UNION - Losing before winning continued to be a pattern for Union baseball before freshman right-hander Jayden Veras no-hit Shabazz earlier this month to halt Union's third consecutive 0-3 beginning.
Last Saturday, April 18 at Gordon R. LeMatty Field, Veras produced another solid start that helped Union win its second straight, 3-2 in eight innings, vs. Morristown, and allowed the Farmers to even their record at 6-6.
Union slipped to 6-7 on the season with Tuesday's 4-3 Union County Conference-Mountain Division setback vs. Brearley.
Union is seeking to post its first winning season since 2021 and has begun the third full week in April with its best 13-game start in three years.
There's a renewed confidence. Winning will do that.
"We have to keep battling and fighting and working hard in practice," said Veras, who yielded no earned runs and only three hits and got a no-decision in Saturday's 3home over Morristown.
It was the third straight year that Union faced Morristown, all of the games decided by one run. In games played at Morristown, it was the Colonials downing the Farmers 10-9 on May 13, 2024 and then Union beating Morristown 9-8 on May 19, 2025.
"Our record so far this year is a lot coming from when I started," said third-year Union head coach Lou Clemente, the former Roselle Catholic and Rutgers standout.
Union already has more wins than last year's 5-19 squad. Union was 7-18 in Clemente's first season at the helm two years ago.
"It's our maturity and our growth and I'm proud," Clemente said. "We have to keep working."
Union got past Morristown when senior first baseman Nick Bertolotti was walked with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth, snapping a 2-2 deadlock. Union sophomore left fielder Mark Womack scored the winning run. Womack reached base when he smacked a shot down the left field line that was good for a one-out double.
Morristown head coach Justin Capozzi then intentionally walked Union's next two batters, senior shortstop Johnny Velez and senior center fielder Ethan Beaumont, to load the bases. The infield was brought in for a potential force at the plate or a possible short-field, inning-ending double play.
Bertolotti, Union's cleanup batter, was previously 0-for-3 against Morristown starter Arthur Conover with a fly out to right, a strikeout and a ground out to third.
Morristown relief pitcher Patrick Ruiz, a left hander like Conover, fell behind Bertolotti 2-0 before getting the count to 3-2 on a strike two call that many felt was too low. The next pitch reached the dirt and Union had its sixth victory.
Womack led off the bottom of the first with a first-pitch single off Conover and then after Velez singled on the next pitch and the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Beaumont brought home Womack on a sacrifice fly RBI to right.
"I was hyped for that last at-bat," Womack said of his eighth inning double. "I was trying to hit a home run. I'm glad I reached base."
Womack was 2-for-4, with a single, a double and two runs scored.
Morristown's first run reached the plate on the game's only error with two outs in the top of the third. The Colonials tied the game at 1-1 after Conover singled to right, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and then came home on an unfortunate throw past Veras.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth senior courtesy runner Zach Orriss stole second base.
Orriss was running for Union junior catcher Evan Fernandez, who led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch for the first of two times.
One out later on a first-pitch fastball Union senior right fielder Henry Solares came through with an RBI-double down the left field line that brought home Orriss and gave Union the lead back at 2-1.
Morristown tied the game for the second time at 2-2 with two outs in the top of the seventh when Union relief pitcher Noah Mott hit a batter for the third time in the inning, this time with the bases loaded. Mott came back to strike out the next batter swinging and keep the score at 2-2.
In the sixth in his first inning of relief, Mott caught a bunt attempt with runners on first and third with one out and then doubled the runner off going back to first. It took a really good scoop by Bertolotti at first to complete the inning-ending double play. If Bertolotti was not able to scoop up the low throw and it got past him, then Morristown would have tied the game 2-2 an inning earlier as the runner from third would have scored.
Veras, who including a win over Ferris of Jersey City is 2-0 on the mound so far, threw 102 pitches in five innings plus one batter. He stuck out five, walked four and hit one batter.
"My off-speed was working best," Veras said. "I had good location."
"He's been outstanding so far," Clemente said. "He had another gutsy performance for us."
The day before at Watchung Division foe Summit on Friday, April 17, Union came back to capture a wild 18-14 ball game. The Farmers scored their first 10 runs in the top of the first and then found themselves trailing 12-10 before they scored their next seven runs in the sixth.
After Summit scored twice more in the sixth to pull to within 17-14, Union added another insurance run in the seventh.
That might not be a game Union wins last year or the year before. It's all part of the maturity Clemente speaks of.
"We didn't quit," Clemente said. "Velez hit solo home run to make it 12-11 and then Ethan (Beaumont) got a base hit up the middle to tie the game. We took it from there."
Bertolotti also socked a home run, while Fernandez and Bertolotti each drove in four runs. Womack, in relief, earned the mound victory.
Union, winners of six of its last 10, slipped to 1-6 in the UCC-Mountain Division start with Tuesday's narrow setback vs. Brearley, The Farmers will continue their back-to-back division games against the Bears as it hosts Brearley on Thursday, April 23, before then entertaining Watchung Division foe Cranford Saturday, April 25 at 10 a.m.
NON-CONFERENCE GAME AT UNION'S GORDON R. LeMATTY FIELD
MORRISTOWN (2-9) 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 - 2 4 0
UNION (6-6) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 - 3 4 1
WINNING PITCHER (in relief): sophomore RH Noah Mott
3 innings, 44 pitches: 1 run, 1 hit, 4 strikeouts, 0 walks, 3 hit batters
UNION STARTING PITCHER: freshman RH Jayden Veras
5 innings and one batter, 102 pitches: 1 unearned run, 3 hits, 5 strikeouts, 4 walks, 1 hit batter
LOSING PITCHER (in relief): senior LH Patrick Ruiz
1/3 of an inning, 8 pitches: 1 earned run, 1 hit, 0 strikeouts 3 walks (the first 2 intentional)
The game ended when Ruiz walked Union righty-swinging Nick Bertolotti on a low and outside 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth, snapping a 2-2 tie.
MORRISTOWN STARTING PITCHER: senior LH Arthur Conover
7 innings, 90 pitches: 2 earned runs, 3 hits, 11 strikeouts, 1 walk, 2 hit batters
Conover retired Union in order in the third, fourth and sixth innings and struck out the side in the fourth and seventh.
Follow JR Parachini on 'X' @parachini_jr
