COMING IN CONTACT: Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball player Nate Nydick makes contact in recent action. Last Saturday, Princeton High rising junior Nydick had a double, two walks, and one RBI as Princeton defeated Trenton Post 93/182 10-7. Post 218, which fell 8-4 to Hightstown Post 148 last Monday to move to 2-6, plays Allentown on June 21 at Mercer County Park, plays at Lawrence Post 414 on June 22, and hosts Hamilton Post 31 on June 23, Lawrence on June 24, and North Hamilton on June 27. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball team clinging to a 2-1 lead over Trenton Post 93/182 in the fourth inning last Sunday at Smoyer Park, Nate Nydick lofted a fly ball to center field that appeared to be catchable.

But the Trenton outfielder slipped and the ball sailed over his head for a double that ignited a two-run rally for Post 218 as it went ahead 4-1.

“I honestly thought he was going to catch it,” said outfielder Nydick, a rising junior at Princeton High. “That was a big hit.”

After Trenton scored two runs in the top of the fifth to narrow the gap to 3-3, Post 218 responded with five runs in the bottom of the frame as Nydick picked up an RBI on a walk.

“That was nice, we all hit,” said Nydick, reflecting on the fifth inning outburst. “It was fun.”

Post 218 went on to win 10-7, having fun after starting the day by falling 7-6 to Trenton in the completion of a June 13 game that was suspended after seven innings due to darkness.

“We played together, stayed as a team, and just hit the ball well,” said Nydick. “It was definitely a confidence boost.”

First-year Post 218 manager Peter Nielsen liked the resilience displayed by his players as they moved on from the loss in the completed game.

“The team did a good job bouncing back, resetting our mindset to get the win,” said Nielsen of the victory which snapped a four-game losing streak. “It was just, wash away the first game. You always want to have the mindset of winning game two, no matter whether the first game was a win or a loss. We did a good job of washing that first game to not let it pour into the second game for the guys.”

Post 218 got good mound efforts from starter J.J. Casey who pitched into the fifth, and Travis Petrone who came in from left field to handle the last 1 2/3 innings of the contest.

“J.J. gave us four really good innings, he kept us in the game,” said Nielsen. “For the most part, that is what we need out of our ace. He and Wes [Price] are the two guys that need to go for us. Travis did a very good job coming into that tough spot. He did a very good job — he threw the ball very well for us today.”

The Princeton offense did well in piling up 10 runs. “On the offensive side, we did a better job, we had good approaches in that second game,” said Nielsen. “We definitely had a good fifth inning. We are a small ball team. We got guys to hit and run over, we have guys who can bunt people over, and steal people over. We have the speed to do it. We don’t have the power to do it, but all of the small ball things are going to come into play. We did a very good job of that in the second game today.”

Nielsen credited Nydick with being a catalyst. “Nate gave us a spark with that fly ball,” said Nielsen. “It might be a fluke double, but you put that ball into play and good things are going to happen. You get out of the box and you run.”

In addition to Nydick, two other PHS players, Jai Justice and Jon Tao, did some good things with the bat.

“Jai had some good at-bats, Jon had a good sacrifice fly,” said Nielsen. “That is how you produce runs. By putting the ball into play, good things happen. It is back to our mindset of how we play baseball.”

Nielsen is hoping the win will be a confidence builder, with Post 218 facing a busy week as it plays Allentown on June 21 at Mercer County Park, plays at Lawrence Post 414 on June 22, and hosts Hamilton Post 31 on June 23, Lawrence on June 24, and North Hamilton on June 27.

“Now it is a refresh button for us, now we are back in the winning column,” said Nielsen, whose team fell 8-4 to Hightstown Post 148 last Monday to move to 2-6. “We can use this as momentum, coming into a long stretch of baseball that we have this week.”

As Nielsen has taken the helm of Post 218, succeeding Benito Gonzalez, he is relishing the chance to be back on the diamond.

“It has been a lot of fun; I enjoy the game of baseball and it is a fantastic group of guys that we have up and down the roster,” said Nielsen, a star pitcher at Freehold Township High who went on to play at Mercer County Community College and The College of New Jersey, earning All-New Jersey Athletic Conference honors in his senior season for the Lions in 2019. “I have been out of the game for a couple of years now. I love the game so much and I am enjoying being back, and now that I am done playing baseball, it feels great to give back what I have learned.”

For Nielsen, imparting those lessons to his players is a key focus this summer.

“We are a young team so it’s more of a player development stage right now, looking to develop the kids, bring them back next year, and develop them for a foundation to build here,” said Nielsen, who served as an assistant coach for the PHS baseball program this spring. “We are a very young roster, but I like the development that we have had and what we have produced. It is just teaching the game of baseball and teaching the strategies. You see guys that get down — you have to make sure to remind them that everything is going to be all right, just clear your mind, it is a game. You cheer each other on. You put the ball in play on offense, good things happen. You are on the mound, it is throw strikes and good things are going to happen. You have to simplify the game as much as you can.’’

Nydick, who played mainly on the PHS JV squad this spring before a brief call-up to the varsity, is using his Post 218 experience to raise his game.

“I am getting more reps and practice,” said Nydick. “I have gotten better at catching fly balls. If someone is throwing fast, I have learned to stay back in the box and get the barrel head out.”