CLARK, NJ – Arthur L. Johnson High School junior Kevin Metz hit a walk-off single to lift the Crusaders past the Carteret High School Ramblers by a final score of 7-6 Tuesday afternoon in Clark.
Metz singled with the bases loaded to help the Crusaders to the win, after the team struggled to find a spark in their offense earlier in the game.
“Battling back from that early hole and getting it done really tops off our pretty good season right now for our seniors,” Metz said.
In that inning, with the bases loaded, junior Joe Turek was hit by a pitch in the leg, allowing junior Mike Casalino to score to knot the game up 6-6.
“I think our pitching kept us around and we did enough defensively,” Johnson head coach Dave Kennedy said. “It was a strange game. We probably didn’t deserve to win today, but one of the beauties of baseball is there’s no clock and there’s time if you believe, so these guys stuck with it.”
Before the game, the Crusaders honored their 2017 seniors, Vin Crisafi, Mike Sot, Brendan Stanzione and Connor Fayard, for their years of dedication to the Johnson baseball program.
The seniors reflected on their playing careers at ALJ.
- “It’s meant a lot because growing up and playing baseball, I wanted to continue it through high school and everything. The program’s meant a lot to me. Athletically, in a competitive nature, it’s done a lot and I’m glad I was able to continue it all four years and just play hard and play with my brothers.” -Vin Crisafi
- “It’s been great. I love Johnson baseball, it’s been a lot of fun playing these four years and hopefully we finish the season out well.” -Mike Sot
- “It’s been a blessing, it’s been fun playing both baseball and basketball four years and for the school. It’s crazy it’s almost over, but I’ve had a good time here, hopefully we can win some more.” -Brendan Stanzione
- “Playing baseball here has meant a lot to me. It’s been fun, a lot of fun and I like playing baseball.” -Connor Fayard
Full Coverage of Johnson Baseball’s Walk-Off Victory on Senior Day
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