BASEBALL: For Highland, no goodbyes just yet

• Christian Scafidi tossed a four-hitter with six strikeouts
• Anthony Masselli drove in Alfonso Duran with the game's lone run in the sixth inning

GLOUCESTER TWP. - They gathered in right field, a group of guys soaking in the moment.

For Highland High School baseball coach D.J. Gore, it was an opportunity to reflect.

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On an afternoon when he could have been saying his goodbyes, Gore wanted to make sure his team understood what it had accomplished and where it still had to go.

“Our best game has still yet to be played,” he told his troops.

The Tartans will return to practice, and they’ll get to wear the “Strays” – a combination of their stripped jerseys and gray pants – at least one more time.

Anthony Masselli’s two-out RBI single drove in the game’s only run and Christian Scafidi made sure it would be enough as Highland edged Seneca, 1-0, in a South Jersey Group 3 quarterfinal.

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“It’s a special group,” Gore said.

The No. 2 seed, Highland (16-4-1) won its 11th straight and 14th in its last 15 games. The Tartans will host No. 6 Toms River South in a sectional semifinal Tuesday. TRS defeated No. 3 Delsea.

“We’ve really created a family here, it’s not a team anymore,” said Scafidi, a right-hander who will play at the University of Pennsylvania. “We’re not ready to stop playing baseball. We wanted to come out and do it for each other so that we could play another game.”

Scafidi struck out six, including the final two batters of the game, and scattered four singles. The No. 7 seed, Seneca (15-8) had runners in scoring position in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings only to leave them stranded.

“We had our chances. We had guys on base multiple times,” Seneca coach Jay Donoghue said. “We had a guy on second base with one out (in the seventh). We just finally ran out of gas.

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“I was hoping (Scafidi) would keep going with the power stuff. His change-up was really good. He mixed it up, commanded both sides of the plate. When you run into a guy like that, you have to hope you can get him out of the game earlier. He pitched the whole thing and that made it tough on us.”

Masselli connected off reliever Tommy Egan in the bottom of the sixth to drive in Alfonso Duran with the winning run. Over the first five innings, the Tartans collected just two hits off starter Josh Knapp.

“I had a runner in scoring position and had to get him in any way I could,” said Masselli, who laced a clean single to the gap in left-center field. “It was a fastball. I saw it when he first released it and just got it.

“(Scafidi) was throwing a gem out there, so I knew all we needed was to get him one run.”

Said Scafidi: “He’s been working hard all season. To see my teammate have success like that is one of the best feelings for me.

“He did his job, so it was time for me to do mine. I wanted to get it done for the eight guys behind me.”

With the result, Gore will get to hit grounders at practice and pencil in his starting lineup again – still looking for more.

“It was probably our best defensive game all season – we turned a double play, handled every bunt situation, and we were able to keep the pitch count down for Christian,” he said.

“Offensively, I still think there’s an outburst waiting to come out.”

Kevin Minnick; (856) 486-2424; kminnick@gannettnj.com

HIGHLAND 1

SENECA 0

Big Cat: Christian Scafidi tossed a four-hitter with six strikeouts, including the last two batters of the game.

Big hit: Anthony Masselli drove in Alfonso Duran with the lone run, a sharp single to left-center.

Well said: “We love each other. I want it for myself, but I want it even more for the seniors. I want to see them go out on top this year.” – Anthony Masselli