Another Trophy for the Mantel
Brooklawn added another memory to its championship history by increasing its record of American Legion baseball state titles to 32 with a dramatic 7-4 win over Bordentown in the championship game played at Wood-Ridge, NJ.
It was the second straight state championship for Brooklawn, which has won four World Series titles in its storied history and competed in the World Series as recently as last season, losing in the semifinals.
Showing little signs of offensive life, Brooklawn entered the bottom of the seventh inning, trailing Bordentown, 4-1, but erupted for six runs, capped by a walk-off grand slam by Gloucester Catholic rising senior outfielder Jack Mustaro.
“During high school I walked off the South Jersey final and I know what it takes to do it and I love it, there is no better feeling than that,” Mustaro said.
He was referring to Gloucester Catholic’s 2-1 win over Bishop Eustace in the SJ Non-Public B championship, when he hit a walk-off double.
Even when things didn’t look good against Bordentown, Brooklawn never lost faith.
“We’re always used to the big games, so I don’t think we were dead, but we couldn’t find it earlier and had a comeback later and this is all we do,” said tournament MVP Noan Danza, a rising junior shortstop at Gloucester Catholic, who went 6-for-12 with two home runs and eight RBI in the four American Legion state tournament games. “We practice more than anybody, we play big games, that’s our thing.”
Brooklawn had to change its offensive approach in the title game.
“We got behind by so much that we had to take pitches and it helped a little bit,” Brooklawn head coach Dennis Barth said. “When Jack came up with the bases loaded and no outs, I was pretty confident we would at least tie the game and hopefully win it, but a home run makes it extra sweeter.”
Brooklawn opened the tournament with a 3-1 win over Montgomery Superior. Gloucester Catholic rising senior righthander Jackson Smallets earned the win, allowing one run on six hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked three. Audubon rising senior righthander Nik Kalagiros then pitched two hitless innings to earn the save. Brooklawn received RBI from Moorestown rising senior Chase Kroberger and Tyler Bunting, a 2023 Gloucester Catholic graduate who played this past season for Wilmington University. Kroberger’s double was Brooklawn’s only extra base hit.
That was followed by a 4-0 win over Lawrence Post 414. Right-hander Benny Andreoli, a recent graduate of Vineland, pitched the complete game shutout. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out five.
Danza went 2-for-3 with a home run, a run scored and two RBI. Charlie Neal, a rising senior at Camden Catholic, added a sacrifice fly.
Brooklawn then defeated Cherry Hill, 11-3. It was that same Cherry Hill team that beat Brooklawn in a late-season doubleheader as both compete in the Camden County American Legion League.
Danza exploded by going 2-for-3 with a double, home run and six RBI. Tate DeRias, a recent Gloucester Catholic graduate and Miami commit, was 1-for-1 with two walks, two RBI and two runs scored. Catcher Tyler Schoppe, a recent graduate of Delsea, was 2-for-3 with a double, run scored and RBI.
Jack Mustaro earned the win, allowing just one earned run in six innings while walking one and striking out six. Salvatore Marziani, a rising senior at Gloucester Catholic, finished matters by pitching one shutout inning.
Then came the championship game, where Brooklawn staged a comeback for the ages.
Brooklawn (27-6) will now compete in the Mid-Atlantic Regional, Aug. 7-11 in Ridge, Maryland. The winner of the regional will advance to the World Series, Aug 15-20 in Shelby, North Carolina.
Photo Brooklawn American Legion / Marc Narducci
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Author: Marc Narducci
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