By Brian Gelalia
Assistant Scouting Director

Team New Jersey started off the Future Games with an impressive 7-1 victory over Team New York.  2019 RHP/SS  KC Hunt (Ramapo HS, NJ) took the ball and put forth 2 scoreless innings while sitting 86-88 with his fastball and striking out 3 along the way.  Hunt handed the ball off to 2019 RHP/SS Dominic Cancellieri (Bergen Catholic HS, NJ) who proceeded to  spin 3 hitless innings and allowing just one unearned run while striking out 5.  Cancellieri’s fastball ranged between 87-88 while effectively using his sharp 12/6 breaking ball at 69-71 MPH to offset the Team NY offense.  The torch was finally passed to 2019 RHP Jake Andrey (Cherry Hill East HS, NJ) to get the final 6 outs.  Andrey went on to face the minimum,  utilizing an explosive fastball that sat 86-87 touching 88 and mixing in an 11/5 breaking ball with tight spin and fastball arm action.

Team NJ had many contributors on offense as well. Hunt got things going in the top of the 4^th asNJ recorded their 1^st hit, a triple to straight away RF.  The next batter was 2019 outfielder Mike Guzzardo (Bishop Eustace Prep HS, NJ) who delivered a hard ground ball out to push Hunt across the plate.  2019 3B Marty Higgins (Nutley HS, NJ) dropped a double down the right field line and stole third, but to no avail as Team NY pitched their way out of the inning.

Extra base hits were the theme of this game, as 2020 OF Christian Kane (Washington Township HS, NJ) stroked a triple to the left center field that split the outfielders and rolled all the way to the wall.  He would score on the very next as Hunt grounded out to give NJ their first lead of the game at 2-1. Guzzardo jumpstarted a one out rally with a well struck single through the middle, and NJ would proceed to score 2 more runs in the inning with the help of 2019 SS Danny Helfgott (Don Bosco Prep, NJ) who singled in a run to make it 4-1.  NJ helped seal the win in the top half of the 7^th when 2019 OF David Glancy (Red Bank Catholic HS, NJ) reached on an error to start the inning and later would score along with Higgins when 2019 C John Whooley capped off the day with a 2 run stand-up triple to right center field to make the score 6-1.  Whooley would later tally the last run for Team NJ on a wild pitch to make the score 7-1.

Team NJ will look to build off their strong start tomorrow as they take on Team Massachusetts at 1pm at Grand Park.   

Top Performers
Hitters:
+ John Whooley: 1-3, 3B, 2 RBI
+ KC Hunt: 1-2, 3B, RBI, R
+ Christian Kane: 1-2, 3B, R
+ Mike Guzzardo: 1-2, RBI
+ Dominic Cancellieri: 1-2
+ Marty Higgins: 2-3, 2B, R, SB
+ Danny Helfgott: 1-2, RBI, HBP

Pitchers
+ KC Hunt: 2 IP, 0 H, 3 K, 1 BB
+ Dominic Cancellieri: 3 IP, 5 K, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB
+ Jake Andrey: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 K, 0 BB

NJ Pitchers for Tomorrow (8/4/17):
+ 2019 RHP Gerry Peacock
+ 2019 RHP Sam Favieri
+ 2019 RHP Josh O'Neill

 

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