Stevens, Baseball Down Wayne Hills

Don Bosco baseball coach Mike Stanton said his everyday lineup basically is a work in progress.

The Ironmen still are a little rough around the edges, prone to the kind of mistakes you'd expect from a team breaking in a bevy of new regulars. Put Boston College-bound senior Eric Stevens on the mound, however, and it's not hard to imagine what the finished product is going to look like.

That's because Stevens is one of those pitchers who makes growing pains seem almost invisible. He threw a gem Monday, scattering three hits and striking out 11 as the Ironmen, ranked No. 3 in the North Jersey Top 25, beat No. 6 Wayne Hills, 11-1, in a six-inning NJTCC matchup.

"I like leading the team and setting an example," Stevens said. "The young guys are starting to step up big, and the key seniors are coming through.

"Losing on opening day [to Paramus] was a good wakeup call. We've put together a nice string of games since then."

The Ironmen (5-1) have won five straight, and face one of their biggest tests of the season Saturday when they travel to state powerhouse Delbarton. Stevens (2-1) is penciled in for that start, and this game was a good warmup.

The Patriots (5-1) had no answer for Stevens' hard sinker. They didn't hit a ball in the air the entire game, and scored only one unearned run in the top of the sixth inning.

"I felt good," Stevens said. "What really helped was the offense getting six runs in the first inning. When the offense puts runs on the board like that, it's a big help because, as a pitcher, you can attack the zone more."

Even Wayne Hills coach Chris Ianneillo admitted that his team may have come out a little tight in the Patriots' first game against the Ironmen. Bosco had only three hits in the first inning, but were helped out by two errors, two walks and a fielder's choice on a line drive that struck the umpire.

"I think we were trying to do too much," said Ianneillo, whose team faces No. 1 Paramus on Wednesday "Maybe we were too fired up."

Second baseman George Iskenderian had the big blow in the first, a bases-loaded triple that made it 5-0. Stevens had two hits and an RBI, and Matt Dacey, an impressive sophomore first baseman who seems to have a good eye at the plate, added two hits and two RBI.

BY MARK J. CZERWINSKI

Photo Credit: CARMINE GALASSO

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