last year and while he hasn’t done anything to damage that reputation, he has also shown signs of becoming a dominant offensive player as well. Sclafani opened the week by going 5-for-6 with three doubles in a win over Point Beach and later carried the Green Dragons offense in a 4-2, Ocean County Tournament win over Brick Memorial by going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
Pitcher of the Week
Andrew DiPiazza, Sr., Central
There was plenty of good pitching in Class B South and around the Shore Conference in general, but it’s hard to top the week that DiPiazza turned in for the Golden Eagles. He started the week with a complete-game two-hitter against Lacey last Monday, closed the Golden Eagles’ 6-5 Ocean County Tournament win against Point Boro with a scoreless inning on Saturday, then came back on Sunday to throw a one-hit masterpiece against Toms River South in the OCT quarterfinals. For the week, DiPiazza threw 15 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with three walks and 24 strikeouts while picking up two wins and a save.
Class A North Player of the Week
Will Meany, Jr., Manalapan
The plan was to favor tournament performances over regular-season performances this week, but Meany’s game against Middletown North on Tuesday was too massive to pass up. Meany went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a three-run double to give him seven RBI in the Braves’ 16-6 win over the Lions. Colts Neck kept him in check in two games at the end of the week, but he did make a nice sliding catch in the Monmouth County Tournament loss to the Cougars on Saturday.
Runners Up: Chris Talbott, Freehold Township; Gianni Magliaro, Colts Neck; Trey Nelson, CBA; Rob Napolitano, Howell
Pitcher of the Week
Luca Dalatri, So., CBA
Another week, another pair of dominant performances by Dalatri, who improved to 6-0 with wins over Freehold Township and Wall. CBA has used Dalatri on four days rest three times this year and in those starts, the right-hander has not allowed a run in 19 innings. His six-inning shutout of the Crimson Knights in the Monmouth County Tournament on Saturday came four days after he pitched a complete-game three-hitter against the hottest team in the Shore Conference.
Runners Up: Austin Markmann, Middletown South; Joe Ellerman, Freehold Twp.; Andrew Nardi, Marlboro; Ryan Wares, Howell
Class A Central Player of the Week
Thomas Culligan, Sr., Rumson-Fair Haven
The Bulldogs continued to win last week and their senior third baseman pulled his weight with a few key hits in division wins over Holmdel and Monmouth. Culligan went 2-for-3 with an RBI in a 4-1 win over Monmouth and then delivered a two-run double during a five-run fifth-inning that propelled Rumson to a 5-4 win over Monmouth, whose starter Jon Bonczyck had taken a no-hitter into the fifth.
Runners Up: Anthony LaVigne, St. John Vianney; Brendan Madigan, Red Bank Catholic; Nick Glasnor, Raritan; Max Goione, Rumson-Fair Haven
Pitcher of the Week
Matt Cosentino, Sr., Shore
The senior left-hander has already turned in a great performance this week, but this recognition stems from just one game last week in which Cosentino did it all for the Blue Devils, who have righted the ship after a five-game losing streak dropped them to 6-6. In a 3-1 win over Monmouth last Monday, Cosentino took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before surrendering the first Falcons hit of the game with one out in the frame. He finished by allowing three hits and no walks while striking out five in a complete-game victory, and he also hit a solo home run in the game to help his cause.
Runners Up: Shane McCarthy, Rumson-Fair Haven; Tom Sheehan, Manasquan; John Poccia, Red Bank Catholic; Steve McPeek, St. John Vianney; Joe Liddy, Red Bank Catholic
Class A South Player of the Week
Carmen Sclafani, Jr., Brick (See above)
Runners Up: Jeff Ciervo, Toms River North; Tyler Folger, Toms River South; Anthony Ferlise, Toms River North; Nick Matteo, Brick Memorial
Pitcher of the Week
Chandler Thompson, Jr., Toms River South
The Indians left-hander fired the third no-hitter of the season in the Shore Conference – the second five-inning no-hitter – in his team’s 10-0 win over Lakewood in five innings. Thompson struck out eight, walked two and faced just two over the minimum thanks to a double-play he induced in the fourth inning. Whatever luster the no-hitter might lose because it was only five innings should be restored by the fact that Lakewood’s offense had entered the game swinging the bats well, including a seven-extra-base hit game against Barnegat earlier in the week.
