Jaguar squad on the bubble for state tournament berth
By Mike White
Staff Writer

Members of the Jackson High School baseball team realized they were very close to facing elimination from the postseason. They needed a big week.

They responded to the challenge by winning three of four games last week to keep their playoff hopes alive. After losing a heartbreaker against Brick Monday, Jackson rebounded with consecutive victories over Toms River South, Marlboro and Lacey Township.

"We haven’t won three games in a row in a very long time," Jackson coach Mike Walsh said. "Offensively we are starting to come around. We swung the bats very well in the last three games. I don’t know why all of a sudden we are scoring a lot of runs, but it came at the right time. The kids realized what we are up against."

With a 7-7 mark overall, the Jags needed to win two of three this week to ensure a bid into the state tournament. Jackson is scheduled to square off against Howell, Southern and Toms River East.

"This is a crucial week to our season," Walsh said. "We have to come up big this week. We need to continue to get timely hitting and our pitching needs to limit opportunities."

Jackson pounded out a total of 15 hits in a 12-0 steamrolling of Lacey on Saturday to register its seventh win of the year. The Jags scored two in the first, three in the third and added four more in the seventh for starter and winner Matt Wilder, who improved to 2-1 on the season. Yet it wasn’t Jackson’s finest output this season. In an earlier 9-8 loss against Brick, Jackson recorded 17 hits.

"It certainly was nice to end the week the way we did," Walsh said. "We got significant contributions from a lot of people against Lacey. It’s certainly a key time in the season to have a lot of guys in the lineup swinging the bat well."

Mike Joyce led the onslaught, going three for three with five RBIs. Joyce had a pair of doubles and a three-run homer. He also scored three runs.

"It was quite a day for him," Walsh said. "He’s had a hot bat as of late."

Brian McFadden was three for four with three runs batted in, and Chris Sweitzer doubled and homered.

In a 7-1 win over Marlboro on Friday, again it was Joyce leading the offense with two hits. In addition, he tossed five innings of no-hit ball to earn the win.

Senior reliever Mike Cortese pitched two scoreless innings, giving up one hit, to get the save.

Walsh was glad to see Jackson finally provide adequate run support for Joyce.

"It was one of his stronger outings this season," Walsh said, "but he has pitched really well in his last four starts. We haven’t given him the runs needed to win."

Joyce was the loser in the 1-0 loss against Brick early in the week. The game’s winning run came on an error during a pickoff play.

"That was a tough loss," Walsh said. "He pitched his heart out in that game. It was a shame it ended the way it did, but he didn’t let it affect him. He came back and was dominating against Marlboro."

The 5-3 extra-innings win against Toms River South was the first for Jackson since 1997.

Walsh got a gutty performance from reserve Bruce Reibis. The sophomore entered the game in the eighth inning with bases loaded, no outs and Jackson holding a 5-3 lead. Reibis struck out two batters then got a dazzling defensive play from Sweitzer in the outfield to get out of the jam and give Jackson the victory.

"I was out of pitchers," Walsh said. "I told him to go warm up. I saw that he was throwing strikes and decided to go with him. He did a great job and we got one heck of a defensive gem for Sweitzer to close it out."

Sweitzer made a diving catch on a blast hit by Todd Frazier in left center field to squelch the threat.

"A win like that does amazing things for a team’s confidence and attitude," Walsh said. "It brings your spirits up. Once we lost to Brick on Monday it was a do or die situation for this club. They knew what they were facing, but they rode the momentum of beating Toms River South into the end of the week. We accomplished what we needed to do."