Baseball – Player and Pitcher of the Week Vote, Week 2
Each week for the remainder of the baseball season, Shore Sports Network will select both players and pitchers of the week from each of the six Shore Conference divisions and open up the voting to the readers in order to pick an overall Player of the Week. In addition to the six pitchers and players from each division, there will be two wild cards in each category who will be placed on the ballot. Vote early, vote often, and vote until Wednesday at 10 p.m., when the voting will close and the winners will be posted.
Class A North
Player of the Week
Mark Costanzo, Freehold Boro
Freehold Boro’s offense has picked up recently and Costanzo has been at the center of the surge. He homered and drove in five runs in a loss to Manalapan and made it two straight games with a home run when he went deep in a 9-3 Colonials win over Howell.
Pitcher of the Week
Dillon Pellecchia, Colts Neck
Colts Neck is on a three-game winning streak and the biggest win of that run is a 1-0 win over CBA. Pellecchia pitched the two-hit shutout in that one, walking none and striking out six along the way.
Player of the Week Honorable Mention: Joe Kohm, Colts Neck; Spencer Bauer, CBA; Rob Gargano, Manalapan; Dylan Taliaferro, Neptune; Aedan Martin, Neptune; Steven Bullen, Manalapan; Mike Pirrotta, Freehold Twp.; Blaise Venancio, CBA; Ron Cole, Neptune; Sebastian JnoBaptiste, Neptune
Class A Central
Player of the Week
Sal Monticciolo, Holmdel
Holmdel went 3-0 this week thanks to a red-hot lineup that put up 34 runs in three games, led by Monticciolo. The junior first baseman went 7-for-11 this week with a pair of doubles and a triple while also driving in four runs.
Pitcher of the Week
Kyle Gamble, Matawan
The A Central race is a dead heat between Raritan and Matawan thanks, in large part, to Gamble, who spun a six-hit shutout last Wednesday in Matawan’s 1-0 win over Raritan.
Player of the Week Honorable Mention: Alex Lamattina, Raritan; Mike Trapani, Matawan; Matt Birdsall, Raritan; Alec Licato, Holmdel; Will Grant, Red Bank
Class A South
Player of the Week
T.J. Scuderi, Toms River South
Scuderi started his week by going 5-for-5 with a triple in an 11-2 win over Toms River North and also threw out a runner on the base paths from right field. The junior then went 3-for-4 with a double and RBI and tossed 5 1/3 innings of relief to earn his third win as Toms River South beat Central.
Pitcher of the Week
Nick DeGennaro, Toms River East
The Raiders got in the win column for the first time this year behind DeGennaro, who pitched a three-hit shutout last Thursday against Jackson Memorial. DeGennaro struck out seven and also went 3-for-4 with the lone RBI in Toms River East’s 1-0 win.
Player of the Week Honorable Mention: Alex Iadisernia, Jackson Memorial; Craig Larsen, Toms River North; Ben Montenegro, Toms River South; Matt Stadelberger, Brick; Nolan Watson, Southern
Class B North
Player of the Week
Tommy Sheehan, Manasquan
Sheehan earned himself a scholarship to Notre Dame and is getting looks from MLB organizations because of his pitching prowess, but he threw in some thunderous offense last week to go with a solid outing in a win over Red Bank Catholic. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI against RBC and then went 3-for-3 with a double and a triple in a win over Middletown South.
Pitcher of the Week
Garrett French, Middletown North
French turned in two gems last week – the first one a 1-0 win over Long Branch and the second a Monmouth County Tournament win over Red Bank Regional. He struck out 12 in a two-hitter against Long Branch on April 17 and, five days later, struck out nine while allowing one earned run in a five-hitter against Red Bank. French also tripled and drove in the lone run in the win over Long Branch.
Player of the Week Honorable Mention: Tom Collazo, Matawan; Aaron Ahn, Red Bank Catholic; Anthony DeRosa, Red Bank Catholic; Tommy Antonucci, Manasquan; Mike Mercier, Middletown North; Chris Price, Middletown North; Charlie Kelly, Monmouth; Ryan Napolitano, Wall; Trey Dombroski, Wall
Class B Central
Player of the Week
John Nista, Point Beach
Nista flung it and swung it against Keansburg last week, striking out 11 in five innings and going 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI to lead the Garnet Gulls to the win. The next day, he went 3-for-3 again, this time with a triple and two RBI in a win over Asbury Park. For the week, Nista went 8-for-13 at the plate.
Pitcher of the Week
Brandon Mology, St. Rose
Mology has made two starts and has cruised through both. He beat Manasquan in a five-inning shutout and then went seven innings this past Saturday in shutting out Rumson-Fair Haven. Mology struck out 10 while pitching a two-hit shutout and improving to 2-0.
Player of the Week Honorable Mention: Riley Maypother, St. Rose; Ryan Turner, Mater Dei; Kevin Donnelly, Point Beach; Sam Sestito, St. Rose
Class B South
Player of the Week
Anthony Elefante, Lacey
Elefante tossed a two-hitter with eight strikeouts in a win over Barnegat and also clouted a home run in the win to help the Lions add another win to a winning streak that currently sits at seven games.
Pitcher of the Week
Rich Dordas, Jackson Liberty
Dordas turned in a career performance last Thursday, when he allowed one earned run on three hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts over seven innings. Despite his best efforts, Donovan Catholic outlasted Jackson Liberty, 3-2, in 10 innings.
Player of the Week Honorable Mention: Tom Paul, Point Boro; Gavin Pabst, Manchester; Brandon Haggerty, Lacey; Don Zellman, Lacey; Joey Ventresca, Pinelands; Rich Dordas, Jackson Liberty; Zach Mann, Donovan Catholic
Wild Cards
Player of the Week
Joe Kohm, Colts Neck
Kohm socked three extra-base hits this week – one each against Freehold Township, Marlboro and St. John Vianney. He tripled in a loss to Freehold Township, doubled in a 2-for-4 performance against Marlboro and doubled home another run on Saturday in an MCT win over St. John Vianney.
Mike Trapani, Matawan
Trapani delivered two big hits last week, one each in one-run wins over Raritan and Freehold Township. Trapani doubled, stole third and scored in a 1-0 win over Raritan and rocked the game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the 12th to end Matawan’s 2-1, extra-inning win over Freehold Township in the MCT first round.
Pitcher of the Week
Ryan Napolitano, Wall
The sophomore right-hander continued his emergence as Wall’s go-to pitcher last week, throwing a complete-game in a 3-2 win over Monmouth that pulled the Crimson Knights into a three-way tie atop B North. Napolitano struck out 10 while allowing five hits and one walk against one of the Shore’s top lineups.
Chris Price, Middletown North
Another Middletown North pitcher on this week’s list, Price shutout Red Bank Catholic’s potent lineup last Wednesday in his first varsity start. Armed with a knuckleball, Price limited RBC to five hits and two walks in seven innings as the Lions notched a big 4-0 win.