Baseball – Shiffer’s Three Knocks, More Strong Pitching Lead Jersey Shore to Carpenter Cup Semis

PHILADELPHIA - In the first round of the Carpenter Cup last Thursday, Toms River South junior T.J. Scuderi played the starring role in a Jersey Shore win. In Monday's quarterfinal against Tri-Cape, it was Indians senior second baseman Matt Shiffer who stole the show early.

Shiffer went 3-for-3 with a double, a pair of runs scored, an RBI and two stolen bases to help account for five runs in the first four innings and the Shore took down Tri-Cape, 5-2, at FDR Park to advance to Friday's semifinal round at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Shiffer and Christian Brothers Academy shortstop Tommy DiTullio both singled and scored in the first inning - Shiffer on the back end of a double-steal with DiTullio and DiTullio on a balk.

Tri-Cape tied the game at 2-2 with a run each in the second and third innings against junior right-hander Matt Pickus of Jackson Liberty, but Shiffer and DiTullio ignited another rally in the third. Shiffer led off the inning with an infield single, followed by a walk to DiTullio.

After a fielder's choice ground out by CBA junior Nick Hohenstein set up runners on the corners, Shiffer scored on a passed ball and Hohenstein, who stole second, moved to third. Holmdel junior Sal Monticciolo followed with a line-drive single to center to plate Hohenstein with the fourth Jersey Shore run.

Shiffer capped the scoring in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI double to center field that chased home Manalapan senior Steven Bullen.

Pickus worked the first three innings for the Shore squad and Wall sophomore left-hander Trey Dombroski followed with three shutout frames to earn the win and get the game to the Shore's effective three-man back-end bullpen.

Left-handers Dan Chiusano of Freehold and Justin Fall of Toms River South each pitched a shutout inning in the seventh and eight, respectively, and Red Bank Catholic senior right-hander Austin Nappi pitched a scoreless ninth to record the save.

The Shore will take on Olympic-Colonial at 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning at Citizens Bank Park.

Box Score

Jersey Shore 5, Tri-Cape 2

Pitching

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