Steele Fights Frustration Despite Win

Montclair Prep Coach Walt Steele is laying the foundation for an Alpha League baseball power with a group of talented, young players. He just hopes his inexperienced charges don’t drive him batty before they start winning any league championships.

Friday’s 6-1 victory at Marshall Fundamental typified Steele’s reaction to this year’s group.

“With so many young players, we sometimes don’t execute and miss out on several scoring opportunities,” he said. “They know what they have to do but aren’t doing it.”

Montclair Prep (6-8, 3-1 in league play) started only two seniors Friday--shortstop Pat Huston and designated-hitter Mike Howard--along with only two juniors, right fielder Chad Calabria and center fielder Craig Handschu. Rounding out the lineup are four freshmen and two sophomores, including winning pitcher Kevin Grant (3-2).

Grant allowed Marshall Fundamental (3-13, 0-5) only one unearned run on five hits before leaving the game after the sixth. Scott Saklad pitched the final inning, allowing a single and a walk.

The Mounties proved young and restless on the basepaths. They stranded six runners and committed numerous baserunning blunders, the most embarrassing of which came in the second inning.

Howard was called out at the plate because he removed his helmet before touching home. He was tagging up from third on a short popup that Marshall Fundamental second baseman James Roquemore caught on the grass behind first. “It’s the little things like that that cost us,” Steele said.

Meanwhile, Marshall Fundamental Coach Larry Lindblom found much to praise in Friday’s game.

“If we would have played this well all season, this probably would have been our first loss,” Lindblom said.

The Mounties scored all the runs they needed in the first when first baseman Andy Shaw singled with one out and Huston homered to center, his first.

“It wasn’t much of a pitch, but it was a fastball right where I like it, out over the plate,” Huston said.

The Mounties added a run in the fifth when freshman Shad Knighton led off with a bunt single and moved to third on Brent Polacheck’s pop fly to right-center.

Handschu got aboard on a fielder’s choice to load the bases and Marshall Fundamental left-hander Ben Neuhoff walked Shaw, forcing in Knighton from third. Cleanup hitter Keyaan Cook short-circuited the inning by hitting into an inning-ending double play.

Montclair Prep scored its final three runs in the sixth on four consecutive singles, a walk, a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice off Neuhoff (0-5).