BREAKING THE CURSE!
Flashes "Hardballers" advance to the finals of the Central Jersey Group-1 Playoffs with a 5-1 drubbing of Metuchen

                                                                                                                                                                       "Big" Jim Narkun powers through an RBI single

After two straight seasons of semi-final losses, the Flashes "Bad Bat Boys" have broken the second round jinx that had been plauging them. Working behind their senior ace pitcher Stevie "Gee-Money" Giambrone's complete game, the "Hardballers" strung together 5 early runs and kept the "Buldogs" off the home plate for six innings to post the spell breaking victory.

This season the Florence High School baseball team looked to its senior leader in big games. Pitcher/shortstop Steve "G-eeMoney" Giambrone leads the team in extra base hits, home runs and pitching victories as well as game experience, having been a starter for four years. The second round of the playoffs has been the stalling point for the Flashes in recent years. “The second round has been like a curse for us,” Giambrone said. “I just wanted to do the best I could to get the win and get us past this round. Being in my senior, year it was up to me to go out there and do my job.” "G-ee-Money" struck out eight batters going seven strong innings to give the Flashes Guys a 5-1 victory in the semifinal round of the Central Jersey Group 1 playoff game. The second round jinx is no more. The "Hardballers" prevailed against a good team and a good pitcher. The Bulldogs had previously defeated both the seventh and second seeds (Florence is seeded third) to reach the semi-finals. "Gee-Money" out dueled Metuchen ace Jack Rems, who was coming off a 13-strikeout no-hitter against seconed seeded Dunellen on Friday. Although the Flashes managed only five hits off Rems they scored five times in the first two innings. Quentin "Mighty Quinn" Loftin and "Gee-Money" both walked  in the first inning. the Mighty Quinn  scored on a strikeout-wild pitch and "Gee-Money" scored on "Big" Jim Narkun's RBI single. Rems started the second inning in trouble by walking Clint "Rocky" Rockhill, who came home on a Scott "Not Paper" Meredith one-out single. When "Gee-Money" delivered a two run single  the "Bad Bat Boys" had a five-run cushion. “It was some timely hitting,” said a smiling happy "Gee-Money", who now sports a 7-1 pitching record on the season. The Flashes Guys were fortunate to get on board early as Rems allowed just three baserunners after the second inning. "the Mighty Quinn" had for two of the "Hardballer's five hits in the game and all five hits were singles. But "Gee-Money" made it stand up even though the Bulldogs put up nine hits. “Steve has been doing it all year,” Frappolli said, and the team seems to rally around him when he is on the mound. Steve has been in the big-game atmosphere before and he was confident that we would play good defense behind him.” The Flashes Guys (13-6) have won five straight and will host Robbinsville for the Central Jersey Group-1 crown on Friday.