Team New Jersey: Game 2 Recap
July 29, 2023
Team New Jersey moved to 2-0 at the 2023 PBR Future Games with a big win over Texas, 10-9 on Friday evening.
The Jersey Boys pounded out 11 hits and scored 10 runs in seven innings to beat a talented Texas squad.
The scoring began in the first inning when 2025 OF William Mahala (Seton Hall Prep) led the game off with a clean single up the middle, stole second and scored on a wild pitch and 1st and 3rd double steal.
In the second inning, 2026 C Braeden Lipoff (Gloucester Catholic) led off with a single and 2025 C JR Rosado (Bridgewater-Raritan) worked a tough at bat for a walk. 2025 OF Bennett Siegel (West Windsor South) continued to find the barrel, lacing a single to make it bases loaded and no one out. After a pair of punch outs, 2026 INF Mason Wilson (Randolph) was hit by a pitch to make the game 2-0. NJ would add another run in the 3rd on a wild pitch.
In the fourth with one out, Siegel singled, stole second, and was brought home on an error. 2025 OF Zack Kochnover (Demarest) scored after reaching on a dropped third strike by stealing a bag and advancing on a wild pitch. With the bases cleared and two outs, Wilson singled and 2025 INF Joey Erace (St. Augustine Prep) followed with a single of his own - advancing Wilson to third on the play. 2025 INF Matthew Ferrara (Toms River East) drove home Wilson on a clean single through the right side to tack on an additional run, to make it six total runs.
Texas would erupt for a 7-spot in the bottom half of the frame, taking advantage of a pair of walks, some errors, and timely hitting.
In the fifth, with the score 7-6 in favor of Texas, 2025 C Andrew Parisi (Ranney) and 2026 3B Guy Lynam (Gloucester Catholic) both singled and 2025 3B Carter Grande (St. Joseph's Montvale) walked to make it bases loaded and nobody out. 2026 C Braeden Lipoff (Gloucester Catholic) then launched a 1-1 fastball over the left center field fence for a grand slam putting NJ ahead for good.
Top Performers
+ Lipoff led the way with 4 RBI and two hits on way to getting the Dick's Sporting Goods Player of the Game.
+ Bennett Siegel continued his hot streak collecting two more hits on the weekend, accumulating 4 thus far in 2 games.
+ William Mahala has been on the barrel consistently, going 2-4 on Friday night again.
+ Joey Erace has been a sparkplug putting together tough at bats and being a menace on the basepaths.
Pitching
+ NJ got a solid two inning start from 2025 LHP Luke Wood (Pennsville). Wood worked two scoreless working his fastball up to 85 and punching out three.
+ 2025 RHP Dawson Guerard turned in an effective two innings of his own, allowing just one earned and fanning two working his fastball up to 87 mph.
+ 2026 RHP/3B Guy Lynam closed the game out in the 7th, dialing up his fastball to 87 and ripping off a few breakers at 72-74 with up to 2800rpm.
New Jersey takes on Team Indiana in the final matchup at the Future Games on Saturday at 4:30pm.