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CEDAR GROVE- Montclair Kimberley Academy’s Lucas Barbetta had come close in two prior games to doing what he didn’t even think he had accomplished when he initially made contact with a Xavier Andujar pitch with two outs in the top of the fifth inning in what at the time was a 1-1 deadlock in Saturday’s big Super Essex Conference-Colonial Division showdown at Linfante Field.

The Cougars’ outstanding sophomore catcher and leadoff batter uncorked his first varsity home run, a solo shot that sailed over the 335-foot fence in left field for what proved to be the game-winning run in a terrific pitching duel between the two top teams in the SEC-Colonial.

There were a lights-out, 3-innings of no-hit relief from another sophomore, Wes Narucki, which followed four solid frames from senior starter Alessandro Rizio for a combined 2-hitter, and also a critical diving catch by senior left fielder Josh Katz for the second out in the seventh inning as MKA (7-1, 4-0) assumed sole possession of first place - for now at least - while facing one of the division’s top mound aces, junior southpaw Xavier Andujar, who tossed a complete-game 4-hitter, throwing 105 pitches while walking 2 and striking out 9 for the Panthers (5-3, 3-1).

But, while the Cougars had plenty of trouble trying to solve Andujar over seven innings, their most solid hit was also the most impactful moment in the rather tidy 1-hour and 46-minute pitching-dominated contest played on a warm late morning turning into early afternoon in the Grove.

“I hit two foul homers in our last two games,” said Barbetta, who scored both of MKA’s runs in the game after coming through with his solo round-tripper in the fifth. “Honestly, when I first hit it, I didn’t think it was gone and - as it turned out – it’s probably the furthest I’ve ever hit a ball and just happy that it sailed over the fence.

“After that, Narucki really shut things down after Rizio had done a good job getting us through four while allowing just one run.

“Our pitchers have been great and they aren’t blowing people away. It’s really been about location, throwing strikes and getting outs with help from our defense.”

Cedar Grove’s Andujar, who is a very impressive southpaw, had allowed an unearned run in the third inning when Barbetta led off reaching base on an infield error before stealing second, moving to third on a ground out to the right side by senior Jake Rendino, and then scoring on senior Quinn Carlesimo’s sacrifice fly.

“Andujar is a really good pitcher who we’ve faced for two years now and I think he’s allowed just three runs against us in that time, and maybe one earned run,” said MKA second-year head coach Mike Sasso. “We have to feel good about winning against him today and that was thanks to another solid pitching job by our kids who have been tremendous all through the first few weeks of the season.

“We have 10 pitchers and they all bring something to the table and can get big outs. Rizio settled down after having a little trouble in the first, but he got a big strikeout for the third out to end that inning and really settled down after that.

“Narucki was making just his second appearance of the season and that’s how deep our arsenal is. We have a very young staff with only two upperclassmen among our 10 pitchers and I really like the depth we have on the mound.”

Cedar Grove answered MKA’s first run in the top of the third inning by tying the contest in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore No. 2 hitter Chris Halbert reached on an infield single before he was forced at second on an infield grounder off the bat of senior Matt Kuilan for the inning’s second out.

Kuilan proceeded to steal a base before he was able to score all the way from second base on an infield error as senior Ronnie Sheridan put the ball in play.

MKA’s Rizio, who was on a pitch count having thrown 80 pitches in a game earlier in the week, did a solid job in his four innings of work allowing just two hits while walking two (both coming in a strenuous 26-pitch first inning) before finishing his work after throwing 66 pitches and allowing Narucki to come in and close the door with a little help from his defense.

“I was hooking pitches a little in that first inning and I just sent back to principles which means throwing strikes,” said Rizio. “My slider felt good and I thought I had pretty good command from that point on while getting mostly swings and misses.

“Then Narucki was dominant! He has a fast ball that tails like no other guy. I know that when I have faced him during the off-season he is the only guy I just can’t get a hit off of.

“All our young guys are stepping up for us this season. We have 10 seniors but we also have some very talented sophomores and freshmen. Barbetta is an amazing catcher who does a real good job framing and blocking back there and I’m very confident throwing to him.

“He was really due for that home run after hitting two foul ones this week and that was definitely a run that we were excited to get with their kid pitching such a great game.”

Still, even with its 2-1 lead the bottom of the seventh had its tense moment when Cedar Grove’s No. 9 hitter, junior Nick Testa, battling Narucki during a strong 8-pitch at bat, hit a hard line drive to left field that MKA’s Katz came in to make a nice diving catch, a play that the two umpires conferred afterwards about before confirming that it was indeed a catch and the ball had not hit the ground.

“It was a great catch by Katz who is one of our solid, veteran seniors out there, and we could finally enjoy the win when Narucki then got the third and final out there in the seventh (a grounder to sophomore first baseman Shea Ievers).

“We have a resilient group that never believes for a second in any game that they’re going to lose, from the first pitch to the last, our players believe they will be victorious when they leave the park.”

SEC-Colonial Division standings: MKA (4-0), Cedar Grove (3-1), Newark Academy (2-2), Bloomfield (1-2), Belleville (0-2), Glen Ridge (0-3).

NOTES- Cedar Grove head coach Vin Cordasco, who has guided the Panthers to 19-wins the past two seasons, including a state sectional final appearance in 2023, was not at Saturday’s game in order to spend time at home with his wife Candace and their newborn son who came into the world on Thursday. Veteran assistant Paul Palek, who is also the head boys basketball coach at Manchester Regional High School, was in charge of the team for Saturday’s contest…MKA’s coaching staff features four former pitchers: Sasso and lead assistant Corey Martinez, who both pitched at William Paterson University, former Montclair High standout hurler Makhi Booker, who is also the Cougars’ JV coach, and former MKA and Rutgers University standout Max Herrmann…MKA’s Quinn Carlesimo, who supplies excellent defense at shortstop and is one of the team’s top hitters (.375 BA, 2 HR, 12 RBI) is headed to Williams College in the New England Small College Athletic Conference to play his college baseball next year…Cedar Grove’s outstanding senior catcher and 3-sport (football-basketball-baseball) standout Nick Russo is headed to play his college baseball at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island...MKA was coming off a very solid independent victory this past Thursday (April 17) when it defeated Passaic Valley (9-1) by a 4-2 score behind a strong mound outing by Shea Ievers who hurled a complete-game 5-hitter while walking 2 and striking out 8.

Super Essex Conference- Colonial Division Game, April 19, at Cedar Grove:
MKA (7-1, 4-0) 001 010 0 - 2 R 4 H 1 E
CEDAR GROVE (5-3, 3-1) 001 000 0 - 1 R 2 H 3 E
HR- MKA- Lucas Barbetta
WP- Alessandro Rizio LP- Xavier Andujar Save- Wes Narucki

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MKA Wins Key SEC-Colonial Showdown As Barbetta Homer Decides Pitching Duel

MKA Wins Key SEC-Colonial Showdown
As Barbetta Homer Decides Pitching Duel