CLARK, NJ- After a rough top of the first inning with the Westfield High School Blue Devils scoring three runs, the Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders varsity baseball team knew they were going to have to answer on offense against a team coming into Tuesday’s game with a total of 67 runs through their first eight games.
Westfield senior Matt Manning drove in junior Matt McIntyre with a double and junior Andrew Caminiti recorded an RBI single in the inning. A third run came in on an error to build the early lead.
“The defensive side was not fun. [The top of the first inning] was difficult to watch,” Johnson head coach Dave Kennedy said. “It wasn’t really us.”
The Crusaders responded to that with a six-run first inning, the bats heating up when they needed a response. After scoring five runs in the third inning and adding four more in the fourth inning, Johnson defeated Westfield 15-4 in their home opener Tuesday afternoon.
Johnson sophomore starting pitcher Saul Lopez got the final two outs and the Crusaders offense went to work. They would make a lot of noise before the first out was even recorded.
The Crusaders got back-to-back hits from senior Zach Thornton and sophomore Max Carmino to open the inning. Seniors Joe Turek and Kevin Metz recorded back-to-back RBI singles to cut the lead to 3-2. Sophomore Steve Harrington ignited the offense even further with a deep double, scoring courtesy runner and junior Brett DaCosta to tie the game at 3-3.
Freshman Kyle Adorno added to the offensive mix, driving home Metz and Harrington to give Johnson a 5-3 lead, still with no outs in the inning. After advancing to third base on a wild pitch, Adorno successfully stole home in a double-steal attempt with senior Mike Casalino and Johnson led Westfield 6-3 after the first inning. The Crusaders batted through the entire lineup, with Thornton getting to the plate twice.
Full Coverage of Johnson Varsity Baseball Home Opener Win vs. Westfield HS Here
