EAHS Red Rover Baseball

2009 Varsity Team

Season in Review 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009

The Easton Area High School Baseball program experienced ups and downs in 2009. A total record of 33-21 was attained. The sub varsity programs played well. The Junior varsity went on to a 14-6 record while the Freshmen posted an 8-5 tally for a combined 22-11 overall record. The Varsity squad truly had a Tale of two Seasons!

The Varsity team qualified for post - season play for the 8th year consecutively with an 11-9 season record. A heavy graduation class of 2008 left the new Rovers with a big test in front of them. Only Ian Oakley and Kyle Harbridge (captains) had game experience positionally and Dylan Kemmerer had some prior innings on the mound leaving the Rovers with limited Varsity experience. The year began with a strong run in the first half going an impressive 8-2 record with a big win over LVC and District 11 Champion Parkland at Coca- Cola Park. First half highlights included wins over Hazelton, Pleasant Valley, and Bethlehem Catholic along with Parkland. The Rovers pitched the ball well and outscored their opponents 80-33.

The second half of the season was a disappointment for the young Rovers as they struggled to win close ball games against good LVC foes and tough pitching. The team lost 5 one run games and two 2 run games. A total of 9 runs in 7 of the losses. The Rovers clearly were in the game but couldn’t get the big hit at the right time or execute a certain play when needed.

The Rovers would play Whitehall in District play but their season would end with a 4-0 loss.

Special awards for some members of the 2009 team are as follows:

Ian Oakley – 2009 Eddie Snyder Award Receipient
Patrick Corpora – LVC Scholar Athlete for Baseball
Kyle Harbridge and Colin Case – 2009 Co - MVP Award Winners
Justin Pacchioli – Honorable Mention All LVC Outfielder
Kyle Harbridge (.387) , Colin Case (.381) - .350 Club
Dylan Kemmerer (5) - Top Pitchers – Wins per year

The players on the 2009 team were a dedicated group of young men who always worked hard and were fun to be around. Baseball was always the main focus of this group. Their efforts will not soon be forgotten! The coaching staff felt it was truly a pleasure to coach this group. The seniors will be missed! They were a great group of kids who will always be members of the Easton baseball family.

Dennis Collado, Patrick Corpora, Kyle Harbridge, Dylan Kemmerer, Louis Markus, Eddie Nunez, Ian Oakley, Julio Perez, Ryan Peterson, and Sal Rampulla contributed greatly and we wish them all the best in their future plans.

A strong core of younger players with Varsity experience will make 2010 a different year for the Rovers. Three sophomores played large amounts of time on the Varsity level which will help us along with many juniors who will take on the senior leadership roles. It is very exciting coming back in 2010 with such a strong core. With hard work in the off - season the Rovers appear to have a bright future!
Returning rostered players Colin Case , Justin Pacchioli, and Kevin Nemeth are the juniors who will make a strong impact in 2010 and Matt Mink, Aaron Barry, Devon Wood, Evan Wilkins, Dan Eckel, Shane Raymond, Barry Schaffer, Mark Sweitzer, Matt Cummings, and Justin Souders are the 2009 rostered players looking to make contributions to a championship run in 2010. Along with all of the above will be a group of players from a 14-6 JV team looking for a spot on the Varsity team. The competition will prove to be fierce and these players know what it will take to win the LVC.

I would like to personally thank the EASD for their support of our program.
Thank You to our Athletic Department with AD Jim Pokrivsak, Assistant AD’s Greg Hess and Elaine Arnts, secretaries Jane Braido and Lois DeFrancesco for all their work. Thank you to our medical group Jeff Hunt and Rochelle Gilbert.

Thank You to our equipment guys Scott Austin and Rick Hartranft, announcers Bob Arnts, Mike Lavalva, and Rose Mellman for their help. Our managers this year were Alyson Kunsman, Christina Pulcini, and Nicholas Corpora who missed 2009 with arm surgery. Lastly – thank you to the EASD maintenance group led by Tim Case who prepare our fields.

A special thanks goes to the Easton Baseball Diamond Club and all of our parents who have worked tirelessly to raise funds in dances and bingoes to allow our kids to go to Boston this past April to play a game and enjoy a Red Sox game while there. We toured the JFK museum and spent time in the Quincy Market Area. It was a worthwhile experience for all of our players Varsity and JV alike to develop team unity and have a great time. Also the booster group helps put the Rovers in the top equipment and uniforms and gives them the feel of a class program playing on the best field in the valley and beyond! Thank You to the Senior parents who played a key role in the organization of many of our fundraisers. Becky Rampulla, Joan Markus, Rachelle Altemose, Kelly Corpora to name just a few and many others who gave their all to us under the leadership of Tony Ventola and Maria LaValva. Thank You !

I would like to thank the people who make the program go. The coaches!
Our success year in and out comes from this dedicated group of men who love the game of baseball. They spend countless hours away from home all throughout the year teaching the game because they care. Many of them do so voluntarily and have a great deal to offer! Thank You to their families for letting them give their time to us!

