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Lawrence Township Junior Baseball & Softball Association

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News Detail

11

Sep, 2020

Lawrence knocks off Sunnybrae to reach District 12 championship round

The victory sends manager Mike Crowley’s squad into Saturday’s 11 a.m. final round versus winners’ bracket champ Robbinsville.

Read the full article at The Trentonian.

HAMILTON – None of the pitchers who threw in their first meeting of the 2020 New Jersey District 12 12-Year-Old Baseball Tournament were available Friday night when Lawrence and Sunnybrae met again in the elimination round final.

Yet, that did not change the atmosphere at the Sunnybrae LL complex, which was buzzing with excitement in anticipation of another dandy.

The tension was high as the game flew by in an hour and 11 minutes with Lawrence coming from behind to defeat Sunnybrae, 5-2.

It proved to be a very emotional night for Lawrence catcher Drew Dobkin.

With his father, coach Ken Dobkin, missing the game after the passing of his father-in-law, Bernard F. Rogers Jr., Drew kept his grandfather in his thoughts by turning in an amazing game, both at the plate and behind it.

The host team, playing as visitors, got the 2-0 jump on the scoreboard when Frankie Mazzella reached base on a one-out error, then AJ Zuccarello sent the next offering from pitcher Deacon Moore over the centerfield fence in the top of the first.

An inning later, Dobkin matched that feat with a two-out blast, which also brought in Aiden Poot, who had singled, to tie the game at 2.

“When I went up there, I just wanted to sit fastball and react to the offspeed pitches,” Dobkin said. “Not at all was I thinking of hitting a home run. I just threw the bat out and hit the ball well.”

Sunnybrae had a chance at retaking the lead with Josh Klena up and Max Pelzer and pinch runner Connor Drudy in scoring position with one out in the third. But when Klena grounded back to Moore, the right-handed pitcher came home with the throw and catcher Dobkin caught Pelzer off third base.

Dobkin stayed focused his next time to the plate and delivered a two-run triple into right field, scoring Aiden Crowley (single) and Poot (hit by pitch). David Holland followed with a single, which plated Dobkin, for a 5-2 lead after four innings.

“They were pitching me on the outside corner,” Dobkin said. “So I went with the pitch.”

Manager Anthony Zuccarello’s team got runners on in the fifth (on a Mazzella single) and in the sixth (when Anthony O’Rourke reached on an error), but could not get past first base as Lawrence second baseman Seneca Sumners joined Dobkin with a big night defensively, providing five putouts and two assists.

The victory sends manager Mike Crowley’s squad into Saturday’s 11 a.m. final round versus winners’ bracket champ Robbinsville. If Lawrence wins that game, an “if necessary” contest will be played at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Sunnybrae 200 000 – 2 6 0

Lawrence 020 30x – 5 6 2

3B: Dobkin (L); HR: Zuccarello (S), Dobkin (L); RBIs: Zuccarello 2 (S), Dobkin 4, Holland (L).

WP – Moore; LP – Riley.