Old Bridge, NJ – The Jersey Baron bats woke up early in game 2 of their twinbill with the Essex Bellnuts, jumping out with 10 runs in the first three innings. The Bellnuts would chip away with two runs in each of their halves of the 1st, 3rd, and 4th innings, but the Barons would hold them off to secure the victory for a split on the day.

The Barons scored two in the top of the 1st, all with two outs, as 2B Chris Fucci started things up with a walk. 1B Eric Fiedler then ripped a double to left that scored Fooch all the way from first. RF Mario Spallarossa drove Feeds in with a ribbie single, with Super Mario going a perfect 2-2 at the plate before leaving early to attend a family function.

The Bellnuts tied the score in the bottom of the 1st, but the Barons bounced right back with a 5-run 2nd inning. DH Phil Barone ripped a single to lead off the inning, and would advance to third on a pass ball. 3B Dave Micallef finally broke out of his season opening slump with a line shot to left field, driving in Barone. RF Phil Mazzetta then also got his first hit of the season to put two runners on base for the top of the lineup. With 2 outs, CF Tom Greene hit a fly to center that was misplayed, allowing both Micallef and Mazzetta to score, as they were running hard on the play. Fucci then hit another single, and Fiedler drilled his second double, scoring Greene and Fooch to give the Barons a 7-2 lead.

The Barons then went up 10-2 with three runs in the 3rd inning. LF Matt Mazon, in his debut game of the season for the Barons, led things off by getting drilled in the numbers on his back. Barone hit his first of two doubles of the game to put runners at 2nd and 3rd, and C Pat Santorsola hit an infield single to the left side that loaded up the bases. The Bellnuts then changed pitchers, with their new pitcher retiring the next two hitters to leave the sacks full with 2 outs. Mazon had been timing the throws back from catcher to pitcher the whole time at third, and on one throw back finally broke for home on a delayed steal. He beat the throw back from the pitcher, scoring the first run of the inning. Barone and Santorsola moved up on the play, setting things up for P/C Dylan Steitz. Steitz ripped his first hit of the young season, a double down the left field line, scoring both runners on the play.

With two runs in the 3rd and 4th innings, the Bellnuts closed the gap to 10-6. The Barons would score an insurance run in the 7th, making it 11-6 going into the final frame of the game. But the Bellnuts would not go quietly, fighting for two more runs and taking advantage of another key Baron error, before Giancarlo Cifelli could record the final out and end the game at an 11-8 clip. Cifelli pitched two solid innings to finish the game for the Barons, relieving Steitz and Aaron Kalb. Steitz worked the first inning, and worked around a leadoff walk, an error, and 2 hits to limit the damage to two runs. Kalb came in to pitch the next four innings, and was still a bit sore from his complete game no-hitter the week before. Kalb still pitched solid for the W, striking out 6 and giving up no walks. In fact, the Baron pitching staff only gave up one walk in both games of the twinbill, a testament to the outstanding control of their deep pitching staff. As long as the Baron defense picks up their game going forward, Baron opponents will have to earn their runs with very few free passes given on walks and errors.

The Barons have yet to hit their stride offensively and defensively. Thankfully the Baron pitching is almost rounded out into mid-season form, which has allowed the Barons to be in all four games to start the season. The next game will complete the first quarter of the season, enough time for the Barons to start clicking on all cylinders. The team is expected to pick it up going forward as they move deeper into the first half of the season and against solid ballclubs every week.