HOME OF THE CHARGERS

CHARGERS MADE THEIR BREAKS Spotswood caps magical season By JOHN HALEY STAFF WRITER jhaley@thnt.com TOMS RIVER — Everything seemed to go their way. Every hit, every bounce, every throw, everything they tried went their way. For the Spotswood High School baseball team, that's the way it has been all season — a magical season which ended with a five-inning, 11-1 victory over Indian Hills in the championship game of the NJSIAA Group II Tournament at Toms River High School South. While fate may have had a little something to do with the Chargers' good fortunes in 2007, it's also a by-product of the program and the way head coach Glenn Fredricks teaches the game. "We make the other team make plays," said Fredricks, who guided the team to its first Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, Central Group II and Group II state titles. "We put the ball in play, we put the pressure on the other team all game long no matter that the situation is and, after a while, they will make mistakes." In the third inning, Indian Hills made six mistakes, leading to six runs and putting the game out of reach. After a leadoff walk to Mike Hohman followed by a wild pitch, Anthony Addone singled to put runners on the corners. When Addone stole second, the throw bounced before the second baseman was able to catch it, then rolled into center field, where it got by Mike Marscovetran as two runs scored for a 4-0 lead. After a walk to John Michael Berner and a flyout, Berner took off for second on a hit-and-run. Mike Collins hit the ball into the hole at shortstop, where Ramee Yacoub would have been, putting runners on the corners again. Collins then stole second and when the ball was thrown away again, Berner scored. C.J. Mooney then made Indian Hills pay with a line-drive, two-run homer to left. Spotswood went on to score again on two more errors for an 8-0 lead. Meanwhile, when Indian Hills registered its first hit, in the bottom of the fourth, centerfielder Phil Spina hit second baseman Hohman with a perfect throw and Hohman's perfect throw home nailed a baserunner. "That's just preparation," Fredricks said. "These kids just execute. We've played like this all season, making plays and trying to make the other team make mistakes." Added Berner, "This is all because of Glenny (Fredricks). He drills us on every possible situation and it has all become second nature for us." Call it fate, call it preparation, call it a little of both. It's been a winning combination for the Spotswood Chargers.