Announcement
SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS A WINNER!
story by Joe Pietanza, Milltown Baseball -
Milltown, NJ
On a less than perfect night weather wise, a crowd of over 400 watched the first home night game in Spotswood High School History as Varsity Baseball made it’s debut in Milltown (Milltown High School Students attend Spotswood) this past Saturday night April 28, 2007. The brainchild of head coach Glenn Fredericks, Spotswood faced conference rival South River (with 1st place in the GMC Blue Division at stake) under the lights at recently refurbished and historic Michelin Field (Named after the Michelin Tire Company).
The final score of the game was Spotswood 15 – South River 8 thanks to the pitching of Spotswood Senior Mike Hohman and the slugging of Sophomore Joe Petosa among others. Not to be lost in this game was the pitching of South River’s Dom Decorso. However, the real story was a community embracing a game, a team, a first and the hope that there will be more to come in the future.
With all the bad weather we have experienced lately, the playing of this game was in serious jeopardy. After last Friday’s rain, the field was not playable and water needed to be removed from the field and bench areas on Friday night to have any hope of playing on Saturday night. Thanks to the efforts of members of the Milltown Baseball Program, the Spotswood Varsity Players, Coach Fredricks and a few parents, the majority of water was removed from the playing field and bench areas leaving the field to dry all day Saturday. Unfortunately, Saturday’s weather was not conducive to drying the field sufficiently. At 1PM on Saturday, Councilman Mike Skarzynski, the Milltown Public Works Department and the Milltown Baseball Program stepped in raking the field and applying drying agent to the areas that needed it most. By game time, the field was playable and ready to go.
The National Anthem was sung by Gabrielle Risha and Laura Cancio of Spotswood High School. The Honor Guard was a representation of the Milltown Little League Major League Program with Anthony Abano representing the Lions Club, Cooper Sisco representing the Rangers, PJ Strahm representing the Rescue Squad and Kevin Surace representing PBA.
Then it was time to play the game and although there were probably more runs scored than either team would have liked, the game was both enjoyable and entertaining and left the community of Milltown wanting more in the way of games of this magnitude in the future. For Milltown Baseball/Milltown Little League, this game represented a return of players who had grown up playing baseball in that program and it showed the players who are in the program now what can be achieved through God given ability, perseverance and hard work enabling these fine young men to be the best they can be. A life’s lesson through the game of baseball.
**Coaches Note** - On behalf of the entire Spotswood HS Charger baseball family, we thank all of the people who made this tremendous event a success. Including but not limited to Mr. Pietanza, Mr. Mangarella, Mr. Skarzynski, Mrs. Hohman, the Collins', Milltown Rec., Mr. Peabody, Mr. Pace, Mr. Mooney, Julie Petry, the South River Athletics Department and ballclub, the Sherman Ave. residents who dealt with batting practice!, and everyone else who pitched in. Your efforts were invaluable, and can't wait for future events just like this one!
story by Joe Pietanza, Milltown Baseball -
Milltown, NJ
On a less than perfect night weather wise, a crowd of over 400 watched the first home night game in Spotswood High School History as Varsity Baseball made it’s debut in Milltown (Milltown High School Students attend Spotswood) this past Saturday night April 28, 2007. The brainchild of head coach Glenn Fredericks, Spotswood faced conference rival South River (with 1st place in the GMC Blue Division at stake) under the lights at recently refurbished and historic Michelin Field (Named after the Michelin Tire Company).
The final score of the game was Spotswood 15 – South River 8 thanks to the pitching of Spotswood Senior Mike Hohman and the slugging of Sophomore Joe Petosa among others. Not to be lost in this game was the pitching of South River’s Dom Decorso. However, the real story was a community embracing a game, a team, a first and the hope that there will be more to come in the future.
With all the bad weather we have experienced lately, the playing of this game was in serious jeopardy. After last Friday’s rain, the field was not playable and water needed to be removed from the field and bench areas on Friday night to have any hope of playing on Saturday night. Thanks to the efforts of members of the Milltown Baseball Program, the Spotswood Varsity Players, Coach Fredricks and a few parents, the majority of water was removed from the playing field and bench areas leaving the field to dry all day Saturday. Unfortunately, Saturday’s weather was not conducive to drying the field sufficiently. At 1PM on Saturday, Councilman Mike Skarzynski, the Milltown Public Works Department and the Milltown Baseball Program stepped in raking the field and applying drying agent to the areas that needed it most. By game time, the field was playable and ready to go.
The National Anthem was sung by Gabrielle Risha and Laura Cancio of Spotswood High School. The Honor Guard was a representation of the Milltown Little League Major League Program with Anthony Abano representing the Lions Club, Cooper Sisco representing the Rangers, PJ Strahm representing the Rescue Squad and Kevin Surace representing PBA.
Then it was time to play the game and although there were probably more runs scored than either team would have liked, the game was both enjoyable and entertaining and left the community of Milltown wanting more in the way of games of this magnitude in the future. For Milltown Baseball/Milltown Little League, this game represented a return of players who had grown up playing baseball in that program and it showed the players who are in the program now what can be achieved through God given ability, perseverance and hard work enabling these fine young men to be the best they can be. A life’s lesson through the game of baseball.
**Coaches Note** - On behalf of the entire Spotswood HS Charger baseball family, we thank all of the people who made this tremendous event a success. Including but not limited to Mr. Pietanza, Mr. Mangarella, Mr. Skarzynski, Mrs. Hohman, the Collins', Milltown Rec., Mr. Peabody, Mr. Pace, Mr. Mooney, Julie Petry, the South River Athletics Department and ballclub, the Sherman Ave. residents who dealt with batting practice!, and everyone else who pitched in. Your efforts were invaluable, and can't wait for future events just like this one!
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