(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) CUTTING LOOSE: Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball player Luke Cordonnier takes a cut in recent action. Last Thursday, Cordonnier produced the winning run with a bases-loaded walk in an 8-7 win over Broad Street Park Post 313. Earlier in the week, Cordonnier pitched Post 218 to its first victory of the season, striking out 12 and going the distance in a 4-3 triumph over Trenton Post 93/182. Post 218, which improved to 3-7 with a 14-9 win over Allentown last Sunday, hosts WW/P on June 24, plays at Hightstown Post 148 on June 25, hosts Bordentown Post 26 on June 26, plays at Hopewell Post 339 on June 27, plays at WW/P on June 28, and hosts Ewing Post 314 on June 29.

Cordonnier Providing Versatility, Leadership As Post 218 Baseball Has Breakthrough Week

Bill Alden

After a solid season last summer for the Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball team, Luke Cordonnier is ready to shoulder more responsibility in his second campaign with the club.

“This year I am stepping up more as a leader than I did last year,” said Cordonnier, a Princeton High junior who played well for the Little Tigers this spring. “I am cheering the team on; I am picking them up in the infield.”

Last week, Cordonnier drew plenty of cheers from his teammates as he made solid contributions in Post 218’s first two wins of the season in Mercer County American Legion League play.

On June 14, Cordonnier produced a gutsy pitching effort, going the distance and striking out 12 as Princeton edged Trenton Post 93/182 4-3.

Three days later against fourth-place Broad Street Park Post 313, Cordonnier slammed a key double and then waited out a walk-off bases on balls as Princeton overcame a 5-0 deficit to pull out an 8-7 victory.

In reflecting on the dramatic win over Broad Street, Cordonnier said that Princeton was confident about the matchup.

“We came into this game knowing that we had played this team well; we beat them twice last year,” said Cordonnier.

“We just knew that Mike [Dunlap] was on the hill and that he would throw us a good game. We just had to back him up.”

Cordonnier was ready to provide some offensive back-up to Dunlap. “I feel like it is coming back,” said Cordonnier, referring to his hitting. “I took a lot of batting practice this afternoon with Phil [Pecora].

In the end, though, it was Cordonnier’s maturity and patience at the plate that proved to be the difference as he drew a walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to provide the margin of victory.

“I am only swinging if the ball is right down the middle of the plate,” said Cordonnnier, who had four walks and two runs scored in the game. “When it was 3-1, I am not swinging at all. I’ll take the walk.”

On the mound, Cordonnier has been taking advantage of the form he developed from PHS and the knowledge of catcher Steven Fuchs, a former Little Tiger standout and current Princeton University player.

“I have got all my pitches going at this point in the season; I pitched alright during the high season and I came in with the momentum from that,” said Cordonnier.

“Fuchs calls a great game behind the plate. He finds everybody’s weak spot and makes them more vulnerable. I have just got to execute the pitches.”

Post 218 manager Tommy Parker liked the way his team executed in the victory over Broad Street Park.

“We have been talking to these guys the past couple of weeks about focus,” said Parker. “We have had a couple of games where we could have pulled it out if they had maintained their focus and stayed on top of things defensively. This was truly a team win; it was a good effort all the way around.”

Pitcher Mike Dunlap gave Parker a gritty effort as he yielded five runs in the top of the first and then shut out Broad Street Park the rest of the way, using breaking stuff and control to quiet its bats.

“Mike could have fallen apart when the defense fell down on him,” said Parker of Dunlap, a PHS freshman who played on the school’s junior varsity team this spring.

“He hung in there; he’s got composure beyond freshman year. In the game against Post 458, he showed tremendous composure. Instead of here we go again, he throws them off balance with his off speed pitches and it’s working.”

The Post 218 offense put in some good work as it chipped away to tie the game at 6-6 and then produced two runs in the bottom of the seventh to overcome a late 7-6 deficit.

“The bats are waking up,” added Parker, whose team produced another offensive outburst last Sunday against Allentown, overcoming a 9-5 deficit to post a 14-9 win and improve to 3-7 on the season.

“Everybody has kind of turned it around. Beau Horan broke out tonight; Cordonnier and Fuchs also came through. Mooney has had some big hits. Maselli had the big hit tonight in the 7th inning.”

Parker is expecting some big things from Cordonnier this summer. “I talk to Luke all the time, I say ‘I am going to rely on you’ because he has to be a rock for us,” said Parker. “He does hit the ball and then he goes out and throws hard for us.”

In Parker’s view, the win over Broad Street Park should give his club the impetus to go out and pick up some more wins.

“We hope this will turn it around,” said Parker, whose club hosts WW/P on June 24, plays at Hightstown Post 148 on June 25, hosts Bordentown Post 26 on June 26, plays at Hopewell Post 339 on June 27, plays at WW/P on June 28, and hosts Ewing Post 314 on June 29.

“We are playing everyday this week; this is an opportunity. We never look past anybody. We have to respect the game and let it come as it may. We need to keep hustling and playing solid defense.”

Cordonnier, for his part, believes Post 218 can earn some respect this summer.

“We knew we were going to come in this year and win more games than we have in the past,” said Cordonnier. “Any time you can win on a walk-off it brings momentum to the next game.”

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