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Kaplan, Vowteras Lead Manasquan Past Rumson in CJ2 First Round

Matt Manley|May 28, 2025|Last Updated June 3, 2025

MANASQUAN — When their junior ace Chase Kaplan hit the ground hard and stayed there for more than a minute writhing in pain — the result of a hard collision initiated by Rumson-Fair Haven senior Parker Shenman at the end of an rundown that ended the top of the first inning — the rest of the players on the Manasquan baseball team were angry.

When Kaplan returned to the mound an inning later armed with a two-run lead, the Warriors were inspired.

Kaplan recovered from the first-inning collision to strike out nine in five innings of work and senior teammate Dylan Vowteras went 4-for-4 with a two-run home run in the first inning to lead a well-rounded hitting attack that powered the Warriors — the No. 7 seed in the Central Jersey Group II Playoffs — to a win over No. 10 Rumson in the first round of the NJSIAA Tournament.

The first inning was hard work for Kaplan even before meeting Shenman halfway between third base and home plate. The left-hander loaded the bases with a two walks and a hit-by-pitch, but was still just one out away from posting a scoreless inning. With the count 2-1 on senior leftfielder Nate Margulies, Shenman attempted to break for the plate on the throw back to the mound, but Kaplan was on it. He caught Shenman in a rundown, which ended with Shenman plowing over Kaplan shoulder first as he was tagged out.

Manasquan junior Chase Kaplan. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com) - Manasquan Chase Kaplan

Manasquan junior Chase Kaplan. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)

“I’m a little sore, but I’m fine,” Kaplan said. “It was my non-throwing shoulder, so I just needed a minute to shake it off. I came back out and I took it personal, for sure.”

The umpires ejected Shenman for initiating the collision, which dropped Kaplan on his right shoulder and fired up his dugout.

“We were all kind of pissed at that,” Vowteras said. “I don’t think (Shenman) really did it on purpose, or at least he didn’t mean to hurt him, but it just sets a little fire in you. I thought Chase wasn’t going to be able to come back from that, so ballsy from him to come back and pitch five innings. We all know the type of player he is. He loves to compete. I could tell he was hurt, but he gutted it out, went out there and shoved.”

Manasquan’s lineup gave Kaplan plenty of time to shake off the cobwebs during the bottom of the first inning, dragging Rumson-Fair Haven sophomore left-hander Cooper Jones through a 34-pitch inning. Vowteras was the third batter of the inning and on a 1-1 pitch from Jones, the senior designated hitter barreled an outer-half fastball and launched it over the rightfield fence and off the second fence that runs along the football bleachers for an opposite field homer.

“That surprised me,” said Vowteras, whose homer was his first of the season and second of his career. “I was like, ‘Holy crap.’ It just kept carrying. I just poked it out there and I didn’t know it went over.”

A two-out single by senior shortstop Tristan Condon, a walk by junior rightfielder J.D. Teza and a wild pitch that moved Condon to third base gave Manasquan runners at the corners but Jones ended the threat with a strikeout to keep the deficit at 2-0.

Kaplan marched back to the mound in the top of the second inning and while his display of toughness lifted his team’s spirits, he struggled in his first inning following the collision. Margulies hit the first pitch he saw into right-centerfield for a single and Kaplan issued a four-pitch walk to first baseman Max Mazzucca.

A fielding error on a bunt by freshman shortstop Miles Martin loaded the bases with none out, but Kaplan reached back for a big strikeout on a 3-2 fastball. Kaplan then had Shenman’s replacement in the leadoff spot, sophomore Lloyd Bush, set up for another strikeout in a 2-2 count, but Bush delivered a line drive to the right-centerfield gap that landed just out of the reach of diving centerfielder Matt Antonucci for a two-run double that tied the game.

Manasquan stole an out on Bush’s double by throwing behind Martin at third base after the freshman rounded the base too hard and too far to get back ahead of the throw and tag. Kaplan then rolled up a ground ball to end the inning with the score knotted at 2-2.

Vowteras again ignited Manasquan’s offense in the bottom of the third inning by scorching a double to the left-centerfield gap to lead off. Condon followed with a one-out RBI double to the right-center gap that plated Vowteras with the go-ahead run and senior R.T. Runge made it 4-2 with Manasquan’s third double of the inning — a line drive that one-hopped the leftfield fence to score Condon.

“Tristan had a great day at the plate,” Vowteras said. “I scored on that double he had and then R.T. stepped up with another double. Aidan (Opatosky) got a big bunt down (in the fifth) to get us going in another big inning. It’s awesome to see everyone contribute in a win like this.”

After laboring through the first two frames, Kaplan found his groove in the middle innings. He struck out the side in order the third, followed by two more strikeouts during a one-two-three fourth inning. Rumson cooked up a threat in the top of the fifth thanks to a pair of infield singles and a walk that loaded the bases with one out, but Kaplan struck out the next two batters, capped by an eight-pitch battle that ended with Rumson catcher Luke Gallagher chasing a 3-2 fastball above the zone with the runners on the move.

“When I can throw my curveball for a strike and get ahead in the count with it, it works well with my whole arsenal,” Kaplan said. “My fastball was a little wild, but I had to execute another pitch besides my fastball and I just kept trusting myself with the curveball. Once I found it, I knew it was going to be tough for them.”

