Photo Gallery: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Baseball North Hunterdon Seals Title with Win Over P’Burg

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ - North Hunterdon senior leftfielder Nick Hernandez hit a dramatic title-winning three-run homer down the left field line in the bottom of the 11 ^th inning to send the Lions to a come-from-behind 8-5 victory over Phillipsburg High School in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament championship baseball game on a sunless Friday afternoon at the Phillipsburg Athletic Complex.

“That’s one of the better baseball games you’re going to see,” second-year North Hunterdon coach Derek Yocum said. “Back and forth and just a battle. That was just a battle between two teams who just wouldn’t quit. We’re tipping our hats to P’burg.”

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North Hunterdon (18-5) won its sixth county title, the second most in the 39-year tournament involving Hunterdon and Warren County schools, and extended its season winning streak to 13.

P’burg, which was seeking its first championship since 2011, has won five titles. Hunterdon Central has won the most championships with 17. The Lions beat the Red Devils, 1-0 in 10 innings, in the quarterfinal round.

North also beat the Stateliners in their season opener at the PAC this season, 5-4, when it came back from a 4-2 deficit after five innings to win with two runs in the top of the seventh.

Phillipsburg (16-8) took a 5-3 lead in the top of the 11 ^th on the first run-scoring hit of the game, a two-out, two-run ground ball single to center field by No. 9 hitter Jacob Kisselbach, who had struck out in his previous three at-bats.

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“Down two there, but our kids didn’t quit,” Yocum said. “It really is a testament to these players and to our baseball program. I’m so proud of these guys.”

After Stateliners pitching recorded its first 1-2-3 inning of the game in the 10 ^th inning, leadoff hitter Nick Politi led off the 11 ^th by reaching on a hit by pitch. After a fly out to deep centerfield, Alex Famolari and Zach Fronio singled to load the bases.

Tyler Anderson followed with a two-run single to center on the first pitch he saw to tie the score at 5-5 and the next batter, Hernandez, sent his team home happy with his walk-off blast. It was Hernandez’ fourth home run of the season and fifth of his career.

“Nick Hernandez, three-year starter,” Yocum said. “I’m so proud of that guy. And I’m hoping he enjoys this one with his teammates for sure.”

“I was seeing pitches outside the whole game,” said Hernandez, who leads the Lions with 16 RBI this season “I got something in and I drilled it. It feels good to bring the championship back home. It feels awesome.”

“It was a new arm and we heard he wasn’t too experienced,” Anderson said of his approach to the plate before his clutch hit. “I was looking fast ball right away because I figured he wanted to get ahead of me.”

Anderson and Jesse Lance each went 2-for-5 for the Lions.

Although the game was played on Phillipsburg’s home field the fifth-seeded Lions were the home team against the sixth-seeded Stateliners.

P’burg took a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh by scoring on a Dylan Wayne fielder’s choice  ground out in the first inning, a wild pitch in the third and a throwing error in the fifth.

North’s two runs came on sacrifice flies by Wyatt Demeo in the second inning and Zach Fronio in the fifth. Hernandez’ sac fly in the seventh sent the game into extra innings.

There was traffic on the bases all game long, with both teams having runners in scoring position in each of the first fine innings. However, neither team could get the big clutch hit to break the game open.

North Hunterdon, which has now beaten the Stateliners nine straight times since the 2019 season, outhit Phillipsburg 13-7 with Famolari leading the way with an outstanding 5-for-6 day. Eddie Weindel was the only ‘Liner with multiple hits going 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored.

Ben Linzer, the third of three North Hunterdon pitchers, picked up the win with four innings of relief. He allowed two hits and two runs, both earned, while striking out two and walking one.

Cole Parsons, the third of four P’burg pitchers, took the loss. The ‘Liners final two pitchers in the 11 ^th inning combined to pitch a total of 10 innings between them this season. Phillipsburg’s first two pitchers, Jared Diefenbach and Weindel, each went five innings and combined to allow three runs.

The Stateliners, who are enjoying their best season in 16 years, began the week on a nine-game winning streak and end the week on a three-game losing streak.

“I really feel bad for the kids. They left everything out there today.” Phillipsburg coach Mike Ciavarella said. “They deserved to win that game. We relied on four arms all year and we just ran out of pitchers with the pitch counts. We have to focus on the state tournament now. We’ve had some tough ones now, but I know we’ll play hard because we always do.”

Phillipsburg (AB-R-H-RBI) -- Burgess cf 6-0-0-0, Matos 2b 4-2-0-0, Wayne 3b 4-1-0-1, Bobrowski c 3-0-1-0, Diefenbach p/Weindel dp-p 5-1-3-1, Casinelli cr 0-0-0-0, Stettner ss 4-0-1-0, Bracco rf 3-1-0-0, LaBella lf 3-0-1-0, Kisselbach 1b 4-0-1-2, Handwerk ph 1-0-0-0. Totals: 37-5-7-4.

North Hunterdon (AB-R-H RBI) – Politi cf 4-1-1-0, Sand 3b-p 3-1-0-0, Famolari 1b-p 6-2-5-0, Fronio p-1b 4-1-1-1, Seifert pr 1-0-0-0, Anderson ss 5-1-2-2, Hernandez lf 4-2-1-4, Lance 2b 5-0-2-0, Demeo cf 4-0-1-1, Kane c 3-0-0-0. Totals: 40-8-13-8.

Phillipsburg (16-7) 101 010 000 02 – 5 7 2

North Hunterdon (18-5) 010 010 100 05 – 8 13 5

LOB – Phillipsburg 9, North Hunterdon 12. HR – Hernandez (4). SAC – Bracco, Stettner; Kane. SF – Demeo, Fronio, Hernandez. SB – Stettner, Bracco; Lance. Famolari. CS – Casinelli.

Diefenbach, Weindel (6), Parsons (11), Scherer (11) and Bobrowski; Fronio, Sand (5), Linzer (8) and Kane. SO-BB – Diefenbach 3-3, Weindel 7-3, Parsons 0-0, Scherer 0-0; Fronio 4-4, Sand 4-1, Linzer 2-1. WP – Linzer. LP – Parsons.

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