Solid Pitching Leads Rangers to Two In a Row
King's Point, N.Y. (March 28, 2010)- Rookie hurler Will Van Houten (Dexter, N.Y./Watertown) tossed eight full innings of shutout ball en route to a 4-0 win over the USMMA Mariners. The Rangers improved their overall record to 2-13 and their conference mark to 2-4 while the Mariners fell to 4-9 overall, 1-5 in the Landmark.
The Rangers picked up where they left off Saturday and with an offensive outburst early in the game. The Rangers scored all four runs in the top of the fourth inning after taking advantage of Mariner miscues. David Kaplow (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) reached on an error by the Mariners' shortstop and would eventually score on a Drew Obergfell (Cranford, N.J./Roselle Catholic) basehit. Rookie Michael Bodden (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) came through for the Rangers with a double down the left field line that plated Obergfell and Steve DeBonis (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham.) Another Mariners error led to the final run of the inning for the Rangers.
The Mariners threatened in the sixth after with runners on first and third with one out. Sophomore catcher Tom Murray (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) threw a laser beam down to second to snag Nicholas Kopacka trying to pick up an extra base. Van Houten walked the next two batters to load the bases but the freshman bore down and induced a groundball good for the third out.
Van Houten got into walk trouble again in the bottom of the eighth but once again used the defense behind him to escape danger. Van Houten finished with a shutout win for the Rangers and five strikeouts.
At the plate for the Rangers DeBonis went 2-4 with a run scored. Bodden who leads the Rangers in hits, recorded his 17th and picked up two RBI's.
Senior Keith Heine went the full nine for the Mariners and recorded four strikeouts.
The Rangers take on the New Jersey City Gothic Knights in non-conference action this Tuesday, March 30th at 3:30pm on Doc Young Field.