In the bottom of the fifth, Manasquan, added two more runs, with Vowteras again starting the rally with a leadoff single through the right side. Pinch-hitter Aidan Opatosky then dropped a bunt between the pitcher’s mound and third base for a single and after senior right-hander Owen O’Toole got the lead runner at third on another sacrifice bunt attempt, Teza singled to load the bases with one out.

O’Toole issued just two free passes in his 4 2/3 innings of relief work, but unfortunately for him, they came with the bases loaded in the fifth. He walked Runge to force in a run and hit Liam Opatosky on the foot to plate the sixth run for Manasquan.

“One-through-nine, they know their roles and know what they have to do every at-bat,” Kaplan said.

Manasquan senior shortstop Tristan Condon. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com) - Manasquan Tristan Condon

Manasquan senior shortstop Tristan Condon. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)

Kaplan’s day on the mound ended with a leadoff walk to start the top of the sixth, which pushed his pitch count past the 110 single-game limit and prompted Manasquan coach Brenan Gordon to go to his bullpen.

Senior Keegan Hertel pitched out of trouble in the sixth thanks to a pair of strikeouts, then surrendered an opposite-field home run to Rumson senior third baseman D.J. Ylagan that landed about 25 feet shy of where Vowteras hit his homer in the first. Hertel shook off the solo shot and struck out two of the next three batters to close out a first-round win for the Warriors.

“He was amazing,” Kaplan said of Hertel, who has allowed two earned runs in 20 1/3 innings this season. “That was what we needed. Everybody has a contribution, no matter whether you’re starting or you’re coming in. Everyone has a job and we execute it.”

Vowteras also added a single through the left side of the infield for his fourth hit of the game, giving him a double and a single to the left side and a homer and a single to the right side of the field.

“We faced two great pitchers today so for it to happen like that, it’s awesome because I feel like I have been working four years for this moment in the state playoffs in my senior year,” Vowteras said.

After Tuesday’s perfect day at the plate, Vowteras is hitting .459 with three home runs, a triple and a home run while driving in nine runs in 12 games played. The senior sustained a shoulder injury during the preseason that has kept him from playing his normal rightfield position, but his presence as the Warriors’ DH has an element of power to the middle of Manasquan’s lineup.

Manasquan senior Dylan Vowteras. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com) - Manasquan Dylan Vowteras

Manasquan senior Dylan Vowteras. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)

“I thought I was going to be done for the year,” Vowteras said. “I ended up not getting surgery, rehabbed it really well, and then I came back around the 12th or 13th game. I still can’t really play the field, but I’ve been DH-ing and helping the team that way. It’s been a blessing to come back here and play with these guys.

“I love DH-ing. It helps me focus on my at-bats. If I get out, I can assess the at-bat and make an adjustment. It’s a lot easier to be a DH than to play the field and hit. I think that’s self-explanatory, but I know it’s not for everybody.”

With Tuesday’s win, Manasquan has won at least one state tournament game in each of the last four seasons and since 2015, the Warriors are 9-1 in first-round games in the NJSIAA Tournament.

“I feel like in the playoffs the past few years, we have done a great job of just putting together good team wins,” Vowteras said.

Next, the Warriors will take their act on the road to play No. 2 Robbinsville Thursday in the sectional quarterfinals after the Ravens rode University of Pittsburgh commit Tyler Bunnell on the mound to a 2-0 win over No. 15 Holmdel on Tuesday. While the Ravens look beyond their ace for innings, Manasquan will do the same, with sophomore Logan Cleveland next up in the rotation and Hertel available to pitch after throwing 33 pitches in relief of Kaplan.

“With all the seniors, we knew this could have been our last game but we weren’t going to let it be that,” Kaplan said. “Our confidence is through the roof. Last year, we came up a little bit short (in a 5-4 loss to Delran in the sectional semifinals) and we’re not going to let that happen again. We have the arms, we know what we’re capable of and we’ll take our best shot.”

With No. 11 Allentown and No. 14 Bordentown both advancing to the quarterfinals, Manasquan would host the sectional semifinal on Tuesday, June 3, if it can beat Robbinsville.

“I feel like we got a tough drawing playing these guys (Rumson) in the first round,” Vowteras said. “We got past it and we’re ready to go to Robbinsville.”

 

Box Score

Manasquan 6, Rumson-Fair Haven 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
RFH (15-10-1) 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 5 2
Manasquan (14-7) 2 0 2 0 2 0 X 6 9 1

Pitching

Rumson-Fair Haven IP H R ER BB SO PC
Cooper Jones 1.1 2 2 2 3 2 46
Owen O’Toole (L, 3-3) 4.2 7 4 4 1 7 85
Manasquan IP H R ER BB SO PC
Chase Kaplan (W, 6-1) 5 4 2 2 5 9 111
Keegan Hertel 2 1 1 1 1 4 33

Top Hitters

Rumson-Fair Haven Game Stats
D.J. Ylagan 2-3, HR, BB, R, RBI
Lloyd Bush 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI
Nate Margulies 1-2, BB, R
Manasquan Game Stats
Dylan Vowteras 4-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
Tristan Condon 2-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI
R.T. Runge 1-2, 2B, BB, 2 RBI
Caden Eastmond 1-3, R
J.D. Teza 1-2, BB

 

 

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