Livingston baseball tops Passaic Tech to win first sectional title in 42 years
WAYNE – Coach Mickey Ennis had his doubts about the true value of team chemistry.
Not anymore.
Livingston may not have a single college commit in its lineup, but it hasn't stopped the Essex County school from making an historic run. The fourth-seeded Lancers completed their unlikely ride to the top on Friday by downing No. 2 Passaic Tech, 4-2, in the North 1, Group 4 baseball final.
Right-hander Ben Hauser scattered two runs in five innings for the Lancers, who rolled to their 10th straight win.
A team that hovered around .500 for much of the season is riding high after the program's first sectional title in over four decades.
"All I know is that people that won in 1980 are still remembered and we'll be remembered forever," first baseman Aaron Hauser said. "This is unreal. It will leave a legacy for us."
Livingston led from start to finish after Aaron Hauser (1-for-3, two RBIs) drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the top of the first inning. The Lancers added two in the third on a triple by Daniel Levine and a crisp single by Aaron Hauser.
Passaic Tech brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but the Lancers turned an around-the-horn double play to end the game.
Second baseman Scott Schroeder applied the finishing touches by dousing Ennis with Gatorade.
"It felt wonderful," Ennis said. "I prefer orange, but lime? I had no problem with it."
What it means
Livingston will take on North 2 champion Hunterdon Central in the state semifinal on Monday in Flemington. There, the Lancers (21-8) will continue the chase for their third state championship after title runs in 1976 and 1980.
Ennis admitted that he would have never imagined being in this position in the preseason with the Lancers bringing back only two starters. The turning point came in the Greater Newark Tournament when Livingston pushed Seton Hall Prep to extras before falling in nine innings.
"During that game, our coaches came together and said we might actually have a chance to win a state sectional title with the way we were playing," Ennis said. "Since that loss, we've won 10 straight."
On the other side, Passaic Tech's chase for its first sectional title falls one step short. The Bulldogs (25-6) still won the Passaic County title earlier this season and shared the Big North Liberty crown with Clifton.
Steven Peralta and Quentin Ocampo drove in runs for the Bulldogs in their first sectional finals berth in 30 years.
A big plus for Livingston was keeping Miami commit Nazier Mulé hitless in four trips to the plate.
"[My pitching coach] just gave me the right pitches to throw and we were successful against arguably the top player in the state," Ben Hauser said.
Play of the day
The biggest moment of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning. Peralta crushed an RBI double off the top of the wall in left to cut the lead to 4-1.
On the play, Julian Fusari fired the ball in to shortstop Dom Ullman, who threw a strike home to cut down the second runner by a few feet. That ended the inning instead of giving Passaic Tech's Jonny Gilligan a chance to hit with two runners on.
Ennis said the Lancers work on hitting the relay man every day in practice.
"I didn't even back up home which I was supposed to do," Ben Hauser said. "I was staying in there watching it unfold. We definitely lucked out. It was awesome to see."
Catcher Myles Seid gave Livingston some breathing room with an RBI single in the fifth.
Right-hander Brandon Kenney recorded the last six outs for Livingston.
"[Team chemistry] means something," said Ennis, an Emerson High School alum. "I wasn't sure that was still a thing like it was years ago. That sure is what this team has."
Sean Farrell is a high school sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter and download our app.
Email: farrells@northjersey.com
Twitter: @seanfarrell92
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Livingston NJ baseball wins first sectional title in 42 years
