By NICK PERUFFO
nperuffo@trentonian.com
WEST DEPTFORD — The core members of Hamilton Post 31 have made plenty of good memories playing baseball. Tuesday night will not be among them.
Hamilton simply did not look like itself, falling to Washington Post 521, 19-8, at West Deptford’s Union Field in the first round of the District 4 tournament.
Hamilton was able to put some good at bats together against Washington starter Trevor Connors, and briefly held leads in the third and fifth innings before the wheels absolutely fell off in an 11-run sixth inning that for all intents and purposes ended the game. The game was stopped under the mercy rule after eight innings.
“We just didn’t play smart or well,” said manager Rick Freeman. “Its not the team we are, but it’s the team we were tonight.”
Starter Carston Raab showed flashes of the form he displayed at Steinert this season—including a 4-pitch fifth inning — but was ineffective on the whole, giving up nine runs in five innings of work. Raab came out for the sixth, but gave up four runs without recording an out before being replaced.
“He had a couple chances, I think with 2 outs in the second and fourth, where he couldn’t get the third out,” Freeman said of Raab. “That’s a tough team to try to hold down.”
Hamilton needed two more pitchers to get through the inning. The inning saw 17 Washington batters come to the plate, with six walks, a balk, a wild pitch and a passed ball.
“We gave them eight outs in the sixth inning,” Freeman said. Offensively, Hamilton played well. James Locklear stroked a nice two-run single in the third inning to put his team up 3-2. Eddie Ashley also had a good day at the plate with two doubles. As far as silver linings go, however, that wasn’t much of one.
“You have to hang on to any port in the storm,” Freeman said. “You find whatever positives you can and try build off them.”
After the top of the sixth finally ended, tensions were high in the Hamilton dugout. Coach Brian Giallella was ejected from the game in the bottom of the sixth arguing a call at first base.
Simply put, it was an ugly game, with the two teams combining for 18 walks and eight errors on the evening. Hamilton will now move on to the losers half of the bracket, where they will play Jackson at 3 p.m. on Thursday in West Deptford.
“I’ve been here many times before, just not under these circumstances,” Freeman said. “I’ve been here 27 years and been in the tournament for about 23 of them, and there has been times when we’ve lost the first game and come back and won. It’s just harder waters for all of us.”
Washington – 020 30(11) 03 — 19
Hamilton – 102 022 10 — 8
WP- Connors LP- Raab Home Runs (W) Detz. Doubles (W) Dunn, Elfreth, Seibert (H) Ashley 2. RBI (W) Elfreth 3, Scimeca 2, Detz 2, Bright 2, Losby, Carmalinga (H) Locklear 2, Ashley, Mastrangelo, Raab