North Plainfield 11-12 Year-Old All-Stars' Game Recap

Mon, 7/1/96: North Plainfield 8, Plainfield 7

Summary

North Plainfield regained its winning form Monday night in Plainfield, beating their hosts in a hard-fought come-from-behind battle. Despite powering five home runs and four doubles, Plainfield --- whose record was 7-and-1 coming into tonight's game --- wasn't able to conquer the scrappy North Plainfield club who improved their conference record to 5-and-3.

Frank Veglatte did a fine job in going the distance on the mound for NP in chalking up the win, striking out six and giving up only one walk. He was helped by solid bats and heads-up defense.

Coming into the fourth inning, NP was down 4-to-0 and had managed only one base hit. First baseman Brian McFarlane led off the fourth with a single to left. Left fielder Jeff Bassman followed with a double to the fence in right center, driving McFarlane all the way home. Right fielder Matt Velasquez walked, and catcher Jake Cohan blooped a one-out single into left, to load the bases. Center fielder Colin Disch then drove in Bassman and Velasquez with a single to right center on a 1-and-2 pitch, and extra hitter Matt Senna tied the score at 4 runs apiece with a clutch single into left, driving in Disch.

Plainfield came back and took a 6-to-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer by starting pitcher Buck, his second homer of the night. But NP came back in the top of the fifth with another four runs to take an 8-to-6 lead. Second baseman Pete Feigenbaum led off with a walk on a full count. Shortstop Pat Davis ripped a double against the fence in left center, and McFarlane walked on a full count to load the bases. Matt Velasquez then ripped a double to the fence in left center, driving in Feigenbaum and Davis to even the score at 6 apiece. Jake Cohan then beat out an infield hit to drive in McFarlane with the goahead run, and the late and overthrown toss to first allowed Velasquez to come home with an insurance run that turned out to be the winner.

Plainfield was able to bring the score to 8-to-7 in the bottom of the fifth on a homer, but Velasquez' running grab of a deep fly ball and Veglatte's clutch fanning of Plainfield's left fielder cut off any further scoring. NP then threatened in the top of the sixth when Veglatte reached first when hit by a pitch and then took second and third on passed pitches, but he was left stranded.

Coming into the bottom of the sixth, Plainfield needed only to score one run to tie the game up, and it looked like they were on their way when they led off with a walk and a single. With the winning run on first, Veglatte then struck out Coleman looking. Plainfield's Richards then hit a bounder to short, and Pat Davis made a heads-up throw to third to retire the lead runner for the second out. Then up came Harris, who had hit two towering home runs in the first and second innings. On a 1-and-1 count, Frank was able to get Harris to foul out to McFarlane on a low and outside pitch to end the game!

NP's defense was again fantastic. In the second inning, second baseman Brian Searls made a great backhanded play of a hard hit grounder, and third baseman Tommy Holbrook grabbed up a tough shot down the third base line to kill a rally. In the third, shortstop Davis made a beautiful play on a hard grounder, and first sacker McFarlane did the same the very next play for an unassisted putout. And the battery of Veglatte and Cohan allowed only one base advance on a passed pitch the whole game.

Score By Innings

Play-By-Play

• Feigenbaum walks on full count.
• Davis hits grounder to short, forcing out Feigenbaum at second.
• McFarlane strikes out.
• Bassman grounds out to the pitcher.

No runs, no hits, one left on base.
No score

• Harris homers over left field fence.
• Long strikes out on three pitches.
• Wright doubles to right center.
• Rosario hits a ground rule double in right center, driving in Wright.
• Harvey singles to left, takes second on the unsuccessful throw to third to get Rosario.
• Pierre strikes out swinging on three pitches.
• Rivera strikes out swinging on four pitches.

Two runs, four hits, two left on base.
Plainfield 2, North Plainfield 0

• Velasquez walks.
• Holbrook singles into right field, sending Velasquez to second.
• Cohan grounds out to second, sending Velasquez to third and Holbrook to second.
• Searls strikes out.
• Stites strikes out.

