Shore Conference Week 5 Player and Pitcher of the Week Winners
The fans of the Shore have made their choices, which means it is time to reveal the Week 5 selections for Player and Pitcher of the Week. We will start with Shore Sports Network's picks, followed by the winners of the fan vote.
Shore Sports Network Shore Conference Week 5 Player of the Week
Brevin Bezick, Middletown South
Bezick hit a modest .286 last week (4-for-14) but he was on base on 50 percent of his plate appearances, three of his four hits went for extra-bases and he drove in seven runs in five games, including the game-tying two-run double in the seventh-inning comeback vs. Manalapan.
On top of the run production at the plate, Bezick picked up a win in each of his two starts on the mound for the Eagles, which entered this week on an eight-game winning streak. In wins over Manalapan and St. Rose, Bezick allowed one earned run on three hits over six innings in each. Against Manalapan, the left-hander allowed two walks with five strikeouts in an 8-2 Middletown South win. On Saturday, he struck out nine with one walk.
Shore Sports Network Shore Conference Week 5 Pitcher of the Week
Declan Leary, Red Bank Catholic
Leary threw two gems last week for RBC – one to keep the Caseys in the Class A Central hunt and another to advance them to the Monmouth County Tournament semifinals. He kicked off the week by pitching a one-hit shutout in a 6-0 win over Holmdel in which he faced the minimum 21 batters, struck out six and did not allow a hit until a Matt Iulo single with one out in the seventh. The only two baserunners in the game came on an error and Iulo's single and both were erased by double-plays.
Five days after his one-hitter, Leary quieted Ranney's bats in a 7-1 Caseys win in the Monmouth County Tournament quarterfinals. Leary allowed four hits, including a solo home run by Curt Chropuvka, while striking out six, walking one and hitting a batter.
Fan Vote Player Shore Conference Week 5 Player of the Week
Luke Lonczak, Red Bank Catholic
The freshman played his way into the lineup early in the season and just keeps getting better. Last week, Lonczak was 8-for-17 (.471) with two doubles and eight RBI in four games for Red Bank Catholic, which has been deploying its rookie standout out of the leadoff spot.
Last week, Lonczak logged three multi-hit games, including going 4-for-5 with a double, four runs and four RBI in a rout of Monmouth Regional. The next day, he delivered a key two-run single in RBC's 7-1 win over Ranney -- part of a 2-for-4 day at the plate.
Lonczak collected 51 percent of the vote this week to win the Week 5 award in a runaway. Toms River East junior Matt Ferrara was the only other nominee in double-figures with 20 percent.
Fan Vote Shore Conference Week 5 Pitcher of the Week
Chase Macri, Central
Macri and teammate Vinny Berardi both pitched their best game of the season last week with each tossing a shutout vs. Toms River South. Macri got the nod as the Class A South Pitcher of the Week for pitching a seven-inning shutout, which was a two-hitter with no walks and four strikeouts in an 8-0 win over the Indians.
The SSN readers also liked Macri this week, choosing him as the Week 5 Pitcher of the Week with 36 percent of the vote. Leary came in second with 22 percent and both Rob Stock of Shore (13.8 percent) and CBA's Danny DiTullio (13.2) cleared 10 percent.
2024 Player of the Week Winners
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