Baseball team finds success but falls short by end of season

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After a strong start to the 2017 season, the Blue Devils baseball season comes to a close after playoff loss to Timber Creek. The team moved up a division into the Group III Tried-County, and knew they had a lot of work to do to be succesful. After a disappointing season just a year before, coach Gary Sarno pushed the guys hard. The team had seven seniors that knew they needed to be leaders to be successful.

The team started off the season with six wins and one loss heading into their tournament in Myrtle Beach. The team was lead by senior captain Liam McGarvey who reflects on the start of his final season as a Blue Devil.

“We started off really hot in the beginning of the season and thought we could handle anyone,” he said.

The boys did just that when they traveled to Myrtle Beach in mid April, they posted a three and one record in the tournament. The success came from junior pitcher and infielder, Sean Cocuzza, who put the team on his back with his pitching and hitting.
The struggles started after the team returned to Hammonton. The team was twelve and three when they played Woodstown, when they finished the season with a two and six record in their final eight games of the regular season. The struggles came when the team failed to make routine plays and hit in key spots of the game.

The team ended the season with a regular season record of fourteen wins and eight losses before they took on Timber Creek in the first round of the playoffs. The boys battled into extra innings as they went nine innings in their four to three loss.

Senior utility man, Anthony Roman reflected on his final season with the baseball team.

“It was a really fun season, I’m sad that it had to end early but I had a lot of fun with my teammates.”

When asked about the best moments of the season Roman answered, “Oh defiantly Myrtle Beach were we established an alter ego of ’Stan Potts’ and never finding Scooby Doo.”

The season wasn’t what they expected it to be but it was still a good season. The team had standout performances from juniors Sean Cocuzza and Zach Gurrier. The team has a lot to look forward to next year.