Essex/Union’s Mike Novotny holds Cameron Perez of Hudson/Middlesex at first base.
By Rich Bevensee
When the most talented underclassmen from four counties gather onto a single diamond for a baseball game, the highlights almost become a regular occurrence, to the point where those in attendance should remind themselves that this is no regular ball game.
By all measures, the 15th Quad-County Underclassmen All-Star Game was that kind of contest.
At least a dozen web gems were turned in by the Essex/Union and Hudson/Middlesex teams combined, the pitching was for the most part stubborn, and the hitters rose to the occasion like they had all season.
Zach Geertsma of Gov. Livingston went 2-for-3 and blasted an opposite field solo home run, Matthew Santacross of New Providence slashed a two-run single to give his team the lead for good, and the Essex/Union All-Stars surged for a 10-3 victory over the Hudson/Middlesex All-Stars on Tuesday evening at A.L. Johnson High in Clark.
Geertsma, who just the day before helped Gov. Livingston capped an undefeated season with an NJSIAA Group 2 state championship victory over West Morris, was named the Union/Essex Most Valuable Player.
Geertsma batted a team-high .453 with 43 hits and 33 RBI for Gov. Livingston, which finished 28-0 and became the first New Jersey public school to record an undefeated season in 44 years.
“I finally got a fastball,” said Geertsma. “I was seeing nothing but curveballs in the state tournament.” Geertsma jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Edison’s Robert Roma and drove it over the right field fence for a home run. “I thought it was gone off the bat but didn’t see it go over the fence. When I got back to the bench the guys said it went over by about five feet.”
Geertsma, perhaps the top shortstop in the state, said he felt relaxed in the showcase atmosphere. “It was 100 percent more relaxing than (Monday). Every state game for us was close and very tense. Tonight was so much fun to play.”
Roma, who posted the biggest hit of the game for Middlesex/Hudson when he launched a two-run triple in the fifth inning, was named his team’s MVP. The triple caught Roma by surprise, considering speed is not one of his weapons and he was the author of just one triple all spring for Edison.
Essex/Union defeated Hudson/Middlesex, 10-3, in the Quad County Underclassman All-Star Game.
“Definitely not expecting to hit a triple. I am definitely not fast,” Roma said. “When I rounded second, I thought, well, I guess I have to go to third.”
Roma, a 6-3, 205-pound righthander, also pitched the fifth inning for Hudson/Middlesex – yes, he gave up Geertsma’s homer – and he yielded just that one run on two hits and no walks with one strikeout, utilizing a fastball, changeup and slider. It was his first appearance on the mound since suffering a UCL injury in mid-April.
“It’s an absolute honor to be here, so I came here to compete and play baseball and have fun,” Roma said.
Santacross reached on an error in the sixth inning and made the most of his second plate appearance in the seventh. With the score tied 3-3, Santacross slapped a two-out, bases-loaded single into center field to score two runs and boost Essex/Union ahead for good.
Zach Geertsma of Gov. Livingston (Essex/Union) celebrates home run at Quad County All-Star Game.
“Not really nervous, just here to have fun,” Santacross said. “Always nice to meet new people and make friends, make memories like that. Everybody’s really great here and it’s fun to play with everyone.”
OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS
On the Essex/Union side, David Aishton of Montclair drove in two runs, one on a second-inning single and the other on a fourth inning groundout. Jeremy Mercado of St. Benedict’s Prep had an RBI single in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch in the ninth.
For Hudson/Middlesex, Joe Spinello of East Brunswick had an RBI double in the fifth.
CATCHING CLINIC
Catchers Michael Basile of Gov. Livingston and Issac Buchalter of Columbia put on a show from behind the plate for the Union/Essex stars. Basile was 2-for-2 in throwing out baserunners, gunning down Cameron Perez of North Bergen in the third inning and Andrew Briehof of St. Peter’s Prep in the fifth with picture perfect laser throws. When it was Buchalter’s turn behind the plate in the ninth inning, he threw out Ayden Rivera of North Bergen.
DEFENSIVE GEMS
The all-star teams seemingly took turns flashing the leather.
For Hudson/Middlesex in the second, Grant Lorentzen of Iselin Kennedy made a diving catch in left field to rob Joe LaRosa of Scotch Plains-Fanwood of a base hit.
In the sixth, Collin Perna of South Brunswick made a leaping stab – finishing with a snow cone catch – at second to steal a base hit from Mercado.
In the seventh, third baseman Willy Pena of North Brunswick made a backhanded, short hop snare of a squibber then threw home for a bases-loaded force out.
And in the ninth, third baseman Alvaro Ge Hechaverria dove to snare a dying infield popup off the bat of Sean Walsh of Belleville.
Zach Geertsma of Essex/Union and Robert Roma of Hudson/Midldesex were named MVPs.
The gems were just as impressive for Essex/Union/. Benji Josefsberg of Columbia finished off a 5-unassisted-3 double play in the sixth with an off-balance, frozen rope throw to first.
In the ninth, pitcher Logan Revock of Westfield made a backhanded pick of a Baltimore chop from behind the mound off the bat of Michael Boehm of Bayonne, wheeled and threw to get Boehm in time.
JOHNSON FACILITY THE REAL GEM
After several years of the event being held at Kean University in Union and then at North Brunswick Community Park, Johnson High hosted the affair for the first time when arrangements with Rutgers and Kean fell through.
“We’ve been doing this for 15 years and from the first year it’s been very rewarding because we get an opportunity to honor kids, underclassmen, and get to play at a great venue with great competition,” Event Administrator Bob Smorol said. “It’s a great feeling to host something like this.”
The impressive facility, a $3.2M project in its third season, came about due to Smorol’s vision to put in a turf facility for baseball and softball. He serves on the Board of Education and, once the ball got rolling, became what he calls the facility’s “quasi manager.”
“This is my baby,” said Smorol, a 1977 Johnson graduate. “We’re really proud of the facility. I feel like I really contributed something to the school.”
Bob Smorol, Event Administrator, presents Diamond Nation’s Public Relations Director Bob Behre with NJ Quad County Underclassman Game’s Distinguished Achievement Award.
GOOD NIGHT TO BE A DJACK
Geertsma and Basile had terrific games and Gov. Livingston and Diamond Jacks teammate Michael Novotny played his usual outstanding first base for the Union/Essex team.
Diamond Nation’s Public Relations Director Bob Behre was honored in the pre-game with the Distinguished Achievement Award “in recognition of his outstanding sports journalism career and contribution to New Jersey high school baseball.”
The NJ Quad County Underclassman Games began honoring members of the baseball community for their achievements and contributions to the sport. The previous winners, since 2015, were Rutgers coach Fred Hill, Seton Hall University coach Mike Sheppard, Sr., Union High coach Gordon LeMatty, Team of the Century member Al Santorini of Union, Edison coach Jim Muldowney, Colorado Rockies scout Mike Garlatti, Bayonne coach Phil Baccarella, Linden coach Tony Picaro and Montclair State coach Norm Schoenig.
Editor’s Note: The author of this article, Rich Bevensee, who has been among Diamond Nation’s team of writers the past three years, sang the National Anthem in the pre-game.