Joseph Tremarco – Central Jersey Sports Radio

“We’re built to play.”

Those four words from Watchung Hills head coach Joseph Tremarco sum up perfectly his Hustlin’ Warriors.

The certainly came to play Friday night, as the second seed in the Somerset County Tournament, with a tall task at hand: beating not only the top-seed and defending champion Immaculata, but doing it with Ryan Auten on the mound for the Spartans.

Because, heck, all he’s doing next year is going to play in the ACC at Wake Forest.

But a funny thing happened as he and Warriors’ starter Lucas Sheehan – just a sophomore by the way – locked up in a pitchers’ duel.

GAME STORY: Watchung Hills takes down defending champ Immaculata, 1-0 in extras, to win first Somerset County title in 17 years behind Lucas Sheehan three-hitter

They made Auten work, and worked out several deep counts, eventually chasing him as the game went to extra innings, with two out in the eighth, already up 1-0.

Turns out that was all Hills would need.

And behind it all was Tremarco. He is never too up, never too down, and his team feeds off that. Even if they were very, very up when the final out was recorded, a force play at second base to end the game with Immaculata threatening.

While the win gave the Hustlin’ Warriors their sixth SCT championship overall – and first since 2009 – it was the very first for Tremarco, and well-deserved.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Watchung Hills head coach Joseph Tremarco:

After a rough-and-tumble year in the Delaware Division of the Skyland Conference – one of the toughest in the state – Somerville is down into the Raritan this year, and it’s paying dividends.

Watchung Hills is still in the Raritan, and they’re having success, too.

And so, the Pioneers and Warriors will meet up Tuesday for a morning game over Spring Break with both on winning streaks. Somerville has won two straight; Watchung Hills has won three.

First pitch is set for 11 am at the Torpey Athletic Complex in Bridgewater, and you can hear it on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with pregame set for 10:45. Mike Pavlichko will be on the call; click here to listen.

Somerville is 3-1, 1-1 in the Skyland Raritan after a split with Franklin. The Pioneers are a veteran group, with several third-year starters in the lineup, including their “field general” of sorts, catcher Owen Melchione, a steadying force for the pitching staff, and the Pioneers in general.

Coach Chris Banos’ son, CJ, and Robby Wright also are third-year starters, along with expected starting pitcher Ryan Ciesla. And centerfielder Chase Koplitz has been on varsity since he was a freshman.

Such experience has been invaluable, even if the Pioneers haven’t yet heated up at the plate the way they know they can, hitting just .250 as a team despite the 3-1 overall record. Banos believes it’s a matter of time.

Watchung Hills comes in at 4-1, 3-1 in the Raritan. They split their opening series with Phillipsburg and won a crossover with Pingry before sweeping two from Franklin last week.

The Warriors scored a lot of runs in the process – 21 in two games – and are hitting .331 as a team with three home runs. They have four everyday players just tearing the cover off the ball. There’s sophomore Stefano DiGeronimo (.500) and seniors Jake Kierstad (.471, 1 HR, 8 RBIs) and Max Eder (.461), but then there’s junior Brody Griffith. All he does is get on base, hitting a whopping .692, with five runs batted in and a home run.

Senior Rob Centamore is expected to start for Watchung Hills.

Click below to hear pregame interview with both coaches: