Streaky Mustangs look to find consistency
BY SHAWN LAYTON
Staff Writer

ISELIN - It has been a season of streaks thus far for the John F. Kennedy High School baseball team.

After opening with two straight losses, Kennedy went on a 6-3 run over its spring break to bring its record to 6-5.

"We had a really good stretch over break," Kennedy head coach Jerry Smith said. "The teams we lost to were all quality teams so I was very pleased with our performance."

During the nine-game stretch, the team lost to Immaculata, Hunterdon Central and Spotswood. All three teams sit near the top of their respected divisions. In addition to the quality losses, Kennedy picked up quality wins by knocking off two of Somerset County's top teams in Hillsborough and Montgomery.

Kennedy notched its six wins of the season by avenging a 5-4 loss to Middlesex with a 3-2 victory on Friday. Chris Grimes picked up his first win of the year by scattering four hits over six innings. Brian Schroeder took the ball for the save in the seventh inning after Mike Giordano singled in the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

As pleased as Smith was with his team's performance during the nine-game stretch, he was just as much displeased with his team's inability to pick up a win in either of Saturday's matchups against J.P. Stevens and South River.

"Stevens is starting to get hot right now, but we should have done a better job with South River," Smith said. "We've been in seven one-run games and this one was a tough one-run loss for us. We came into this weekend with some really big wins, but this was just a bad weekend for us."

In the 8-7 defeat to South River, JFK's Bryan Reilly was knocked around for eight runs on seven hits to take the loss and fall to 1-2 on the year. John Lemongelli came on in relief and allowed just two hits over three innings.

South River's Dan Lutz was strong in his seven innings of work allowing just two earned runs on six hits.

Offensively, shortstop Mike Cabonilas led the team with two hits and two runs, while teammates Rafael Cordero and Grimes both drove in a run apiece.

"Mike has made a nice transition from second base to shortstop," Smith said. "He does everything you ask of a No. 2 hitter. He advances runners and can draw walks to reach base. Lately, his hitting has started to come around and he's given us a lift."

Unfortunately, Kennedy could only muster three hits against a hot Stevens team in the other half of Saturday's doubleheader in a 15-5 loss.

"We have been able to get in a lot of games despite the weather, but we've also had to use seven different starting pitchers in our 13 games," Smith said. "We put freshman Joe Marciano on the hill against Stevens and I thought he did a nice job. He just didn't have the defense behind him that he should have had. He did a nice job but we should have done a better job behind him."