Jackson romps Mystic Island to get to 4-3
BY MIKE WHITE
Staff Writer

JACKSON — As a junior pitching for the Jackson High School junior varsity baseball team this past spring, Jason Halulka proved to be one of the team’s key players.

His dominance from the mound resulted in Halulka being selected as the squad’s most valuable player.

Halulka is currently proving his worth as a member of the Jackson American Legion Post 504 team. The right hander recently pitched a complete game as Jackson steamrolled visiting Mystic Island, 8-1.

With the victory, Jackson improved to 4-3 overall in the league.

"He was really on his game that night," Jackson coach Kevin Johnson said.

"His accuracy was unbelievable. He worked ahead in the count and kept them off stride by doing a good job changing speeds and moving the ball around."

Halulka scattered three hits and struck out 10 to get his first win of the season. Having command of four different pitches left Mystic Island hitters either way out in front or back on their heels for most of the game.

"He throws a fastball, curve, knuckle curve and change-up," Johnson said.

"He had them guessing from the first inning. You could see his confidence growing as the game wore on."

Halulka rarely faced any trouble, recording four 1-2-3 innings. Jackson made a couple of errors in the fifth that led to Mystic Island’s lone run.

"A game like this is going to help him down the line," Johnson said. "He looked so comfortable and in control from the first pitch. We’re hoping he can maintain that level of confidence in his pitches during his next start."

Jackson posted a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Alex Ciafardini, who finished with two hits, had a lead-off single. Joe Schroeder’s RBI triple scored Ciafardini with the first run of the game.

Mystic Island tied it with one unearned run in the fifth. It was in the bottom of the sixth that Jackson broke the game open by getting to Mystic Island starter Danny Brower.

Ciafardini poked a one-out double followed by a Ryan Andrews’ RBI single.

Jackson loaded the bases and Ryan Johnson smacked a grand slam over the scoreboard in left field to put Jackson in front, 6-1. Rob Santilli’s RBI double scored Guy Passarelli and Joe Murphy ended the scoring with an RBI triple.

"Those are the kinds of innings that this team is capable of having," Johnson said. "There is a lot of firepower on this team. We have solid bats up and down the line-up. We know sooner or later that we are going to hit. The kids have confidence in their ability to score runs."

Johnson finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs. He leads the squad in runs batted in with eight. Teammate Ryan Andrews is off to a blistering start. Andrews is six of eight at the plate for a sizzling .750 average.

"We know that we can hit and score runs," Johnson said. "Their pitcher did a good job of shutting us down for a while, but we knew we would get to him."

Jackson squared off against Point Pleasant Beach and Brick Memorial earlier in the week. Jackson hosts Lakewood 5:45 p.m. Thursday at home.

"It is going to be a tough week for us," Johnson said. "We need to continue to play consistent baseball. There are no easy games in this division."