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BASEBALL: Burgess 'Barrels One Outta the Park', Stateliners Advance with Win over Piscataway
By Tom Mugavero,
2024-05-25
Phillipsburg defeats Piscataway 12-5 at the Phillipsburg Athletic Complex May 24, 2024. The 'Liners prepare to travel to Westfield. Credits: TAPinto Phillipsburg Staff Photo
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ - Four-year starting centerfielder Kevin Burgess hit his first career home run in what is likely his final home game of his career and classmate Jared Diefenbach tossed five solid innings with just one hiccup as Phillipsburg High School defeated Piscataway, 12-5, in an NJSIAA North 2 Group 4 first round baseball game at the Phillipsburg Athletic Complex on a warm and sun-splashed Friday afternoon.
The fifth-seeded Stateliners (17-8) advance to play at No. 4 Westfield (18-6) in a quarterfinal contest at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Westfield mercy-ruled Perth Amboy in the first round by a 10-0 score in five innings. Phillipsburg hasn’t won a state quarterfinal game since 2008.
Burgess, P’burg’s leadoff hitter, hit a two-run bomb over the 365-foot sign in left center to give the ‘Liners a 6-3 lead in the fourth inning. The Central Connecticut State commit also scored three runs and swiped two bases to give him 26 on the season and 50 in his career.
“I didn’t think it was going to go out. I’m not a home run guy,” said Burgess, who has scored 33 runs this season to put him in a tie for third for the most in a season at Phillipsburg in the last 35 years. “I thought it was going to be a triple. After I didn’t see the ball anymore I thought no way I just did that.”
“We were in a tight spot there after they tied it,” P’burg second-year coach Mike Ciavarella said. “We needed a big response and Kevin provided that with one swing of the bat. He got the barrel out in time and connected.”
Just like his brother Tyler did in 2018, Diefenbach was the winning pitcher in an NJSIAA game in likely his final home contest of his career. Tyler struck out 16 in a four-hit shutout and had the only RBI of the game when P’burg defeated Woodbridge, 1-0, in a 2018 first round state game.
The 2018 team, like this year’s edition, will face Westfield in the quarterfinals. The Blue Devils won 4-3 in eight innings six years ago.
Jared Diefenbach improved to 4-0 on the season after allowing four hits and three runs while striking out nine and walking two. He retired the Chiefs in order in three innings while allowing just two base runners in five of his six innings.
The hiccup came in the fourth when Piscataway scored three runs to tie the score at 3-3 on three hits, including a pair of doubles, and a walk.
“That wasn’t my best inning,” said Diefenbach, who leads the team with a 1.93 ERA. “But I regathered myself. Coach wanted to take me out but I convinced him I was still strong. I believe in myself and the defense behind me. Last year, I was in a relief role and I knew I had to make an impact on the mound this season. We had some rough spots last year. We had to clean up, and we’ve done that. We’re not done yet by a long shot.”
“He breezed through the first three innings,” Ciavarella said. “He ran into trouble in the fourth and we were thinking of taking him out. I trust my pitching coach, my brother Anthony, and he made the right move not to take him out. And he ended up proving he should have been left in the game by finishing strong.”
‘Liners take early lead
The Stateliners scored three times in the first inning after the first four batters reached base. Burgess singled and stole second and third on the first two pitches to Nick Stettner, who brought Burgess home with a solid single to center.
Dylan Wayne walked and Garrett Bobrowski knocked in one run with a fly ball double to right center and the third run scored when the throwback to the infield was mishandled.
Mike Bracco led off the fourth inning after Piscataway tied the game with a line drive double down the left field line that tipped off the top of the third baseman’s outstretched glove.
Jacob Kisselbach, the short-lived hero of last Saturday’s county title game when his two-run single gave P’burg a 5-3 lead in the top of the 11 th inning before it all came crashing down in the bottom of the frame, put the ‘Liners ahead for the second game in a row with his first career double and Burgess followed with his two-run blast over the 365-sign in left center to make it 6-3.
“We’re happy with Jake offensively,” Ciavarella said. “He was struggling in the beginning of the year and was in a platoon at first base but he’s come a long way lately with a lot of hard work at practice. He’s gotten opportunities and came up big lately. He’s earned the right to keep getting those opportunities and I’m really happy for him.”
P’burg tacks on lots of insurance runs
P’burg scored twice in the fifth inning on James LaBella’s run-scoring looping single to right center and a balk which brought a run home for a 8-3 lead. The ‘Liners added four runs in the sixth without the benefit of a hit on five walks, two hit by pitches, and a passed ball.
Burgess and Bobrowski each finished with two hits and Stettner, Wayne and Bracco each scored two runs for Phillipsburg.
“I like the way we’re been coming back,” Burgess said. “I like the fact we broke a three-game losing streak. Good defense and good at bats and our pitchers are looking great. I like our chances in the next game.”
‘We’ve played similar competition as Westfield,” Ciavarella said. “I know they are a very good team and their pitchers are very good and they’re sound fundamentally. We’ll need to play a complete game to beat them especially at their place. It’s a tough challenge but I think we’ll be up to it.”
Stats, Stats and More Stats
Piscataway (AB-R-H-RBI) – Peace cf-p 4-1-0-0, Bressler p 1-1-0-0, Bell rf 4-1-2-1, Wingate 3b 4-1-2-2, Barksdale 1b 3-0-0-0, Summonte 2b 3-0-0-0, Hutchinson c 3-0-3-2, Mannn cr 0-1-0-0, Brown ss 3-0-0-0, Hoffman lf 3-0-1-0. Totals 28-5-8-5.
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