Fraunfelder keys Montgomery’s “superior” Fall League performance

By DN WRITING STAFF | October 8, 2024

Chase Koplitz belted a two-run double for Montgomery Superior in Fall League action on Monday.

By Rich Bevensee

If Alex Fraunfelder has his sights set on building a solid body of work, as well as his confidence, in preparation for the 2025 high school baseball season, he is well on his way to meeting those goals based on his current fall league exploits. 

On Monday evening, Fraunfelder, a sophomore at Bernards, used exceptional command of his fastball and slider to post three no-hit innings and boost his Montgomery Superior team to a 9-0 decision over the Top Corner Sports Blackhawks in Diamond Nation High School Fall League action in Flemington. 

The win was a good rebound for Montgomery (6-2-1) after last week’s 2-0 loss to unbeaten league foe Whitehouse Post 284 (8-0). TCS (3-6), which lost a 6-5 verdict to Montgomery on Sept. 25, has lost its last five fall league ball games.

For Fraunfelder, a 6-1, 175-pound righty, a first-inning walk to Dom Summonte was the only blemish on his three innings of work. He struck out six and threw just 42 pitches while reaching 80 mph on the radar for the first time, according to his coaches. 

“Yeah, this fall’s definitely about getting ready for the spring,” Fraunfelder said. “I’m hoping to have a good season with Bernards. We have high hopes because we have a good team and we think we can make a run.”

Fraunfelder is looking forward to the high school season because he expects to have a major impact on the pitching staff after having only pitched four varsity innings last spring. 

“I’m definitely hoping to make a big splash on varsity since I didn’t pitch much last year – we had a St. Johns’ commit (Evan Hoeckele) and a lot of good guys,” Fraunfelder said. “I’m gonna try to lead this program to the next level and get us some championships.”

Montgomery coach Zoran Milich was especially pleased with how Fraunfelder fought back after falling behind in counts. 

“We think Alex is going to be a very good pitcher. The sky’s the limit for him,” Milich said. “When he gets off a little bit he’s able to reel it back in whereas a lot of young players can’t. He can get out there at 3-0 and reset and come right back with strikes. That’s what I really like about him.”

“I try to forget the bad stuff that’s happened and try to move on,” Fraunfelder said. “Only good thoughts going through the head.”

Working on the latter half of Montgomery’s shutout was Manville junior Brandon Shimp, who pitched two innings and allowed one hit, one walk and one hit batsman while striking out two.

Shimp was also the benefactor of the defensive play of the game which preserved Montgomery’s shutout bid. With one out and a runner on third in the bottom of the fourth inning, Summonte hit a hard grounder at Montgomery first baseman John Donahue, who gathered it, stepped on first and fired home to catcher Matthew Falzarano to nab Lucus Kislan at the plate.

Montgomery catcher Matt Falzarano greets Alex Fraunfelder after his three shutout innings.

The Montgomery offense enjoyed a balanced showing as 11 of 12 batters reached safely, seven scored, six had base hits and five drove in runs.

Somerville senior Chase Koplitz and Somerville sophomore Michael Meyers provided the big hits for Montgomery. Koplitz fueled a six-run third inning with his two-run double, and Meyers roped an opposite-field, two-run single to left in the fourth. 

“It’s been fun playing on a team like this,” said Koplitz, a recent Kean University commit playing in his third game with Montgomery while a five-year veteran of the Diamond Jacks program. “We bat a lot of guys and everybody can hit. It’s fun to watch, it’s fun to be around and fun to run the bases with them.”

Owen Melchione got Montgomery on the board in the second inning when he singled and eventually scored on a passed ball.

Leadoff hitter Robby Wright kicked off his team’s six-run rally in the third with his bases-loaded RBI single, a slow chopper to short which he beat out for the base hit. Koplitz drilled a two-run double into the left-center gap, and Donahue beat out an infield single while driving in a run. Koplitz scored from third when Falzarano reached on a one-out infield error, and Shimp roped an RBI single into left for a 7-0 lead.

In the fourth, Meyers, batting in the No. 12 hole, capped Montgomery’s scoring when he laced a two-run single to left.

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