Centercourt’s Colin Sharma dives back to the bag with Monmouth’s Finn Dufficy taking the throw.

By Rich Bevensee

Thomas Lee may not be Monmouth Liberty’s ace – in fact, he may be No. 3 or 4 in the rotation, according to coach Evan Buckalew – but when the team needs a pitcher who can absolutely keep his cool in adverse conditions, Buckalew says Lee’s the man. 

Amidst a rainy day game in which it seemed it was every third or fourth pitch that the game ball was getting tossed into the dugout to get dried, Lee never let the weather affect his mindset or his performance. 

Lee’s effort was exactly what Buckalew was expecting. The sophomore from Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft pitched a three-hitter and led Monmouth to a 6-1, six-inning victory over Centercourt Baseball-Marzano in the 16U Grand Slam Powered by Cortes and Hay on a dreary Saturday afternoon at Diamond Nation in Flemington.

“It’s a little rough to grip it, and maybe I’ll throw a fastball instead of a curveball in a certain count,” Lee said. “But I try not to worry about it (the weather). I try to stay the same, just attack and throw strikes.”

Liberty is off to a good start with two pool play games remaining on Sunday, against BC Cyclones Red at 12:15 p.m. and BC Cyclones White at 2:15 p.m.

Centercourt got slammed by Diamond Jacks Super 16U, 23-0, later on Saturday. Coach Zach Marzano’s team will face Diamond Jacks Super 15U on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

The top two teams in the six-team pool play for the title at 6:30 p.m.

Lee was steady if not overpowering in keeping Centercourt quiet Saturday afternoon. He gave up an unearned run in the third inning and did not surrender a base hit until the fourth. Aside from the unearned run, only three Centercourt baserunners reached scoring position against Lee. 

Lee, who never looked frustrated or annoyed despite getting a good drenching, walked one batter and struck out eight.

“That’s Thomas in a nutshell. He’s just that kid,” Buckalew said. “The way he’s always around the plate for us, that was the guy we needed today. He wouldn’t be fazed by this type of weather, he wouldn’t be fazed by the ball slipping every once in a while. I knew he would just gather himself and go.”

Lee was backed by a defense which made the routine plays, and made a couple of highlight reel ones as well. 

In the top of the fourth, Centercourt’s Shane Sampson lofted a deep fly to left where Jack Russo turned his shoulders twice while retreating to the fence before catching the ball over his head. Russo is a sophomore at Christian Brothers. 

In the top of the sixth, Matthew Korth, who started in center field, took his place at shortstop and stole a base hit from Brian Giordano, who drilled a grounder up the middle. Korth, who plays short at Middletown South, made a feet-first sliding stop behind the bag and rose to his feet while doing a 180 to make the throw and get the out. 

“I was trying to be relaxed and throw strikes because I know the guys behind me are a good defense,” Lee said. “I just gotta’ get the ball in play to them.”

Centercourt did not leave the field without turning in a web gem of its own. In the bottom of the fourth with Liberty’s Zach Tuller on first, Centercourt first baseman Giovanni LaForgia went to his knees to snag a low liner by Casey Lillis and tagged first base to complete an unassisted double play.

Jack Dougherty cranked a first-inning double for Monmouth Liberty.

Monmouth wasted no time in supporting Lee. In the bottom of the first, Jack Dougherty (Middletown South) led off with a double, Russo walked and Joseph Ciammaruconi was hit by a pitch before Finn Duffey forced in a run with a bases loaded walk. 

Tuller added another run when miscommunication led to his short fly ball to left falling safely just beyond the infield, allowing Russo to score for a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Centercourt got on the board when Colin Sharma reached on a walk, stole second and third, and took home on an errant throw back to the pitcher.

In the bottom of the third, Russo drove an opposite-field single into right to score Eddie Segarra for a 3-1 Monmouth lead.

Keith Muldowney and Segarra led off the sixth with base hits, and two batters later Russo drove in Muldowney for his second RBI of the game. Segarra scored on a wild pitch, and Ciammaruconi followed by beating out an infield single up the middle to score Russo.

For Centercourt, Eli Hausman doubled and Nolan Overmeyer and Mark Fultz singled to represent the team’s only base hits off Lee. 

Righty starter Jack Broswell threw three innings and allowed three runs on two hits and four walks. Reliever Mark Vega pitched two innings and yielded three runs on five hits, one walk and two hit batsmen, and he struck out two.