Varsity Assistants:
Greg Hess – Pitching Coordinator
Jim Warga – Assistant
John Bisco Jr. – Assistant

Junior Varsity –
Scott Ordway – Head Coach
Ben Childs – Assistant – Pitching

Freshmen –
Ryan Kanusky – Head Coach
Dan Gonzalez – Assistant

The Easton Baseball Program strives to win and teach young men the fundamentals of the game along with mentoring young men to be team players in a team concept. The belief that winning baseball comes from hard work, dedication, and a commitment to being the best student athlete you can be in the classroom and on the playing field is paramount to our mission as a coaching staff. The players that play in our program understand the commitment we expect and must work hard to attain the success that comes with being a champion. Best wishes to all of our players and their families this coming summer and we look forward to a successful 2010 season!

Carm LaDuca
EAHS Varsity Head Coach

Zephyrs cash in on Bet, blank Red Rovers
Tuesday, May 19, 2009

By John Heilig | SPECIAL TO THE MORNING CALL

In baseball there are big runs and little runs. They both look the same in the score book, but they have different effects on the opposing teams.

Whitehall used both to their advantage in beating host Easton, 4-0, in their 4A District 11 pigtail-round game Monday. The Zephyrs now advance to play top-seeded Stroudsburg on Wednesday.

Whitehall (11-10) broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning. Red Rover starter Dylan Kemmerer had been cruising along with a one-hitter and had retired 12 straight batters when Mark Deichmeister singled with one out. He moved to second on Tyler Knauss' ground out to third and scored on Mike Antonchak's single to right center. That was the big run.

In the sixth, Derek Herman walked, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Jim Lahue. That was the little run.

''We've been working on it all week,'' Lahue said of the bunt. ''We knew it wouldn't be a blowout game so one run could make the difference. Coach [Andy Simock] made the call and I executed it and Herman scored. A sacrifice bunt is more satisfying [than an RBI single] because you work on it so hard and when you come back to the dugout everybody is congratulating you.''

The Zephyrs scored again in the fifth when Scott Kromer plated Pat Bet, who had walked earlier and advanced on Lahue's bunt. They added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Antochak walked, moved to second on Mike Garneau's ground out to third and scored on Herman's bloop single to left.

Easton (11-10) had a couple of chances against Bet, who threw a five-hit complete game. In the third, the Red Rovers had runners on first and third with no outs. Justin Pachiolli's fly to right wasn't deep enough to score the runner, and Colin Case's hard-hit ball to second started a double play that ended the inning.

''I wasn't nervous at all,'' Bet said. ''I knew if I went out there and threw my game and they got the runs for me everything would be fine. My fastball was definitely on today. I was finding the outside corner and they couldn't hit it. As long as I was hitting my spots they weren't hitting the ball.''

''I think it was important to score first today,'' Simick said. ''We had two great pitchers on the mound. Pat was sharp for seven innings. The first run allowed us to get our running game going. And we put the suicide squeeze on. Kemmerer was throwing a lot of strikes. We were looking to bunt, to hit-and-run.''

''It's playoff baseball and every little play counts,'' Easton coach Carm Laduca said. ''Pat Bet pitched a hell of a game. Once he got his lead he was like a bulldog on the mound and wouldn't give it up. You have to play a clean game and you have to execute when you have the opportunities. We had chances and didn't score. We couldn't have asked more from Dylan Kemmerer, but you have to score runs to win ball games.''

Whitehall 000 012 1 -- 4 6 1
Easton 000 000 0 -- 0 5 1

Bet and Amaike; Kemmerer, Markus (7) and Wood. REC: W: 11-10. E: 11-10. WP: Bet. LP: Kemmerer.

John Heilig is a freelance writer.

Easton hosts Whitehall in District XI opener
First pitch at 4:30pm this afternoon
Monday, May 18, 2009

Easton the number 8 seed will host the number 9 seed Whitehall this afternoon at Richards Field on the EAHS campus. First pitch will be 4:30pm.

The winner of this game will travel to Stroudsburg on Wednesday to face the number 1 seeded Mountaineers.

Freshman team highlights this weeks schedule
Tuesday, May 12, 2009

While the Varsity team waits to find out who it's opening round opponent will be in the District XI playoffs, there is still plenty of baseball to watch at EAHS.

The Freshman team will have 3 home games this week. Beginning with todays game vs. Hunterdon Central. On Thursday they will travel to Delaware Valley and return home on Friday to face off against North Hunderton. The freshman team will end it's season at home against Voorhees at 10am. All other games have a 4pm start time.

Come on out and support the future Varsity players.

Easton drops 7-5 decision to Liberty
Sunday, May 10, 2009

Liberty scored 5 runs in the 3rd inning to top Easton 7-5 in the regular season schedule finale for the Red Rovers. Kyle Harbridge led the Rovers going 2-2 while scoring 2 runs and driving in 4 runs with 2 home runs.

Albright, Reaser (6), Ortiz (7) and Bicknese. Kemmerer and Wood, Pacchioli (4). WP: Albright; LP: Kemmerer. HR: E: Kyle Harbridge (3rd, 2 on), (5th, solo). REC: L: 17-2 (13-1); E: 11-9 (7-7). NOTES: E: Kyle Harbridge 2-2, 4 RBIs; L: Kevin Bicknese 2B, RBI; Dan Martisofski 2B, RBI; Tom Black 2B, RBI.