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Pat’s Bats Advance to Quarterfinals in H/W/S Tournament

May 9, 2023

**Catcher Cooper Mantz talks it over with pitcher Owen Philhower.** **Photo by J. Phalon, 5/2023**

A first-inning grand slam by Mikey Ferro sent the Unstoppable Patriots on a trajectory to defeat Phillipsburg May 5th and advance North Warren to the quarterfinals of the 2023
Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Baseball Tournament. The Stateliners didn’t make it easy for the Patriots in their 5-4 win, chipping away with one run in the third inning and three in the fourth. The Pats scored their eventual winning run when Cooper Mantz scored on a bases-loaded walk to Dominic Buonavolonta.

**Patriot Brodie Mantz came on in late relief.** **Photo by J. Phalon, 5/2023**

“We’ve been doing fine in one run games all season,” Head Coach J.P. Palmer said. “The kids are real competitors and are guys who don’t get scared, and they don’t back down.”

Both teams pulled themselves out of bases-loaded situations. In the first inning, the Patriots got out of their jam with a heads-up play by third-baseman Jared Van Valkenburg who fielded a hard-hit grounder and threw to catcher Cooper Mantz at home for the first out. Mantz then threw to first for the force for the third out.

The Stateliners, with one out and based loaded, sent freshman Nick Yaccarino to the mound, who then dispatched the Patriots with three strike-outs delivered on 10 pitches.
Corry Sherrer had four hits on the day, followed by Mantz with two.

Winning pitcher was Owen Philhower.

North Warren will face Hunterdon Central in the quarterfinals May 10th, with a 4 p.m. home
game. The also play Delaware Valley at home on May 8th and Morris Tech away May 9th in non-tournament games.

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.