Kyle Malchiodi is greeted by Daniel Jentsch (middle) and Colton Lyerly after his three-run home run in the third inning for Zoned RedHawks.
By Rich Bevensee
Hunterdon Central junior Jack Edwards offered baseball fans a glimpse of his potential this past spring when he held high-scoring Old Bridge to a single run in a complete-game effort and earned the victory in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 championship game.
When Edwards took the mound for the Zoned RedHawks 18U ballclub on Wednesday evening, it became evident he had taken the next step toward becoming a more dominant pitcher.
Buoyed by an offense which featured a three-run home run from Kyle Malchiodi, Edwards, a 6-3, 190-pound righty, pitched three shutout innings and helped Zoned remain unbeaten in the Diamond Nation High School Fall League with a 9-1, five-inning victory over Allentown Legion in Flemington.
Zoned improved to 3-0 in the Fall League and will resume league play on Sept. 30 against Flemington Baseball Association Jays Blue.
Allentown (2-1) scored 21 runs in its first two games but suffered its first loss after being held to one run by Edwards, Trey Lyerly, Aarav Baju and Jonathan Feltre.
Edwards, relying almost solely on his slider, struck out five and allowed one hit and one walk in his three innings of work.
“They were so off-balance on the slider that I just kept throwing it,” said Edwards, who also used a fastball and changeup. “In the bullpen I never have a feel for it. I feel better when a batter’s in the box. Today it felt good from the second pitch.”
Last spring Edwards was one of Hunterdon Central’s top three pitchers. He posted a 3.02 ERA over 41.2 innings with 31 strikeouts against 17 walks, with his crown jewel being the sectional championship win.
What Edwards has going for him is a physically imposing presence which implies a heavy fastball – he’s reached 84 mph – and belies his ability to control his offspeed pitches. Feltre said he’s noticed a change in Edwards’ confidence and how he employs his pitches.
“Jack gets better every time he steps on the mound,” Feltre said. “Now he’s starting to pitch more than throw. What that means is he can throw his offspeed in any count, and that makes the batter not sure what’s coming. Jack is more confident in his other pitches.”
Lyerly, a 5-8, 120-pound Piscataway Magnet sophomore, blew through Allentown over his two shutout innings, striking out five of the six batters he faced.
Cody Rible drives in a run with a second-inning sacrifice fly for Zoned RedHawks.
“He didn’t pitch too much in high school but all the coaches that have seen him say he’s gonna be a helluva player,” Feltre said. “For him it’s about getting that physicality over the winter and it’s gonna make a difference for him.”
Zoned took over the game in the second inning when Nathan Richards coaxed a bases-loaded walk and Cody Rible drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
In the third, Malchiodi homered on the first pitch he saw from Allentown reliever Ryan Rude for a three-run shot which gave Zoned a 5-0 lead. All three runs were unearned, as Colton Lyerly reached on a two-out throwing error and Daniel Jentsch walked before Malchiodi went yard.
“New pitcher, 0-0 count, so I’m looking to do damage,” said Malchiodi, a 6-1, 195 pound senior at Piscataway Magnet. “He didn’t really spin it well to the first batter so I was looking fastball. I really like high pitches and the first pitch he gave me was high. I knew it was gone on contact.”
It was Malchiodi’s first homer of the fall after hitting two for Piscataway Magnet and three this summer.
“I believe I have the ability to drive it out of the park but I also think I do a good job driving it into the gap,” said Malchiodi, who said he has received interest from NCAA Division 2 and 3 programs. “Just barrel up the ball and it’ll come.”
The bottom of the order did the heavy lifting for Zoned in the fourth inning. No. 10 hitter Tyler Fiorentino walked with the bases loaded, No. 12 hitter Tommy Molnar squeezed a bases-loaded single through the right side to drive in two runs, and Fiorentino later was awarded home on a balk to conclude his team’s scoring.
Zoned has now defeated its three Fall League opponents by a combined score of 33-4.
“This team is really playing phenomenally right now,” Malchiodi said. “We do a good job of taking our pitches, taking free passes, and we’re a great baserunning team. We have confidence in each other to do our thing.”
Allentown scored its sole run in the top of the fifth when Rude and Conner Bekcer walked, Sam Spaziano singled and Henry Conway earned a bases-loaded walk.
R.J. Davis allowed two runs over two innings on one hit and five walks with two strikeouts. Rude permitted three runs in the third (all unearned) on one hit and one walk. Will Marshall permitted four runs in one inning on two hits and two walks with one strikeout.