Untouchable Alpine pitchers open Section 3 tournament with amazing feat in statement win

“I actually didn’t realize that during the game,” Alpine manager Dave Levinson said. “It did occur to me that our defense wasn’t doing very much, but it didn’t register that it was all Ks.”

Nolan Levinson worked two innings in a winning effort, throwing just 21 pitches, 19 for strikes, in striking out all six batters he faced. By staying under 25 pitches, he is eligible to pitch on back-to-back days, making him available for Sunday’s game.

Armstrong followed by finishing off the first turn through the 12-player Newark batting order by fanning six batters in 2 1/3 innings of work, throwing 36 pitches, 26 for strikes.

“They were bringing the velo today, too,” Dave Levinson said. “A lot of loud, satisfying smacks of the catcher’s mitt.”

Newark broke up the perfect game with a single against Armstrong to lead off the fifth. Alpine used four pitchers on the day, with Bodhi Bedner working one inning, allowing one hit and one walk, while striking out two. Charles Saste closed it out with two-thirds innings of work, hitting one batter and striking out two.

Of the 18 outs recorded, Alpine pitchers totaled 16 strikeouts.

Still, Newark kept it close until the fifth. Alpine squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the first, then plated the game’s first run in the second when Max Turner scored on an infield error on a grounder off the bat of Simeon Ouellette-Massiou. In the third, Alpine upped the lead to 3-0. Nolan Levinson sparked the rally with a one-out double and scored on an RBI single from Saste. With two outs, Saste scored on a wild pitch.

Alpine then sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth. Dylan Dossola doubled home two runs. Dossola later scored on a wild pitch. Then Nolan Levinson and Kogan Flannery scored on an outfield error to give Armstrong some breathing room on the mound.

“I think we were prepared to extend Derek more if needed, but he was just so efficient,” Dave Levinson said. “At that point we figured we’re up so big, let’s get him back as soon as he can be, so we pulled him.”

In the sixth, Alpine scored three more. Newark mishandled a grounder off the bat of Ouellette-Massiou, allowing Turner and Bedner to score. Then Jack Chambers doubled home a run to make it 11-0.

Nolan Levinson paced Alpine with a 2-for-3 day, adding a double and two runs scored, while Ouellette-Massiou in the No. 11 spot was credited with an 0-for-3 batting line with two RBIs, and Chambers in the No. 12 spot was credited for going 1 for 3 with an RBI. Dave Levinson disputed several of the official scorer’s scoring decisions.

“Our 11 and 12 hitters were 5 for 6 with a double and four RBIs,” Dave Levinson said via text. “The official scorer gave our 11 hitter two errors rather than hits on hard ground balls in the hole between third and short. ... The bottom two [batters] hit great.”

In addition to his relief appearance, Armstrong caught the first two innings. He recorded all six putouts on each of Nolan Levinson’s strikeouts.

Armstrong has split the catching duties with Patrick Breslin this year, allowing Alpine defensive flexibility by using Breslin at shortstop.

“We knew Patrick was a great catcher, but he’s also a great shortstop,” Dave Levinson said.

Armstrong has played some catcher in the past, but developed into one of Alpine’s best options behind the plate this year, Dave Levinson said.

“We didn’t know how good he had gotten, and he’s improved really well,” he said. “So, that’s been a huge help with all the work he put in in the offseason.”

With the win, Alpine advances through the winners’ bracket to the tournament semifinals, to face Bollinger Canyon, Sunday, at 4 p.m. Bollinger Canyon advanced Saturday with an 8-0 win over San Lorenzo. Newark falls to the elimination bracket to face San Lorenzo, Sunday, at 1 p.m.