BACK TO THE HAMILTON POST 31 RECAPS PAGE

2018 SEASON IN REVIEW . . .

July 23, 2018 - Tyler Nielsen scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning as Hamilton Post 31 defeated South Brunswick Post 401, 1-0, in the New Jersey Final Eight Tournament at Moody Park in Ewing. Hamilton finishes with a 1-2 record in pool play and ends its season with a record of 18-11-1.

Nielsen and Michael James led off the home seventh with singles and were advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Jack Hardiman. With Gio Sciarrotta at the plate, Nielsen scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

Dom Maglione and Sean Johnson combined for the shutout, with Johnson picking up the victory. Hamilton finished the season with a record of 11-2 in one-run games.

July 22 , 2018 - Washington Twp. Post 521 scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Hamilton Post 31, 2-1, in the New Jersey Final Eight Tournament at Moody Park in Ewing. The defeat eliminates Post 31 from advancing to the Final Four, although there is still one game remaining in the pool-play format.

July 21, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 came up empty in a 6-0 loss to Hopewell Post 339 in the opening game of the New Jersey Final Eight Tournament at Moody Park in Ewing.

July 15, 2018 - David Stec struck out six batters while allowing just five hits to lead Hamilton Post 31 to a 3-2 victory over Broad St. Park Post 313 in the District 2 Tournament at Bob DeMeo Field. The win earns Post 31 a berth in the New Jersey Final Eight Tournament for the second straight year.

Michael James drove in a run in the fourth and Brendan James' sacrifice fly in the seventh provided a valuable insurance run.

July 14 , 2018 - Chris Cote's bad-hop single scored Brady Plunkett with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Hamilton Post 31 defeated North Warren Post 258, 3-2, in the opening game of the District 2 Tournament at Bob DeMeo Field.

Joe Swindasz pitched two perfect innings to earn the win.

July 11, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh but fell short in a 7-6 loss to Allentown at Rich Giallella Field.

July 10, 2018 - David Stec pitched eight strong innings to lead Hamilton Post 31 to a 3-2 victory over Lawrence Post 414 at Eggerts Crossing Field.

Post 31 took a 2-0 lead on an RBI single by Michael James in the second inning and a Lawrence throwing error in the fifth. After Lawrence tied the game with two runs in the sixth, pinch-hitter Ryan Beczo's fielder's choice scored Chris Cote with the eventual winning run. It was Hamilton's eighth one-run win of the season.

The victory clinched a state-tournament berth for Hamilton for the 30th time in the past 32 years.

July 8 , 2018 - Ryan Beczo, Anthony Wilk, and Joe Swindasz combined for a six-hit shutout as Hamilton Post 31 defeated West Windsor-Plainsboro, 4-0, at West Windsor-Plainsboro South High.

Chris Cote doubled in a run in the third inning, and C.J. Pittaro and Jack Hardiman had RBI singles to lead the Post 31 offensive attack.

July 7, 2018 - Jordan Nitti threw out the potential tying run at home plate with two outs in teh seventh inning to preserve Hamilton Post 31's 1-0 victory over Ewing Post 314 at Rich Giallella Field.

Josh Welke pitched one-hit ball over 5.2 innings to earn the win. Dom Maglione got the final out of the sixth and Joey Sacco pitched the seventh to earn the save.

A sacrifice fly by C.J. Pittaro in the first inning plated Sacco with the game's only run.

July 5, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat Princeton Post 218, 5-4, at Princeton Day School.

C.J. Pittaro led off the seventh with an infield single and one out later advanced to third base on a single by Brendan James. After an intentional walk to Drayven Kowalski, pinch-hitter Tyler Nielsen hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game and Michael James' infield single scored pinch-runner Gio Sciarrotta with the winning run.

Anthony Wilk, in relief of starter David Stec, picked up his third win of the season and Joe Swindasz earned his second save.

July 2 , 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 was shut out, 4-0, by Washington Twp. Post 521 in the Hamilton Holiday Classic at Bob DeMeo Field. The loss eliminated Post 31 from the tournament.

July 1, 2018 - Jordan Nitti had three RBIs to help lead Hamilton Post 31 to a 6-0 victory over Hillsborough in the Hamilton Holiday Classic at Bob DeMeo Field.

Ryan Beczo struck out five batters over four innings, and Joe Swindasz and Dom Maglione completed the shutout.

June 30, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 failed to hold a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh and a four-run lead in the bottom of the eighth in an 8-7 loss to Haddon Heights Post 262 in the Hamilton Holiday Classic at Bob DeMeo Field.

June 28 , 2018 - Joey Sacco and Ryan Beczo had three RBIs apiece to back the seven-strikeout pitching of Dom Maglione as Hamilton Post 31 defeated Trenton Post 93, 11-1, at Rich Giallella Field.

Tyler Nielsen added a two-run single for Post 31. Maglione allowed just four hits in picking up his third win of the season.

June 27, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 rallied from a three-run deficit to tie Bordentown Post 26, 4-4, in a game suspended after seven innings due to darkness at Rich Giallella Field. The contest will be completed at a later date.

June 26, 2018 - Three Hamilton Post 31 errors in the fifth inning allowed eight unearned runs in a 14-9 loss to Hopewell Post 339 at Hopewell Valley High.

June 25 , 2018 - Jack Hardiman had three hits, including two doubles, and three RBIs to help lead Hamilton Post 31 to a 14-1 victory over Ewing Post 314 at Moody Park.

Drayven Kowalski also had three hits, including a double and a triple, and three RBIs as Post 31 scored its most runs in a game this season. Joey Sacco had three hits and Brady Plunkett scored three runs.

Josh Welke struck out six in four innings of work to earn the win.

June 23, 2018 - Brendan James and Drayven Kowalski had back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth inning to lead Hamilton Post 31 to a 3-2 victory over North Hamilton at Nottingham High.

Anthony Wilk pitched 2.2 innings of relief to earn his second win of the season.

June 21, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 lost to Broad St. Park Post 313, 3-1, at Hamilton High.

June 18 , 2018 - Ryan Beczo's single in the sixth inning plated Tyler Nielsen with the eventual winning run as Hamilton Post 31 defeated Lawrence Post 414, 2-1, at Rich Giallella Field.

Josh Welke and Anthony Wilk combined to hold down Lawrence, Welke working four-plus innings and Wilk retiring all eight batters he faced. Rightfielder Michael James made the key defensive play of the game by throwing out the potential go-ahead at home plate.

Joey Sacco drove in Hamilton's other run.

June 17, 2018 - Dom Maglione threw a complete-game four-hitter and Michael James had two hits and two runs scored as Hamilton Post 31 defeated South Brunswick Post 401, 5-1, at Rowland Park.

James doubled to lead off the third inning and scored the first run of the game on Joey Sacco's sacrifice fly. James singled to lead off the seventh and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brady Plunkett. Ryan Beczo and Brendan James had RBIs for Post 31.

Maglione kept South Brunswick in check, retiring the first 10 batters he faced, and allowed only one walk.

June 16, 2018 - In what is becoming a recurrent theme, Hamilton Post 31 committed five errors in a 6-4 loss to Allentown at Rich Giallella Field.

June 14, 2018 - Ryan Beczo drove in Jordan Nitti with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Hamilton Post 31 defeated Princeton Post 218, 5-4, at Rich Giallella Field.

After Princeton tied the game in the top of the seventh, Nitti led off the bottom of the frame with a double to center, then moved to third on a wild pitch. Beczo lashed a single into left-center to plate the winning run.

Joe Swindasz got the win, his second of the season.

June 12, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 scored seven runs in the first inning and coasted to an 8-2 victory over Trenton Post 93 at Wetzel Field.

Brendan James' two-run single sparked the opening frame, and Dom Maglione pitched six strong innings, striking out five, to earn the victory.

June 11, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 managed just two hits in a 5-0 loss to South Brunswick Post 401 at Rich Giallella Field.

June 10, 2018 - Chris Cote homered and had three RBIs, and David Stec struck out five in a complete-game effort as Hamilton Post 31 defeated Bordentown Post 26, 4-2, at Gilder Park.

Cote's two-run double was part of a three-run first inning for Hamilton, then his solo homer in the fifth inning extended the lead.

Stec scattered six hits in winning his second game of the season.

June 8, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 was defeated by Hopewell Post 339, 6-3, at Rich Giallella Field.

June 7, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 committed four errors in a 6-1 loss to Broad St. Park Post 313 at Rich Giallella Field.

June 6, 2018 - Hamilton Post 31 scored two runs on a wild pitch and an error on the same play in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat West Windsor-Plainsboro, 3-2, at Rich Giallella Field.

Pinch-hitter Jordan Nitti walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh, and one out later Joey Sacco also drew a walk. Both runners moved up on a groundout, then Nitti scored to tie the game on a wild pitch and Sacco came around to score on an errant throw.

Ryan Beczo retired the first 19 batters he faced in his first start for Post 31.

June 5, 2018 - C.J. Pittaro had three hits and an RBi, and David Stec pitched six innings to earn the victory as Hamilton Post 31 defeated North Hamilton, 2-1, at Rich Giallella Field.

Stec allowed only a first-inning run, then set down North Hamilton through six innings. Joe Swindasz retired the side in the seventh to earn his first save. Pittaro tied the game with a single in the third inning. The eventual winning run scored in the fifth on a North Hamilton error.

Hamilton won its season opener for the ninth straight season.