By Tim Morris
The Howell High School baseball team found the right time to correct the ship.
The 2016 season has been a roller coaster for coach Eric Johnson’s Rebels. After winning six of their first seven games, the team went into a tailspin.
They were reeling when the Monmouth County Tournament (MCT) began but with a pair of one-run, 5-4 wins, Howell moved into the semifinals.
The Rebels’ run came to an end at the hands — or rather bats — of No. 2-seed Red Bank Catholic High School May 7. The Caseys beat the Rebels, 9-0, to advance to the finals May 14 against top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy. Howell slipped to 8-9 on the season with the defeat.
Howell used two runs in the fifth inning to break a 3-3 tie and go on to defeat Freehold Township High School in the quarterfinals. Christian Gedell and Grant Hacket both went 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Rebels.
Freehold Township reminded everyone of the dangers of the one-and-done. The Patriots were the 22nd-seed and had just one win going into the tournament but reached the quarterfinals against Howell.
The Patriots defeated Raritan High School, 11-5, before stunning No. 4-seed Colts Neck High School in 13 innings, 4-3.
Ralph Gambino gave the Patriots eight strong innings, allowing just one unearned run, striking out 11 and allowing just three hits. But he was matched by the Cougars’ Mike D’Ottavio, who fanned eight and allowed just one earned run in 5.2 innings.
The game remained 1-1 until the 13th inning when Freehold Township scored three times. Ryan Ford walked with the bases loaded to score the first run, and Brian Oliver’s RBI-single made it 3-1. A Cougars error plated the third run, and that proved to be the game-winner.
Colts Neck rallied for two runs in the last of the 13th, but Pete Nielsen, who pitched the final five innings for Freehold Township, was able to close the door and preserve the 4-3 win.
Freehold Township played that game in the morning and then went to Howell in the afternoon for the quarterfinals.
Marlboro High School and Freehold High School each won a round.
With deadlines approaching for teams to be .500 or better in order to automatically qualify for the Shore Conference and state sectional tournaments, the Freehold Regional High School District teams have their work cut out for them.
Colts Neck (9-6) is in. The others have some work to do.
No one will want to play Freehold (9-9) in the postseason because of the Colonials’ pitching depth.
Manalapan High School is the hottest of the district teams. Brian Boyce’s Braves started the season just 2-8. Instead of folding the tent, Manalapan picked itself up off the ground to win five of its next six games to improve to 7-9 and give itself a chance to reach .500.
Marlboro (8-7) has a history of playing well and advancing in the state sectional.
Howell (8-9) would like to ride its MCT run into the other tournament games.
