Freehold Twp. National claims District 19 title

BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Freehold Township National, from the coaching staff down to the players, knew that if they were going to win the Little League Major League District 19 championship, they needed to look no further than each other.

“Twelve guys, six innings,” manager Ted Loftus said was the team motto. “Everyone had a role. It was a great team effort.”

Freehold National’s one-for-all-and-all-for-one approach produced a perfect 7-0 record in District 19 play, giving the 11-12-year-olds their first District crown as a group.

As 10-year-olds, the group had reached the semifinals at the District tournament, and last year, went to the finals, falling in extra innings.

The Nationals put those disappointments behind them for good, confirming they had what it takes to be champions. They beat Lincroft, 9-7, in the District final played July 16 in Marlboro. It was one of just a couple of games where the Nationals were actually pressed.

Lincroft, which had given Freehold Township’s stars a scare earlier in the tournament, falling 3-2, led 2-1 early. But a seven-run third inning put Freehold Township in control, 8-2, and they held off a late rally to win 9-7.

Loftus said the team’s philosophy was rather simple, play error-free ball.

“It came down to pitching and defense,” he said. “We made less mistakes than the other team.

“We wanted to force them to make mistakes by being aggressive [on the bases],” he added. “Offensively, we wanted to put the ball in play 18 times and make them make 18 plays without a mistake.”

Freehold National had the luxury of a deep pitching staff. Matt Margaritonda, Matt Goldberg, Kevin Litus, Brandon Coluccio and Indiana Loftus all gave the team quality innings. In the four games of pool play that decided which six teams would advance, the Nationals only allowed seven runs.

The Nationals relied on a balanced offense that put a premium on getting on base. The team had a .461 on-base percentage (OBP) for the tournament.

Matt Hembling was the offensive star. Teams could not get him out as he batted .609 (14-for-23) and had an on-base percentage of .640. Indiana Loftus batted .417, but had a OBP of .632.

Margaritonda also batted better than .400 (.409).

Matt Holtz (.391), Coluccio (.389), Chris O’Sullivan (.357), Matt LaCava (.333) and Vinny Smith (.300) had big tournaments, helping the team bat .369. Coluccio provided the power, slamming four home runs.

Joe Kvedaras and Matt Intile were the team’s speed merchants. When they were on base, they ran opponents ragged, forcing them to make plays that most times produced errors that led to big innings for the Nationals.

The defense may well be what separated Freehold Township from the rest. The Nationals made the plays in the field behind their pitchers, not giving teams the extra out.

The outfield was led by center fielder O’Sullivan.

The infield was solid with Hembling (third) and Smith (first) at the corners, and Coluccio behind the plate. Up the middle, Margaritonda and Goldberg split time at shortstop, and Holtz played second.

Freehold Township National’s bid for additional championships this summer ended at the Section III tournament that followed the District competition. The setback there hardly diminished the Nationals’ accomplishment at the District level, where they proved to themselves that they are a championship team.