Jersey Mike's Team of the Week: Rumson-Fair Haven

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Two years ago, the Rumson-Fair Haven baseball team had one of the youngest rosters in the Shore and perhaps even the state. Two years later, the Bulldogs have come back bigger and better and while their consistency is still a work in progress, they showed last week how good they could potentially be.

Coming off a shaky three-game stretch in the prior week, Rumson-Fair Haven hit its stride by going 4-0 with two wins over teams that were ranked in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 heading into the week. Rumson's week-long hot streak earns them the third Jersey Mike's Team of the Week award in 2021.

After losing twice to Holmdel and needing extra-innings to beat two-win St. Rose during the previous week, Rumson returned this week determined to get back into the Class A Central division race and the Shore Conference Top 10 picture. It started with a 12-6 win over St. Rose and continued with two wins on back-to-back days over Raritan and Howell.

In the win over Raritan, Rumson put its flair for the dramatic on display when junior Brian Doherty singled in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Bulldogs an 8-7 win over the Rockets.

That clutch element would come back into play on Saturday against Red Bank Catholic and hard-throwing ace Shane Panzini. Rumson-Fair Haven junior right-hander Charlie Jones gave up a run on three hits in the bottom of the first inning, but did not give up a hit over his next six innings and the Bulldogs pushed the game into extra innings tied at 1-1 thanks to a pair of defensive miscues by RBC.

It was once again Doherty who came through with the clutch hits, poking a two-out, two-run single to centerfield in the top of the 10th to give Rumson a 3-1 win over the Caseys.

In addition to Jones and Doherty, junior second baseman Charlie Tallman had a huge week for the Bulldogs, going 5-for-12 with four doubles, a home run and nine RBI. His leadoff double off the fence ignited the winning rally in the top of the 10th against Red Bank Catholic.

Raritan brought Rumson back to Earth with a 1-0 win over the Bulldogs on Monday but Rumson is lined up to grab a favorable seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, which begins on Saturday.

2021 Jersey Mikes Team of the Week Winners

Week 1: Middletown South

Week 2: Freehold Township