Raiders Open Season with Loss to Westfield

The Hillsborough High baseball team lost to Westfield Monday as the Blue Devils pounded out 12 hits.

Timothy Younger and Dan Kerr each went 4-for-4 for the Blue Devils with Kerr hitting for the cycle.

It looked like the Raiders would get out of the first inning without letting up a run when they caught Younger in a rundown for the second out. Younger got too far off third on AJ Murray’s grounder to short.

An alert play by shortstop Brandon Young started the 6-5-2 rundown. Kerr, however, had other ideas as he rocketed the first pitch he saw over the center field fence for a 2-0 Blue Devil lead.

The Raiders threatened in their half of the first getting two men aboard on and infield error and hit by pitch.  But they couldn’t break through as Matt Ramandi was caught looking at strike three.

The Blue Devils broke it open in the third batting around sending 15 men to the plate and scoring 10 runs. Kerr tripled and doubled in the inning driving in 5.

The Raiders only runs came in their half of the third as Mackey Price and Gary Lavoie doubled.

Brian Toro had the Raiders only other hit. Matt Calamoneri started and took the loss.

• "This season is about Coach Parker," longtime Raider coach Norm Hewitt told the team before the game. The Raiders wore wristbands with PEP on them commemorating  longtime Hillsborough High teacher and coach Paul Parker, who died of a heart attack last December. Parker had a 37- year history as a teacher in the Hillsborough school system; the last 24 as a teacher at Hillsborough High School. He coached boys basketball from 1976 to 1997, girls soccer from 1985 to 1996 and girls basketball from 1998 to 2008. He was the baseball pitching coach from 1996 to 1998 and boys golf coach from 1999 to 2010.

The team will play Watchung Hills Thursday at home at 3:45 p.m.

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