Baseball: Scotch Plains-Fanwood Success Continues; Raiders Advance vs. Franklin

SCOTCH PLAINS/FANWOOD, NJ -- The earlier than usual 2 p.m. school day start didn't slow down the Raider bats, as they opened the 2024 NJSIAA State Sectional tournament against Franklin. Scotch Plains-Fanwood jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after the first inning. Jaden Carpien had an RBI single to plate Jack Sponheimer and then Ryan Quinones had an RBI double bringing Carpien around to score. Quinones would later score on a wild pitch and CJ Bates who walked would score on a groundout by Joe Defrancesco. The Warriors would quickly answer back in the top of the 2nd, scoring three runs helped by some Raider walks. Evan Doyle came on to relieve Quinones and went 3 innings, striking out 9 Warrior batters. Matt Capozzolo who came in to pitch with 1 out in the top of the 5th and went 1 2/3 innings for the win. He was able to enduce a groundball to third baseman Jack Masterson who got the lead runner at home for the second out. The next batter singled for Franklin cutting the Raiders' lead to 7-5. A 2-run infield error allowed the Warriors to tie the game at 7 in the 5th. As they have done so many times all season, Scotch Plains-Fanwood responded to adversity. Tied 7-7 in the bottom of the 5th inninf, 10 Raider batters came to plate in the frame and plated 5 runs. Defrancesco led off with a hit by pitch, Matt Gresiman singled and Capozzolo provided his second sacrifice bunt of the season advancing the runners. Anthony Veglia singled on the next pitch giving the Raider an 8-7 lead. A strikeout and a hit by pitch would follow, and the Raiders would do the rest of the damage with 2 outs. Carpien singled scoring Greisman. Quinones walked to bring up Bates with the bases loaded and two outs, the junior firstbaseman laced a single into right field, scoring LaRosa and Carpien for a 12-7 Raider lead. Capozzolo threw a scoreless 6th inning and Jack Byrne would close out the game in the top of the 7th with just 7 pitches in the inning. Raiders hit the 20-win mark for the 2024 season (20-8) with the victory over the Warriors. Next up for Scotch Plains-Fanwood is the North 2 Group 4 Quarterfinal game on Wednesday, May 29, against Hunterdon Central.

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