PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA- Flemington Post 159, the New Jersey American Legion baseball state champions, has got to where it is with the help of a mantra. Play for today. Through wins and losses this year, the Indians (34-5) have used that motto to keep an even keel. They lost a tough game to Brooklawn in the opening game of the...
PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA- Flemington Post 159, the New Jersey American Legion baseball state champions, has got to where it is with the help of a mantra.
Play for today.
Through wins and losses this year, the Indians (34-5) have used that motto to keep an even keel. They lost a tough game to Brooklawn in the opening game of the NJ Final Eight, but they came came back strong to win four straight, including a final- game 7-1 victory over Brooklawn.
Now, Flemington finds itself in much the same situation, although the circumstances at the Mid-Atlantic Regional are a little different. It is double-loss now, although in pool play it was de facto double loss as well, so not much has changed.
Flemington found itself in the losers bracket after a tough 4-0 loss to the Pennsylvania state champion Swoyersville Wednesday. But with the depth of pitching that Indians manager Steve Farsiou has at his disposal, it was not the worst thing in the world for his squad.
After a 4-1 win over a strong Delaware team Thursday, Flemington was back on the field Friday against Blackhawk, the Pennsylvania runner-up. Behind the strong pitching of Pat Clare, and an offensive outburst led by Shayne Fontana (3-for-4, two runs), Flemington won 11-1, to move into Saturday's 9:30 a.m. losers bracket semifinal.
Clare, who has been one of an arsenal of arms for Flemington this year, was the latest to step onto the hill in a big game and throw a gem.
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"It felt great to be given the confidence by coach Farsiou in such a big game," Clare said." "Really focused on pounding the strike zone and mixing in a lot of off speed because this team was aggressive on first pitches. Also can't say enough about the defense because they were outstanding today."
"We are just trying to take it one game at a time," Clare said. "When you look at what it takes to win the tournament after coming off a loss, it seems daunting. But if we just focus on one game at a time, we will be just fine. We have lots of pitching left and our offense is on fire."
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Farsiou was quick to complement his starter, who went the distance in the seven-inning game shortened by the 10-run rule. But at this time of year, staying out of the bullpen and keeping those arms fresh for the coming days is imperative.
"Today, Pat was a bulldog out there," Farsiou said. He gave us seven good innings. We have started to hit as well know. If the lineup keeps hitting, we will be okay."
"I think it helps that this team is just focused on the game that day," Farsiou said. "These guys are just worried about the game in front of them. They have a great mindset. It is move on, focus, and worry about us."
Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean