Pirates deal Cards a loss in EMSA North title game
Although his Cardinals lost in the Northern Division of the East Monmouth Sports Association Senior League finals, Fair Haven Coach Chris Rumpf has no regrets about the campaign.
"It was a wonderful season," he said. "These were very, very nice kids."
The Cards went 7-5 during the regular season, then played their way into the finals with 7-4 and 4-3 victories. But on Monday night, as Rumpf puts it, "the wheels fell off" in an 8-5 defeat at the hands of the River Plaza Pirates.
"Still, if we had to lose, I’m glad it was to River Plaza," said the coach, who was assisted by Gus De Los Rayes. "They were a great team to play and they were very gracious, good sports. The stars just weren’t with us."
An 11-member team that stressed defense, the Cardinals did have some offensive punch, beginning at the top of the order with Jonathan Rumpf, the coach’s son, who was a consistent hitter with a knack for getting on base, while playing second base and catcher in the field. The team’s other belters included Matt Carr, a pitcher and backstop, as well as third baseman-pitcher Travis Conley and shortstop-pitcher Jamie Sadler.
On the mound, Carr was the staff ace, keeping hitters off-balance with "a nice deceptive motion," as Rumpf noted.
Looking over the rest of the lineup, the coach calls first baseman Ryan Massie "a golden glover."
Flanking him at second, along with Jonathan Rumpf, was Scoop De Los Rayes, who also played the outfield.
Joining De Los Rayes in the garden were Jim Armstrong, Kevin Higgins, Jeff Braga, Dan Smith, a sometime third baseman, and Adam Osborne.
— Richard Jerome
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