By Jim Hintelmann
MIDDLETOWN – Middletown High School South has struggled a bit in baseball this season, but not when sophomore ace Austin Markmann is on the mound.
Markmann pitched his second straight 1-0 shutout Saturday, May 3, when he blanked rival Middletown North in a Monmouth County tournament quarterfinal game. He had beaten St. John Vianney by the same score in the opening round of the tournament the previous Saturday.
“The curveball was my best pitch tonight,” said Markmann (4-1), whose lone loss was a complete game pitched against Colts Neck. He allowed just two hits, walked two and fanned 10.
“I was hitting my spots and this was a big game because Middletown North is a big rival for us,” he said.
It wasn’t the first time that Markmann had pitched against North this season. In a 4-1 loss to the Lions two weeks ago, he relieved in the fourth inning and retired the final seven batters of the game.
“I pitched jayvee last year, but I did a lot of hard work in the off-season,” he said. “Every pitcher likes to get into a game like this and I’m happy to take it wherever I can.”
South coach Ryan Spillane said he was “not surprised at all” at Markmann’s performance. “He’s carried us this season and is a great competitor, pitcher and will get even better.”
The only run in the game was unearned and came in the first inning off losing pitcher Mike Zibrin, who pitched just as effectively as Markmann. He allowed just one hit, a third-inning single by Kyle Brey, walked three and struck out two.
Joe Timmins led off the game with a walk and Tom Mariniello was hit by a pitch. Brey’s fielder’s choice moved Timmins to third where he scored on a wild pickoff throw.
Markmann was in trouble several times, but worked his way out each time. The last came in the seventh inning when leadoff batter Ryan Goscinski was hit by a pitch, and pinch runner Anthony Vetrano took second on Kyle Capo’s infield hit.
Markmann, though, got a big break when Vetrano tried to steal third and was caught in a rundown and tagged out. Markmann then struck out Jake Bailey to end the game.
“They weren’t really holding him (Vetrano) on and he’s got good speed,” North coach Mike Dooley said. “He just didn’t get a good jump.
“Markmann did a good job but Zibrin did just as well,” Dooley said. “We just didn’t get a key hit.”
North’s Conor Youncofski hit a one-out double in the first, but Markmann retired the next two batters.
South will play Colts Neck Friday, May 9, in a semifinal game at First Energy Park in Lakewood. South dropped two regular season games to the Cougars.