Runners Up: Stephen Cole, Brick; Evan Lobato, Brick; Tyler Goodman, Brick Memorial; Doug Molnar, Toms River North, Brett Hyers, Toms River North
Class B North Player of the Week
Anthony Bartolomei, Sr., Ocean
The Spartans senior performed at the plate and on the mound during the week to help Ocean go 3-0 with wins over Freehold, Red Bank and Mater Dei Prep. Bartolomei hit a key two-run double in a 3-1 win over Freehold last Monday and also had two hits the help his own cause against Mater Dei on Saturday. In that win over the Seraphs, Bartolomei went four innings to earn the win in an 11-1 Spartans victory in five innings.
Runners Up: Anthony Brier, Long Branch; Nick Smith, Matawan; Dante Cuzzolino, Freehold; Connor Mullan, Long Branch; Sean O’Connell, Red Bank; Ryan Orender, Wall
Pitcher of the Week
Blake Demeter, Jr., Ocean
The Spartans make it a clean sweep in B North for the week thanks to Bartolomei and Demeter. Ocean got three good pitching performances during the week, led by Demeter’s first career shutout in a 1-0 win over Red Bank. The junior allowed only five hits and struck out six while outdueling Red Bank’s A.J. Forgione.
Runners Up: Christian Hernandez, Long Branch; Bobby Patterson, Wall; Ryan Lillie, Ocean; A.J. Forgione, Red Bank
Class B Central
Ryan Leary, Sr., Keyport
Leary started the week with a big day at the plate at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood and continued hitting for the rest of the week. He went 2-for-4 with a double, triple, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base in a loss to Mater Dei in the BlueClaws' home ballpark, then went 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI in a win over Henry Hudson and capped the week with a 3-for-4 game in a win over Ranney that included a double, two runs, two RBI and two stolen bases. In all, Leary went 8-for-11 with two doubles, a triple, seven runs scored, five RBI and three stolen bases in Keyport’s three games.
Runners Up: Patric Donohue, Mater Dei Prep; Sam Miles, Mater Dei Prep; Eric Chandler, Keyport; Matt Oujo, St. Rose; Mike Politano, Keansburg
Pitcher of the Week
Pat Fullman, Jr., St. Rose
Fullman threw the first of two five-inning no-hitters in the Shore Conference this past week by shutting down Asbury Park in an 11-0 Purple Roses win last Monday. Fullman struck out nine and walked four in his second win of the season, the first coming just four days earlier in a one-hitter against Henry Hudson over five innings.
Runners Up: Anthony Stanziale, Mater Dei Prep; Jeff Deufel, Point Beach
Class B South Player of the Week
Ivan Marks, Sr., Lakewood
Marks and teammate Jaison Jerez led Lakewood’s offensive assault against Barnegat last Monday, resulting in an 8-2 win over the Bengals. Marks and Jerez each went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run in the win and Marks followed up that game by going 2-for-4 with two RBI in a loss to Monmouth on Saturday.
Runners Up: Nik Fraim, Barnegat; Kyle Tavaska, Jackson Liberty; Jaison Jerez, Lakewood; Bryan Mulligan, Monsignor Donovan; Terrence Berkley, Point Boro
Pitcher of the Week
Andrew DiPiazza, Sr., Central (See above)
Runners Up: Jason Groome, Barnegat; James Sofield, Jackson Liberty; Howard Taylor, Jackson Liberty; Steven Acosta, Lakewood; Dan Serreino, Jackson Liberty
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