North Wall Looks to Stay Hot in Junior League Eastern Regional Tournament

When North Wall takes the field in Freehold Township on Saturday for its first game of the double-elimination Junior League Eastern Regional tournament, it will look to continue a scorching performance at the plate that has buried three opponents in the state tournament.

North Wall scored has scored 48 runs in three tournament games thus far, bashing its way to the New Jersey Junior League title with a succession of 10-run victories. It now looks to keep the lop-sided wins coming when it faces New York champion Stony Point at 10 a.m. at Michael J. Tighe Park (formerly Liberty Oak Park) in Freehold Township.

Wall is one of two Monmouth County teams still alive, as host Freehold Township is the District 19 host and the defending regional champion. Freehold Township will face Connecticut state champion Burlington at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Michael J. Tighe Park. North Wall and Freehold Township were part of the eight teams that were welcomed at the annual Champions Recognition Banquet on Friday night.

This is North Wall’s second straight trip to the Eastern Regional tournament and its third in the last four seasons. The surroundings also will be familiar, as Freehold Township also hosted the New Jersey tournament.

North Wall is coming off a 16-6, six-inning win over Franklin Township in the New Jersey championship game that was powered by a combined six hits, three homers and 11 RBIs from catcher Dan Wondrack and first baseman Zach Wilson. Wondrack and Wilson helped end the game an inning early when Wondrack belted a three-run shot with two outs that Wilson followed with his second homer of the game to make it a 10-run, mercy rule victory.

Seven runs in the third inning put Franklin in a 12-2 hole, with Wilson adding a two-run homer during the blitz. Wondrack also had a two-run single in the bottom of the second inning that helped North Wall jump out to a 5-0 lead. It continued Wondrack’s tear, as he had three hits and five RBIs in a 17-7 win over Franklin in the previous game of the double-elimination tournament.

North Wall’s relentless lineup also features Trey Nelson, Trent Mitchell, John Vasiliu, Ryan Orender and Nick Martinez, all of whom have drove in a run in the win over Franklin. Dan Ohern also had an RBI double in the first win over Franklin.

In addition to helping North Wall win in comfortable fashion, the offensive onslaught has also helped preserve its pitching staff. Vasiliu is an exception, as he threw 96 pitches in the first game against Franklin before being relieved by Wilson in the fourth inning, but overall North Wall’s arms are relatively fresh heading into the match-up with Stony Point. Ohern, Nelson, and Sean Duncan also have done a nice job on the mound in the tournament.

Even though the scores have been lop-sided, North Wall has shown some resilience at different junctures of the tournament. It was down 4-1 to North Newark in its first game before roaring back for a 15-5 victory in five innings that ended on a two-run single by Vasiliu.

It will have to tighten its defense after a few lapses as the competition gets more difficult, but if North Wall continues to hit like it has been, it will put itself in position to get to the promised land – Michigan. This year’s Junior League World Series will be held in Taylor, Mich., from Aug. 14-20. Teams from Chinese Taipei, Italy, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico have already qualified as part of the international contingent, so North Wall hopes to be waiting on the other side as part of the USA Pool.