After a choppy season, Verona High School baseball seemed to catch a second wind in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 playoffs.
It nosed out Roselle Park in the opening round and handed third-seeded Hoboken a stunning 17-5 defeat in the quarterfinals. The sent Verona into the semifinals against perpetual rival Cedar Grove yesterday. The second-seeded Panthers ended Verona’s progress in a 12-2 defeat.
The contest started out promisingly enough, with sophomore Frank Orrei batting in two runs. But Cedar Grove scored five in the first inning and didn’t look back. Verona went through four pitchers as it tried to slow the Panthers’ roll.
The game was the last for seniors Logan Colon, Liam Frey, Chris Baker, and Ryan McLaughlin. Baker will be continuing his athletic and baseball career at Minnesota’s St. Olaf College.
Photos: Mike Perry
