MIDDLETOWN - It was the perfect example of why Christian Brothers Academy standout senior right-hander Luca Dalatri is now 29-2 for his scholastic career.

Dalatri was not overpowering Wednesday in the CBA's 11-0, six-inning win over Marlboro in a Shore Conference Class A North game, like he was in on April 13 at Middletown High School South when he struck out 19 in the Colts' eight-inning win, but he was economical and very, very efficient.

In other words, Dalatri, who struck out eight, walked one, hit one and allowed two hits while throwing 75 pitches - 61 of which were for strikes - showed once again he is a pitcher and not a thrower.

"Now a days, it's (being a pitcher and not a thrower) overlooked,'' said Dalatri, who has signed a national letter of intent with the University of North Carolina and was clocked between 87-90 miles per hour by Major League scouts in attendance on Wednesday).

"Velocity is velocity, but at the end of the day, you've just got to go out there and pitch. You've got to execute. You've got to get outs. You've got to get the ball on the ground. If you're throwing the ball hard, it's a good thing, and at this level, you'll still get away (with it). But, at the next level (college and professional), you'll going to get eaten up.

"It's at the next level where it (knowing how to pitch) really helps you out the most. That's where I am at with my beliefs.''

CBA senior right-hander Luca Dalatri had another big day in the Colts' 11-0 win over Marlboro

Marlboro (6-3, 4-3), ranked No. 3 in the Asbury Park Press Top 10, did make a concerted effort to put the ball in play, especially with two strikes. All three of the Mustangs' batters in the first inning put the ball in play with two strikes against them.

Dalatri, who is 4-0 on the season and has struck out 52, walked two, allowed 14 hits and just one run in 27 innings, got six fly outs or line outs and four ground outs. The most pitches he threw in an inning was 16. This outing came a week after he threw 122 pitches against Middletown South.

"If you can save a few pitches every now and then, it's not too bad,'' said Dalatri, who is five wins away from tying the Shore Conference wins record of 34 for a career set in 2006 by Casey Gaynor of Toms River East, now Rutgers pitching coach.


"Luca is not a guy who's going to be shooting 100 miles per hour on the radar gun,' but you don't have to do that to be successful,'' said senior catcher Brandon Martorano, who also has signed with North Carolina and swung with a wooden bat for the scouts in attendance while CBA head coach Marty Kenney threw him batting practice after the game. "He pitches. He deals. He does the stuff that he needs to do and he gets the job done.''

Martorano and Dalatri, the No. 3 and 4 hitters in CBA's lineup also got the job done at the plate. They com bined to go 7-for-7 as CBA (10-2, 6-1), ranked No. 1 in the Asbury Park Press Top 10, banged out 12 hits two days after it was blanked on just 66 pitches by Manalapan's John Pudder in a 4-0 Manalapan win that snapped CBA's 21-game winning streak against New Jersey opposition.

Martorano went 4-for-4 with a game-ending two-run home run to left in the sixth and a double. He scored four runs. Dalatri went 3-for-3 with RBI singles in the first and third innings and a double in the fifth.

Nick Hoenstein and Luke Chece had RBI singles in the fifth and Kenny Campbell had an RBI single in the third and a run-scoring ground out in the fifth.

photo credit: P Ackerman