Baseball – Toms River South Takes Down Group IV Champ Jackson Memorial in Opener

JACKSON TWP. – The Jackson Memorial baseball team opened its 2015 season Wednesday as the defending NJSIAA Group IV champion, but that was not a consideration for the Jaguars’ opponent at Larry D’Zio Field.

For the Toms River South baseball team, opening day was motivation enough.

The Indians – No. 7 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 – scratched across two runs in the top of the seventh inning and held on for a 4-2 win over the No. 2 Jaguars to open up their season victorious against the defending champs and their Shore Conference Class A South rival.

“We were excited to play, but Jackson had nothing to do with it,” Toms River South coach Ken Frank said. “It’s opening day and it’s a chance to win a game. Jackson’s got a really good team, Frank Malta is a great coach and we were fortunate to come out of here with a win. We came here and played our game and that made the difference.”

“We play these guys every year so it’s not really any different,” said senior Ray Liguori, who pitched a scoreless seventh for the save and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. “It’s the first game, so we wanted to start the year with a win.”

Junior center fielder Mike Conover led off the top of the seventh with an infield single and scored the winning run on an infield single by Spencer Kapp. After a sacrifice bunt by junior Anthony Carfora, senior left fielder Ryan Shiffer worked a one-out walk and senior shortstop Austin Gonella singled on a sharp ground ball to Jaguars shortstop Brandon Janofsky, who made a diving stop to his backhand side but did not have time to throw out any of the runners.

Kapp followed with a one-hopper back to the mound that Jackson Memorial sophomore Dylan Kanner knocked down and fired home, but too late to throw out Conover after the junior got a good jump on the contact.

Kapp finished 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI to help lead the Indians' offense.

After Toms River South added a run in the seventh on a base-loaded walk by Jake Ryan, Liguori pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the save and extend his scoreless innings streak to 13 1/3 innings dating back to last year.

“I like coming into games in the seventh inning knowing I control the game and if I do my job, we win the game,” Liguori said.

Liguori also doubled home a run in the first inning - the second of back-to-back doubles by Kapp and Liguori that staked the Indians to a 1-0 lead.

“(Jackson starter Ryan Takacs) was around the plate all game, and we expected that,” Liguori said. “We were expecting to get a first pitch to hit, most likely a fastball, so we were ready for it.”

Carfora earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief after taking over for starter Chandler Thompson to start the bottom of the fourth. He struck out four batters and walked one.

“Anthony Carfora’s got a big heart,” Frank said of the 5-foot-8 junior right-hander, who is also the Indians starting second baseman. “He’s getting looked at by colleges as a pitcher. That’s what they like him as.”

Carfora escaped both the fourth and fifth innings by stranding a runner in scoring position in each frame. With runners on second and third and one out in the bottom of the fifth, he struck out Jaguars left fielder Rich Rountree and induced an inning-ending, fielder’s choice groundout to Liguori at third base to end the threat. He then finished his three-inning relief stint with a 1-2-3 sixth, capping his outing with a strikeout to end the inning.

“He’s a bulldog on the mound,” Frank said. “He’s got guts and fire and he throws hard for a little guy.”

Designated hitter Corey Nase also chipped in an RBI single in the top of the fourth inning to pull Toms River South even at 2-2 after Jackson Memorial had taken the lead with a two-run third.

Junior Kyle Johnson went 2-for-3 with a run scored out of the leadoff spot to lead Jackson Memorial. First baseman Chris Hawryluk went 2-for-3 with two singles and had a potential extra-base hit taken away on a leaping catch in left field by Shiffer in the sixth

Jackson Memorial senior right-hander Ryan Takacs allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and one walk over six innings in taking the no-decision.

Toms River South has now won three of its last four games at Jackson Memorial.

“I was just happy at 2-2 that we were in the game and it was going to make it respectable,” Frank said. “That’s what you need playing in A South. Every game is a battle and you need to be ready to compete every day, no matter who you face, and we faced a good team today.”

Box Score

Toms River South 4, Jackson Memorial 2

2B: Kapp, Liguori
SAC: Carfora

SB: Johnson, Janofsky

Pitches-Strikes: Thompson 61-36, Carfora 54-36, Liguori 16-10, Takacs 76-53, Kanner 26-14
Groundouts-Flyouts: Thompson 3-2, Carfora 4-1, Liguori 2-1, Takacs 7-5, Kanner 1-1