No runs, one hit, two left on base.
Score unchanged

• Buck homers over the right center field fence.
• Coleman grounds out to Searls at second.
• Richards grounds out to Holbrook at third.
• Harris hits his second homer of the night, over the left field wall.
• Long pops out to Searls.

Two runs, two hits, none left on base.
Plainfield 4, North Plainfield 0

• Veglatte walks, takes second when pickoff attempt is overthrown.
• Feigenbaum strikes out.
• Davis grounds into a double-play, 6-to-3-to-5, with Veglatte tagged out trying to take third.

No runs, no hits, none left on base.
Score unchanged

• Wright hits a hard grounder to short, which Davis fields and throws to first for the out.
• Rosario grounds to McFarlane at first who makes the unassisted putout.
• Harvey reaches first on a grounder that the pitcher can’t handle.
• Pierre grounds out to Veglatte.

No runs, no hits, one left on base.
Score unchanged

• McFarlane singles to left.
• Bassman doubles off the wall in right center, driving in McFarlane.
• Velasquez walks.
• Holbrook strikes out looking.
• Cohan bloops a single into left field, loading the bases, sending Bassman to third and Velasquez to second.
• Disch singles into right, driving in Bassman and Velasquez.
• Cohan is thown out trying to take third, and Disch takes second on the throw.
• Senna singles down the third base line, driving in Disch.
• Veglatte grounds out to the pitcher.

Four runs, five hits, one left on base.
North Plainfield 4, Plainfield 4

• Rivera doubles to right.
• Buck homers for the second time, driving in Rivera.
• Coleman grounds out to short.
• Richards strikes out swinging at a Veglatte changeup.
• Harris grounds out to the mound.

Two runs, two hits, none left on base.
Plainfield 6, North Plainfield 4

• Feigenbaum walks on a full count.
• Davis doubles to the left field fence, sending Feigenbaum to third.
• McFarlane walks on a full count, loading the bases.
• Bassman pops out to short.
• Velasquez doubles to left center, driving in Feigenbaum and Davis, and sending McFarlane to third.
• Holbrook fouls out to third.
• Cohan beats out an infield hit, driving in McFarlane.
• Cohan takes second and Velasquez scores on the overthrow from the shortstop.
• Disch grounds out to short.

Four runs, three hits, one left on base.
North Plainfield 8, Plainfield 6

• Long pops up to Feigenbaum at second.
• Wright hits his second homer of the night, over the left field fence.
• Rosario doubles to right.
• Harvey hits a long fly ball that Velasquez makes a running catch of in right; Rosario tags up and takes third.
• Pierre strikes out for the second time.

One run, two hits, one left on base.
North Plainfield 8, Plainfield 7

• Senna flies out deep to left on the first pitch.
• Veglatte is hit by a pitch and reaches second on a passed pitch to Medina.
• Medina strikes out.
• Veglatte reaches third on a passed pitch to Davis; Davis pops out to short.

No runs, no hits, one left on base.
Score unchanged

• Rivera draws a walk, the first (and only) one off North Plainfield hurler Veglatte.
• Buck singles to right, moving Rivera to second.
• Coleman strikes out looking.
• Richards grounds to shortstop Davis who throws to Holbrook at third to retire the lead runner, Rivera; Buck moves to second and Richards reaches first on the fielder’s choice.
• Harris comes to the plate, having hit two homers, in the first and second innings, with the tying run on second and the winning run on first. Harris fouls off the the first pitch out of play down the first base line. The second pitch is just a shade low and outside, right at catcher Cohan’s target. The third pitch is in the same place; this time, Harris swings and pops the ball up down the first base line to McFarland, who puts it away for the final out.

No runs, one hit, two left on base.
Final score: North Plainfield 8, Plainfield 7