Lakewood picking up right where it left off
BY MIKE WHITE
Staff Writer

MANCHESTER — The Lakewood High School baseball team surprised a lot of teams, coaches and spectators last year as they captured the Shore Conference B South title.

Under first-year coach Gene Drumright, the Piners compiled a 12-0 mark in league. Overall, Lakewood posted a 16-4 record.

“We had an outstanding season,” Drumright said. “I don’t think many people figured us to win that title. Our pitching and defense was very solid. In addition, we had guys who were stinging the ball pretty well.”

It appears last year’s formula for success is already in place for 2005. On April 1 (opening day), Lakewood got a strong pitching performance from John Girgenti as the Piners rolled to a resounding 6-1 win over host Manchester in the season opener for both teams.

Girgenti worked out of trouble in the first two innings before settling in to register his first complete-game win of the year. Manchester threatened to break the game open early, but scored just one run and left a pair of runners stranded in each of the first two innings.

Lakewood took advantage of a shaky Manchester defense, which committed five errors. Ricky Maldonado, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, started things off by opening the game with a double. He later scored on a throwing error to give LHS an early 1-0 lead.

Maldonado, who was one of the team’s leading batters last season with a .433 average, gave the Piners a 2-0 cushion when he singled home Jimmy D’Aloya in the second.

Lakewood scored two more in the fifth, keyed by Girgenti’s double to left field. Mike Taggert drove in a pair of runs with a two-run double.

“It’s a good way to start the season,” Drumright said. “It’s nice to get that first win under your belt. We’re hoping to continue to play well. If our pitching holds up and we continue to deliver timely hits, we should be OK.”

They followed that win with a 10-3 win over Point Boro last Wednesday, an 8-4 win over Monsignor Donovan last Thursday — the Piners 17th consecutive Class B South Division win over the last three years.

Lakewood improved to 5-0 on Saturday with a 4-2 win over Southern, and entered this week as the 10th-ranked team in the Shore. But they’ve looked better than that thus far.

Other key returnees for Lakewood include Lex Wolfe, a senior who can pitch or play the outfield, Tim Jacobs and Louis Rodriguez.

“All these guys have experience,” Drumright said. “They were part of what we accomplished last season. These are the guys we need to step to the front and lead us.”

Newcomers Joe Componile, Alberto Cappas, Garrett Mackolin and Josh Spagnuolo are all vying for playing time.